New-York tribune., 1902-03-30

4 significant and important discovery was
made by District Attorney Jerome at the police
station in West Thirtieth-st on Friday night
He had been making an inspection of certain
places in the Tenderloin district. and he went TO
the police station and asked leave to look at the
book of suspicious persons and places. Such a
book is kept in every police station " is sent
to the Police Commissioner for inspection at the
beginning of every month. Sergeant shields
handed out book from behind the desk for the
District Attorney to look at. Mr.. Jerome no.
tiCed that the book not of recent date.
"Haven't YOU a later than this" he asked.
The sergeant fumbled awhile and then. with
apparent reluctance, produced another book.
Mr.. Jerome wanted to compare the police list
Of suspicious places with list of gambling
houses in the precinct which he had When he
was examining the police list he made a dis
covery that surprised him. He found that the
book had been written up TO the beginning of
April
The book posted up ready To he sent 10
Police Headquarters on April l." he said yes
terday. 1T may have been written up several
days before I went to the police station. for all
I could tell"
A SURPRISING SYSTEM.
Such system of bookkeeping in a police sta
tion was surprising, he said. and it indicated
that the police did not expect raids at any of
the places entered in the book suspicious
before the beginning Of the month There might
be understanding, perhaps, 10 continue GER
tain gambling houses in the book "sus-
picous" to the end Of month. It might mean,
possibly. that the gamblers had paid for proteC-
tion until April I, and that if they paid another
assessment in April their places would be con-
tinued rs merely Suspicious until May /
How many gambling houses did YOU see run
ming in the Tenderloin last night Mr.. Jerome
asked.
"Oh a whole bookfuI" he replied
will you make a report 10 Police Commis-
sioner Partridge on the violations of the law
you discovered"
No I don't think I will"
Police Captain Sheehan. the present ruler of
the police in the Tenderloin. admitted yesterday
that the book Of suspicious persons and places
had been written up ahead Of time. a sergeant
had recopied the list in the book. and had ated
it ahead, he said That was to have the book
ready at the beginning Of the month. That vas
customary. he said because there were so many
monthly reports 10 make out.
How can such a report be correct il 1t is
dated ahead Of timer" was asked.
oh" he replied. If anything important hap
pened could fill it in later"
IT takes from fve To ten days 10 fix up the
book 10 present a report to the Police Com
Captain Sheehan The report is dated up to
March n. ahead of time and as the days go
by and places are 10 be added they are written
under the date 1t does not mean because the
date is ahead of time that there is any irregu-
Iaritv or that the book has been fixed up The
suspicious report is kept by a man doing CleTi-
cal work and he has to keep besides twenty
other reports. The report Of the suspicious
places and persons is a long one sometimes of
%twenty flour pages ana requires time to get
ready to present on the first Of the month.
That explanation viii not be satisfactory AT
Police Headquarters. Commissioner Partridge
was in the South yesterday and Deputy Com
missioner Thurston left his Office early in the
afternoon. but as information of Mr..
Jeromes discovery reached Multerry-st- Chief
Inspector Cortright called Inspector Harley and
started an investigation. 1t was said on good
authority at Police Headquarters later that the
dating of the book Of suspicious persons and
places ahead of time would mean trouble for
somebody
OFFICIALS MAY GET INTO TROUBLE.
While the carrying of a list of places sus-
pected of being gambling houses in the book
under an advance date may not be regarded
proof that places have been protected, it is
positive breach of the rules of the department.
The sergeant who made such a false record is
liable TO punishment. even if he acted under the
instructions Of his captain. The captain. who
is responsible for the correctness Of the records
is expected to get into trouble even IL the ad-
vance date was written without his knowledge.
because he is supposed 10 examine the books
every day and Sc that they correct. Fail
ure OF the captain to report false record in
one of the books before il discovered by