The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-10-03
WHY The POLICE MUDDI.ED IT.
TAMMANY CRIES THAT 1T WAS
SPITE, "HIGHER UP"


EVERYBODY, Including Me. did His
Duty Not Enough for Greene-Piper
started on . Quiz to Fix the blame.
Police Commissioner Greene summoned
Inspector Smiling Dick Walsh to Head
quarters yesterday mornini: and asked him
what he had to say about the reported in
efficiency OF the police at the Democratic
city convention in Carnegie Hall on Thurs
day night. Inspector Walsh had charge OF
the police arrangements there and it was the
general testimony that these arrangements
were about the poorest ever seen III New
York. with the possible exception of those
made for handling the crowd at Madison
Square Garden when Bryan spoke there in
1885,
Inspector Walsh was asked to report to
the Commissioner in writing and did 40 early
In the afternoon. In it the inspector de-
clared that his arrangements were good
and proper. He went into particulars long
enough to report that anybody who said
that he passed personal friends into the hall.
whether they had tickets or not, while dele
gates wore kept outside. didn't tell the
truth.
It was typical oldtime police report
Gen. Greene read it aloud to the reporters.
Then he said that unless other facts we're
brought to his attention he would accept
1t az a truthful and accurate &C count OF the
work of the police at the convention and
would consider the incident closed.
Immediately additional facts were pre-
sented to the Commissioner by several per-
sons who had been outside Carnegie Hall
and had vainly tried to get inside through
the Fifty-sixth street entrance. Inspector
Walsh reported that lines were maintained
in Fifty-seventh street. and that although
at first he didn't have enough men to handle
the crowd. he called for reserves, and after
that there was no trouble.
Gen Greene was informed that even il
police lines were established in Fifty-seventh
street no provision was made by which the
delegates and others entitled to get into the
hall could get anywhere near the Flfty-
seventh street entrance, because the police
made no effort to keep the crowd in such
shape that ticket holders could get through.
He was also informed that at the Fifty
sixth street entrance, about which Inspector
Walsh forgot to say anything in particular,
no police lines were maintained at all.
the policemen on 0uIy a That entrance
massed themselves against the doors, Gen.
Greene was told. Now and again police
man would step down into the crowd, pick
out some individual and shoot him through
the crack left by small opening in the
Fifty-sixth street door, as soon as somebody
on the inside got signal from some one
without.
The Commissioner heard these and other
things and then decided not TO consider
the incident closed Instead OF giving
out the report for publication, as he had
intended, he turned 1t over to Deputy Com
missioner Piper, with instruction. to make
a complete Investigation. being sure TO
have Witnesses, and to report back with
any suggest ions as TO the proper harding
OF similar crowds in the future, Capt.
Piper will take the case up at once and
report to his chief as soon as possible.
Thomas F. Smith, secretary Of Tammany
Hall. had plentysof fault to find yesterday
with the police arrangements at the con-
vention, but his complaint was not with
Inspector Walsh. but with his superiors,
Mr.. Smith said that -higher up knowing
that 1t was to be a Tammany convention,
purposely neglected to give Walsh enough
men to handle the crowd. These remarks
were reported to Gen. Greene, but the
Commissioner had no comment to make,
The Commissioners attention was also
called 70 u report that many of the police
men on duty at Carnegie Hall on Thursday
night were in sympathy with Tammany
and did what they could to fail to preserve
order, so that the reform Police Department
might be d)Scredlteu. Zen. GTeene maze
this reply:
Il have no doubt that some men on the
force would do just that thing, and II such
a thing was done on Thursday night. III
get after it very quickly: but l must have
something more than rumor to 90 on.
will be much obliged to any one who will
give me evidence on which may proceed
With an Investigation"
Whether Inspector Walsh had enough
men at his disposal to handle the crowd,
Capt Piper's investigation will deter
mine. As matter OF fact he had 2Ss
men, but he admits that when he called
for reserves he got them.
- Commissioner Greene said yesterday
that Inspector Brooks was on duty Mt Police
Headquarters until $50 o'clock on Thursday
evening to look out for any unusual deveolp-
ments at the convention Brooks g where
abouts at Headquarters were not known to
the telephone man there at about o'clocls.
A man who had a platform ticket and
couldn't ret anywhere near the entrance
telephoned to Headquarters about o'clock
and asked that somebody be sent to Car
negie Hall to get ticket holders into the
building The reply came back that there
was no one at Headquarters who had any
authority in the matter