New-York tribune., 1902-07-13

I vent before the grand jury and have tol5 -,
truth, and two men have already been Co.,
victed on my evidence. which was corrobor.ta,
by two of the victims
The methods adopted by the police wers ho,s
to a degree. Plain clothes detectives Uara =.
tai:ad to guide prospective victims TO the co.'s
dence men and aid the latter in fleeing ,h.,-
victims. When an Outcry was made a mi
formed policeman would be called in and n.
would do the scare act. I-e would seeurs :
confession from the victim that he had bas,
gambling and under threats of arresting hin,
for violating the law would generally frigb.s1
the man into leaving the city, always closir~
with the injunction not to give it to the pausrs
Among the gamblers who sought to take ad.
vantage of the situation were Billy Edwars.
Lincoln Crossnan and Charlie Howard Es.
wards is regarded as one of the sharpest coma
dence men and diamond nippers in the country
a suave. mild hammered man. who, Judge Har.
rington says. has proved the best witness for
prosecution L have ever known Edwards and
his gang learned that by the payment OF a cer
tain sum weekly they could prey upon the IN
suspecting without the least fear Of molestatiou
In fact. absolute protection was guarantees r,
them.
Detective Norbeck told me-" said Edward,
the stand. that 1 should furnish Chief AZ
steerers for the big mitt' places and IL anv
stcerer was then arrested he would give hi,
name according to the list and be set free"
Edwards had a place at No. 81 Sixth-st
When a victim robbed there it was the dutv
Of Detective NOrbecz to follow him and see II
he kicked" or II he suspected that he had been
robbed A man named Mex from Minot " D.
was feeced out of draft for $40 by Edwards
and his party, and in recOunting this transac-
tion Edwards said:
We received 1875 as our share Of this draft
Two days after Detective Norbeck asked us
why we had lied about the amount OF the draft
the Mayor was not satisfied with his share
and had started investigation. I told him
that on several occasions we had been swindIad
out OF the whole amount by the Mayor and his
gang, and we did not propose to tell OF our
transactions The Mayor must take our word
and our division Of the spois. I made $500
payment. a $500 payment and four $50 pay
mcnts for police protection. and if I had told
them the actual amount had heeced my VIC
tins Of they would have raised the blackmal
limit"
Vixen Edwards was asked when he began his
operations in Minneapolis he replied that It was
when he became acquainted with the police de-
pa tment Asked what was the aggregata
amount of tribute exacted by the Mayor and
police he replied that their ''rake-off' was from
5000 TO $4,000 a week; that tribute was levied
upon everybody that did anything crooked: that
often the police were operating with thieves on
plans prearranged. and that when 1t became
necessary TO make a showing some innocent
person was arrested and afterward discharged
"fOr want OF evidence"
Colonel Anes. the chief OF police brother Of
Mayor Ames was officer IN the 18th Mime
sofa Regiment in the Philippines and rests un-
der the charge OF cowardice. He was sent home
before the regiment was mustered out, ard It is
said escaped a court martial only because he
decamped before the necessary steps could be
taken