The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-06-12
PROOF OF POLICE BLACKMAIL.
LIQUOR DEALERS TO OFFER 1T
TO GEN. GREENE.
Paying Just ~ Much - Ever Now. Says
One OF Them but They want .
Promise That They Shall Not BE
Called 40 witnesses Against Policemen.

Called 40 witnesses Against Policemen.
Within day or two a lawyer representing
officers Of the Liquor Dealers Association
will inform Police Commissioner Greene
of the evidence OF blackmail Of saloon
keepers by patrolmen and police captains.
Commissioner Greene will be told that the
representatives Of the liquor dealers will
present to him ample evidence Of this black
mail II the sources OF the proof are pro-
tected The situation was described last
night by an officer of the association. who
said,
Neither the officers OF the association
nor the saioonkeepers as individuals want
to 90 up with these charges or be called as
witnesses to break or convict policemen.
The uncertainties Of politics in New York
are such that no man in the liquor business
cares to put himself in that position. About
week ago Police Commissioner Greene
sent for some Of our officials and asked for
their assistance in making cases against
policemen who have been collecting black
mail
1T may be cowardice, II you like, but the
liquor dealers don't want to stand out in
the limelight as squealers on the police:
But we would like TO end the system. and
we think that If Police Commissioner
Greene will agree to our course II can be
done.
Under the old regime the wardman
collected and passed the money on higher
up-I don't know where. There Is liquor
dealers association In each Assembly dis,
trict and generally the association was told
what the assessment was to be and the dis
trict, president or treasurer or some such
officer collected from the saloonkeepers and
paid up.
Commissioner Greene abolished the
wardman and thought he had stopped the
system. But we're paying just as much
now 10 escape police persecution: Some
times the captain gets 1t, sometimes the
been shifted around so that they couldn't
get warm to their territory. but it doesn't
take them more than twenty-four hours
to open up communication.
when Byrnes was Chief, once the liquor
dealers put in his hands evidence against
more than 100 police officers who were
| Matchmaking the saloons. Generally the
| money was going to the captains. The
! evidence was specific and would hold water
Byrnes would send for captain and say
Not me. never took a cent, the captain,
would say. Shut up!' Byrnes would tell
| HIM Listen. On such date you took
such an amount n such place and so
andso paid you the money Now 60 back
! eye on you That put the fear OF God-.or
Of Byrnes-in them and we got relief for
| a time.
"Now we can give Commissioner Greene
the same specific sort Of evidence, against
it II we can be protected. It seems to me
that II the captains and their eubordinates
know that Greene has this evidence he can
brighten them into being honest. They
up to them in tho form OF charges. But
the liquor dealers won't 20 on tho stand
and testify against the police. They can't
| be made to believe that they won't have to
! suffer in their business they uncover
| themselves in that manner.
I'VE don't want to talk to Commissioning
| Greene ourselves, 40 we have employed
a lawyer, who has been acquainted with
the nature and amount OF the evidence. and
| he will see Commissioner Greene and offer
| to give him the evidence to be used IN that
way II he won't take it, then I suppose
| the graft will go on