New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-04-09
A POLICY RAID BY JEROME.
POOR WOMAN COMPLAINS OF A PLACE
IN ROOSEvELT-ST ST.
POINT IN DISPUTE BETWEEN FATHER
CURRY AND CAPTAIN VREDENBURGH
SETTLED AGAINST THE LATTER

SETTLED AGAINST THE LATTER
To prevent a poor woman from losing her
home and incidentally settle point in the
dispute between priest and police captain,
District Attorney Jerome caused a raid on the
poIfcv shop at No. 3 Roosevelt-st. yesterday
morning The poor woman wrote to Mr.. Jerome
that her husband was losing all his money in
the policy shop
IF you do not close this place" she wrote, az
will lose my home. Some time q go I asked the
police to close the place and they never paid ary
attention"
Father James B. Curry. pastor of St James's
Catholic Church in James-st.. had been COM
planning 10 Mr.. Jerome that the police COM
Tnanded by Captain V-edenburgh at the Oak-st
station prosecuted the boys of his church club
because ne caused a dive near the church 20
i,e closed The precinct contained many dens Of
vice the priest said. but instead of closing up
such places the police spent their time arresting
and chasing the boys of the club who played
ball in the street. Captain EredenbUrgh declared
that there were no dives or dens of vice in
the precinct He sure of 1t, he declared.
that he would give $500 to any person who
would bring to him evidence of the existence
of such a place.
County Detective Hammond and four assist
ants were sent 10 the policy shop at a. yes
terday When they got near the place alarm
was given 10y somebody and the doors were
shut Hammond welded with vigor and
smashed the front door Twenty persons in the
place made wild scramble to escape. Two of
them who seemed TO he in charge of the place.
were arrested. Then the detectives noticed
closet. the door of which locked. Ham
mond used the axe again. and three men who
were hiding in the closet were dragged out and
put under arrest. In the place the detectives
elivc ar,ffD
ords and other materials used in running
policy shop great crowd collected when the
raid was in progress. but no policemen were in
sight when the detectives and their prisoners
started for the Criminal Courts Building At
the Centre-st court the five prisoners were held
In 81 900 bail each for examination in the after
noon at the request of lawyer
Captain Vredenburgh expressed astonishment
when he heard that policy shop had been
closed without his knowledge in his precinct.
The place never had been reported by his men.
he said and he unaware of it's existence
AS to dens of vice in his precinct. he said. his
offer of $500 for proof of the existence of such
a place still held good Father Curry was mis-
taken he said, in believing that the police
bounded the boys of the church club because of
Interference with disorderly places The boys
violated the law by playing ball in the street.
the captain said. and the police were right in
chasing them off the street or arreSt1nS them.
Father Curry said yesterday afternoon that he
knew of many dens of vice in the precinct.
He pointed to the block in Cherryst.. between
James and Oliver sts.. saying that there were
six dives in a in the block.
District Attorney Jerome said yesterday that
if Captain Vredenburgh placed the $500 reward
where 1t could be reached. there probably would
he no difficulty in winning the money by getting
proof against several disorderly places in the
precinct He declined to say If there were to
he other raids in the precinct soon.
IN the afternoon District Attorney Jerome said
the cases of the five men arrested in the policy
raid would be sent to the grand jury. There
would he no trouble in securing indictments. he
said and the cases would be turned over to AS
sistant District Attorney Schurman and pre-
pared for trial soon as possible
s'These men must be made an example of,
said Mr. Jerome. land we've got them right, /
think. this time
When asked If Captain Nredenburgh would
have charges preferred against him on account
of the raid Mr.. Jerome said he thought raid
on one policy shop hardly enough to warrant
such proceeding
Police Commissioner Partridge refused last
night to discuss the raid in Captain Vreden-
burgbs precinct but said that he would cause
an investigation TO be made