New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-08-17

Magistrate Did Not Receive Secre-
tara ReynOIdS'S Letter.

Magistrate Hogan from the bench of the Tombs
police yesterday reiterated his assertion that
the police prosecuting street pedlers He also
said that he had not received the letter which
James B. Reynolds, acting chief Of the Bureau Of
Licenses. declares he mailed to the magistrate or
August II. In fact, of the magistrates mail
seems to have been diverted from its objective
point, for he asserted that he had received
letter from a friend bearing a special delivery
stamp, and containing dog license
Several pedlers were arragned before him. and
after examining them he sent policeman into his
private and told him to bring in a letter
The policeman did so. and the magistrate. before
opening the letter. said. TO the newspaper men
present:
Secretary Reynolds has stated that he sent me
a letter on August II. Now. I want you TO notice
the postmark this letter"
The postmark on the letter showed that it had
been mailed about p m. on August II. and had
been received at Station at $50 p. the
same day.
1t was suggested that the letter might not be the
one which Secretary Reynolds had referred to- and
the magistrate opened it. 1t read:
In morning newspaper of August II an inter
view with you was published. in which you are
ported to have said "pushcart pedlers abso-
lutely unable TO get licenses unless they are willing
to pay blackmaH money TO some one" You are
made to you that pedlers cannot secure licenses
unless they pay some one in addition to the license
fee.
In my previous communication TO you on August
II, think made clear that the police officers at
instructions in arrestng pedlers found in the street
without licenses, and that they have also been act
ing in accordance with my Instructions in asking
the magistrates to hold for Special Sessions those
who have been three times arrested for not having
a license.
shall be glad of any definite information you can
give regarding the demand payment Of
blackmail or any refusal on the part of the Bureau
of Licenses to grant a license to any one entitled
legally to receive one.
Magistrate Hogan said he had not received any
letter from Secretary Reynolds dated August IL
The magistrate fined one Greek pedler 81.
"A friend of mine told me that he recently saw a
policeman from Broadway down Park Place
where two pedlers standing, and. with his
nightstick knock the kerosene lamps off the push
carts and throw fruit into the street. said the
magistrate. The policeman did not arrest the
pedlers, but allowed street garnins to gather up
fruit and eat ii in his presence.
The problem would easily be solved if the Police
Commissioner would have stationed all the
time in the streets restricted against pedlers The
pedlers would then know enough to keep away
from those streets I not running the Police
Department and I couldn't if I wanted to. I want
TO say. though that these pe6lers are being so
prosecuted by the police that it would not surprise
me very much to hear of a riot some day between
them and the police, in which some killed"
Magistrate Hogan did not say whether or not he
would comply with the request OF Mr. Reynolds.