New-York tribune., 1901-04-10
PROTECTION FOR POLICE.
TRANSFERRING FOR DOING THEIR DUTY
WILL NOT PASS UNNOTlCED
BY PHILBIN.

The Committee Of Fifteen and the District
Attorney have taken up the cases Of the four
policemen who were recently transferred from
Captain Schmittberger's precinct after they had
arrested certain saOonkeepers for violating the
excise laws The Rev. DR.. n. G. Wiley, pastor
Of the Scotch Presbyterian Church. first drew
public attention to these transfers
Yesterday Mr.. Philbin wrote to Police Com
missioner Murphy and informed him that he had
assigned Assistant District Attorney Gordon to
60 10 the Harlem Court to-day. where the en-
else eases will come up and that they are
r,rorerlv prosecuted a rumor had got abroad
that the evidence which the police would brlns
against the saloonkeepers would he so weak
as to make il imperative for the magistrate
70 discharge the defendants. BY this means the
transfer of the policemen on the charge of being
overzealnus would be bostered up. MI Murphy
replied to Mr. Philbin. saying that he would be
glad 10 see him bring the defendants to justice
II they were guilty. and adding that he had not
transferred the policemen because they hao ar
rested the saloonkeepers.
Mr. Murphy told Tribune reporter yesterday
that he had already begun an investigation OF
his own regarding these transfers. and mao VIII
ten 10 one Of the transferred men. who had re-
quested a hearing telling him to call at Ponce
Headouarters to-day or tomorrow, and state MS
case The Commissioner. ii appears, trans1erreu
the men on charges the exact nature OF winch
be declined to reveal until he finds out if those
who made the charges deceived him or not ne
believed those charges to he true, he says. when
he ordered the transfers. Murphy added that he
bored all the men who think they have been
+rarsferred uniustIv would come to him with
,,eir grievances He said he assured them OF a
friendly hearing if they were sincere, ana mat
there would be evil consequences IL tleS
failed 10 make out good case.
Mr. Philbin announced that any policeman
transferred for doing his duty would hnd
champion in the District Attorney. TWO pa
troIrnen called on Mr.. Philbin Yesterday. one
was from Schmittberger's precinct The District
Attorney would not tell their names or what
1hev had said to him. Equal reticence was
maintained about a conference which was held
bv Recorder Gon. Mr. Philbin and Colonel W. C.
Church foreman of the Grand Jury, and sec
md conference held bv Robert Grer Monroe, OF
the Committee of Fifteen; Justice Jerome and
Assistant District Attorneys Schurman and
Cans
This trick Of transferring a policeman every
time he offends man with big pull salG a
politician yesterday. has for years been one ''
the Police Commissioners easiest methods OF
placating their angry friends, and II Murphy
is going 10 he deprived Of it he will get my
svrTna thy Murphv is making effort to use
nth moderation the tremendous power which
has been put in his hands the single PoIlce
Commissioner. He aims TO steer his course nld-
v,ay between making New York Puritanlcai
city and letting it run wide open. He desires
that the sporting element shall not oHend the
churchgoers by the open Haunting OF wee ana
he also desires that the better element snail not
insist upon the Of the people toeinS the
mark with irksome exactness. When Murphy
ordered that the disgraceful dance halls of Lit
tie Coney Island in Schmittberger's precinct,
be closed or Sundays, he did right; but when
certain patromen undertook to arrest saloon
keepers for selling liquor on Sunday without
serving a meal with the drinks. many people
said they were overzealous. OF course. the
associated LIQUOR dealers kicked. If they could
he nlacated by sending a few patrolmen to earn
their salaries in other precincts. think it would
certainly be rough Murphy to deprive him
of that easy way out of his troubles. for many
and nerplexing are the troubles he will meet in
trying to regulate vice in New-York without too
much laxity. and at the same time without
fanatical strictness''