New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-12-24
MYERS ACCUSES GREENE.
SENDS POOLROOM LIST.
The Commissioner Charges Clergy
man zcith Bad Faith.

33 East Thirtieth-st received by special de-
livery last night a letter from the Rev. DR..
Cortland Myers president of the New-York So
cety for the Enforcement of the Criminal Law,
in which DR.. Myers attacks Commissioner
Greene's administration of the Police Depart
ment. The letter charges that there are fifty
nine poolrooms doing business in the Borough
of Manhattan, and at least fifteen in the Bor-
ough Of Brooklyn. DR.. Myers calls on the head
of the Police Department to close the poolrooms
that doing business the coming week. The
letter follows:
The Police Department under your charge is
about TO hand over to the incoming administration
the affairs of your office, with the claim that you
infested 1t, including the poolrooms, policy shops
administra lions. Now, it is claimed by persons
who friendly to you your administration that
The Incoming adm;nisfratton. We have no affinity
with any political parties but we are opposed to
every form of sham and pretence, no matter by
Nearly year ago you were notified by Of the
existence of a number OF poolrooms and gambling
houses In this city and most OF these places are
stil doing business at the old stands.
, We now call your attention to the following long
existence during the larger part OF your term OF
There is no doubt that these places now are
Openly open CARVING on their business a
efficient and honest police.
argue, that these places could be opened without
police knowledge, and for the last year and over
you have been allowing this violation of the law,
with the statement you now make it, that you
incoming administrator Do YOU intend that your
friends shall be able to make some deInonsIratIlo4
what you have kept out Of the city az once mas, mas
ptenty Of time TO do It To to close these places and
10 give the incoming administration what I you
city. We ask you now, as YOU claim that the city
They exist1you and Your subordinates have. dur
ing me year had R0rlGe IN Wt1vS With truth That
the subordlnates of your department were not
without the knowledge of the police and the
action of these is certainly open to the most IN
You have until January to close these places
your department has had the knowledge for nearly
a year. Some of your captains and some OF your
Give the incoming administration that clean con
90n SaTe %i Sn active and vigorous District
Attorney at Your command. No Information GO
with the proper evidence that you could have
babe sD 0p 66a SO zone mot TO 6 eeCTe of h
county; he is not the police. to examine and get
to enforce the criminal law with the evidence with
which the police supply him No one can dOubt
that had you furnished him with the proper evil
existence. You have made what you call raids;
you have made attempts as you claim; 70 enI1Ice
these places exist. that you have raided some Of
You yourself cannot deny and yet where are the
convictions? Do the raiders go there to raid. and
the place for the time being; Is no way to end
thus crime IL should be I RAD fo16deG on sum
few isolated instances where have you during the
time you have been in office succeeded In securing
conyietio8s BY any evidence that you f have fur
TO procure evidence, and yet the crimes have not
close these places and do so with evidence sufh-
cient TO convict and don't leave the city in as bad
a condition as when you took office. which 1t
We do this with the desire to be able. to hold
the incoming administration strictly to its duty:
We are not friends of theirs, but in the spirit of
fairness. want them placed in position where
they will have what you claim-a clean city.
DR.. Myers's list comprises ffty-nine alleged
poorooms in Manhattan. and some fifteen in
Brooklyn.
Commissioner Greene in commenting on DR..
Myers's letter, dictated the following statement:
Mr. Cortland Myers's letter, dated December "a.
was Autographed several days in advance and
distributed the 23d. One Of the nthogra phed
copies has been sent TO me this evening
The total lack of good faith in the letter is so
We're Mr.. Myers really wishful to aid me in the
C M0Tk or % which has been
set about it in q very different manner
in good faith oo-operated with the Police Depart
the department list Of suspected places to ask
the assistance Of the police. This assistance has
warrant make arrests and lay the evidence before
70 gamblers through the newspapers wet the
plans are.
FIVE poorooms in week is too evident for com
offender The business Of the police is to get evil
During the last year more evidence of this char
The District Attorney than at any previous time
In the history OF the city: At the present moment
engaged in trying cases Of this nature evidence
OF seventy such cases on the calendar await
While Mr. Myers has frequently been invited to
come to see me he has not done go, The only time
l ever saw him was at the children's parade in
meet me and was most effusive in his praise Of my
conduct of the Police Department John r, Walker.
several times last spring and his assistance and
cooperation were most heartily welcomed: ! took
neys Office OF some of the Judges OF Special Sessions
societies Of similar nature to that of Mr. Myers's
and of newspaper men familiar with such subjects.
as to the character Of the superintendent and en-
ployes of this society, and the answer in every
was that the employees; to put it mildly. were not
that has been given by Mr.. Myerss society has
rants make raids without the knowledge of his
employees. In some cases conviction has been
the point which wish TO make plain is that every
OF or Gew 70 SUP
the purpose Of enforcing the law, and whenever 1t
OF duty on part OF the police in connection with
this evidence, as there was in two cases in Brook
Ign, the police officials who We're responsible have
positively in regard to the particular places named
in Mr. Myers's letter. l am under the Impression
been raided: that in some cases convictions have
been obtained: that others are pending in the Dis
has failed and that in others evidence is now being
letter, reports viii be Immediately called for from
1isS eG 6 am WIN i1sa1a I 10 each OF the
force the law at these places.