New-York tribune., 1901-02-21
DEvERY AND HIS UNsAvoRY RECORD
A SERIES OF CHARGES INDICTMENTS AMI
TRIALS MARKS HIS CAREER.

v illiam S Devery was appointed 20 the police
force on June 70 1878 and promoted September
lG 1851 20 be roundsman, May "a 1854, 20 be ser
geaut and December 80, 1881. 10 be captain. AFTER
a new Police Board assumed Office on January !,
1855 he vas at once made an inspector and then
deputy chief When chief McCullagh was forced
out OF Office IN the spring % the year. DeNefy
was made acting chief, and he became chief just
before the annual parade on June !.
Devery Eas in command of the Eldrdge-st sta
tion the p ecnct which has recently become famous
under Captain Herlihy the Red Iight District
from March 10 December 1898 In August OF that
year Or. Parlhursts society made written de-
mand On him TO suppress certain dsorderly houses
He denied that they existed In November the
same notice was again served on Devery, nifty
houses being specified. Devery returned the same
denial OF the existence Of the places The cor
respondeuce was published the time and made a
sensation. On November % the Grand jury brought
IN four separate indictments against Devery for
failure proceed against these houses. one OF the
indictments, involving No. 81 Eldridge-st, was
brought TO trial before Justice OBrien and the
jury acquitted Devery after being out eight hours
In the Lexow investigation in 1894, there was
much evidence about Deyery's precinct and Wit
testified 10 the eNtOrtion OF his wardman.
The Police Board. then consisting Of Martin, Shee-
han, KerNin and Murray formulated charges
against Devery the strength OF this evidence and
he placed trial az Police Headquarters on
August l. 1894 on the charge OF extorton. Devery
was sick bur the Board went on with the trial and
on August 81 voted 10 dismiss him from the force,
Commissioner John G Sheehan. who in the political
troubles OF the IXth Assembly District has lately
charged the Chief with using the police AGAINST
him. being the only Commissioners 20 vote in Dew
cry favor.
Devery took his case into court and June s.
1895 the Supreme Court reinstated him in the De-
partment on the ground that his constitutional
rights had been transgressed in the trying OF his
case IN his absence.
Chief Devery was again tried IN the Criminal
Courts IN March, 1896, and again acquitted. In
October. 1896 the reform Police Board formulated
new charges against DeverY and he was 20 be
placed on trial, hui when the case came up in
March. Devery had obtained a permanent writ OF
prohibition in the courts. restraining the Board
from trying him. the ground OF the prohibition
being that the Board was not bipartisan.
aured by law, Commissioner Andrews. appointed
a. a Democrat being held by Deverys counsel, and
apparently by the Court. 20 he a Republican
The quarrel between DeVery and President York
and the open defiance Of the Police Board by the
Chief within the last few months sun fresh in
the rublic memory. Recently there have been
signs that the enmity between the Chief and the
President was disappearing, but after the hin was
passed leEisating Chief Devery out OF Office without
pension, the Board did not retire the Chef to
him the annuity because York would not relent
far enough 10 vote for IL.