New-York tribune., 1901-01-10
THE FIFTEEN AT WORK.
LETTING THE FIVE DO ALL THE TALK
ING NOW.
REPORT THAT WESTERN DETECTIVES UN-
KNOWN TO NEw-Y DIRK LAWBREAKERS
ARE GATHERING EVIDENCE

KNOWN TO NEw-Y DIRK LAWBREAKERS
ARE GATHERING EVIDENCE.
Much interesting news for the public was ex-
pected to result from the meeting Of the Com
mttee Of Fifteen yesterday, but, after long
session, Chairman Baldwin announced TO the
waiting reporters that the action taken by the
committee was so important and so far reaching
that nothing could be given out for publication.
He admitted that all the subcommittee had
reported to the full committee but concerning
the nature of these reports he would say
nothing.
In answer to a question to whether the
committee intended to take up the hunt where
Mr.. Nixon's committee left off and endeavor TO
trace the money paid for police protection right
up to the Tammany leaders who get it, Mr..
Baldwin said such was the case
TT is rumored. Mr. Baldwin" said the
porter, that your committee has employed a
prominent detective agency TO trace the money
TO its final destination, and that the agency has
imported detectives from the West to obtain
evidence. detectives who are unknown to New
York gamblers, policemen and politicians. Is
that true?'
II not giving away the plans OF our COM
mittee," replied Mr.. Baldwin, but you will be
safe in saying that paid investigators will
not be known 10 the classes of persons you have
mentioned"
Mr. Baldwin declined to say anything about
the evidence which has been collected so far, or
how much of 1t has been sent to the District
Attorney. MI Philbin was equally uncom-
municative on that point hut IL IS known that
the evidence sent TO his office by the Committee
Of Five is being diligently sifted by Assistant
District Attorney Schurman to see If IL contains
facts sufficiently we'll substantiated to make an
Indictment reasonably certain. II the commit
tees evidence is weak IL will not he presented
10 the Grand Jury at all. Mr.. Philbin does not
intend il is said. In let the Committee Of Five
nut him i'm false position before the public by
loading a lot of hearsay evidence upon him. and
then if he fails TO get indictments upon ii. cry
irg out that they have done their duty in col
lecting evidence. but the reform District Attor
r1ey did not present It in such way 10 lead
the Grand Jury to entertain ii
Mr. Platzek If the Committee of Five. refused
70 see reporters Yesterday. Mr.. Nixon was
asked il he would make public the names of
the gamblers combine whom he accuses Of
selling police protection under the false pre-
tense that they represent Tammany Hall He
replied that he not at liberty 10 name them,
because that would be equivalent to making
public matters on which the January Grand
Jury viii deliberate. From this II might he in
ferred that the names Of the gambling com
hine" are in Mr.. Philbin's hands.
Mr. Nixons attention was then drawn 10 state
raents which have been circulated in the press
that the gamblers had paid $500 each for pro-
lection. that they had declared they had re-
ceived ample protection and had nothing to
complain Of
This is no doubt correct was Mr.. NiXon's
reply. The object of my previous statement
was to snow these men the greed of the com
hine' While protection given for $500 in
Of oh
levied just before the election, and supposed to
he for campaign purposes. shows how these men
were willing TO take others by the throat and
force tribute from them to the last"
Mr. Nixon was asked whether, if it should be
found that men high up in the councils Of Tam
many had been guilty of levying blackmail, the
committee would proceed against them for the
purpose Of purging the organization
Il do not like the word purge Mr.. Nixon re-
piled. ''but you may rest assured that they
would be adequately punished
FEX-Police Commissioner Joel b. Erhardt, who
is a member Of the Committee OF Fifteen, said
the only way TO break up the combine that
has levied blackmail on the gamblers would be
10 reorganize completely the Police Department
There is politics in the Police Department.
said Mr. Erhardt. "A policeman is a police
man. and nothing else The system Of levying
hlackmail on gambling houses and disorderly
resorts has gone on under every administration
for the last thirty years. The combine is not
hased on politics. 1t will not be easy to get at
a Police Commissioner I saw officers take off
their shields and place them on my desk rather
than testify against comrade."
When Mr.. Baldwin was asked 10 comment on
the statement of Mr.. Nixon he simply said he
had comment to offer. The Tammany com
7nittee seems to have the floor at present" he
added. L am willing let them do all the
talking"
The Social Progress League does not seem to
think Mr.. Nixon is sincere when he says that
Tannany Hall never received any part OF the
money extorted for protection. Secretary Ed
ward ThiEume says certain officers Of the league
have beer on a still hunt since last summer and
1key have "bagged GONE game" He now offers
TO furnish Mr.. Croker's committee with proofs
of a system OF official blackmail in various city
departments.