The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-08-13
PROTECTOR or PuBLIC SAFETY.
Police Commissioner Greene. Asphalt. Re-
form, and the Detection Of Crime and
Corruption.

From The Stonis-Zcituug NJ yos'cr11M
Gen Francis Ninton Greene the highest
official of the police has returned to his post
after n long vacation journey through the
West in the company Of Gov. Odell, and the
city of New York has its Chief OF Police once
more, fact that is reassuring in consdera-
ton of the many crimes that have remained
without explanation OF late. Yet II is ques-
tionable whether Gen. Greene will be able to
devote his whole, undivided care to the duties
of his Office, for the judicial investigation
which has been begun into the promotion
Of the defunct Asphalt Trust promises to
demand for n long time the attention Of its
former president. Gen. Greene, and the Com
missioner OF Police will have great difficulty
in explaining certain transactions. in which
he took an active part and which he covered
with his name, without running the risk
OF losing his reputation as an honest man,
1t is well known that the United States
court in New Jersey has empowered the re-
ceiver of the bankrupt National Asphalt
Company to bring suit against the founders
and reorganizers of the company, in order
If possible, to obtain back from them for
the company assets the puroined winnings
of the promoters, which amount to millions.
since IL is the money OF the Shareholders
who were entioed into the company. tiSs
public according to the Wall Street phrase.
II any one we're tempted 20 write modern
highway robbery story. he would find rich
material in the history Of the Asphalt Trust.
and the fact that the man who took hand
IN these receptions was made later the pro
tector OF public safety and entrusted with the
reform of thoroughly corrupt police force
makes the subject all the more interesting
The original asphalt undertaking Of Greene
and his father-in-law. AMI Barber. repre-
sented an actual value Of 80. 1000. 900, but was
turned over with a capitalization OF over
$50. OOO, 900 to the first Asphalt Trust, Che
Asphalt Company of America. IL was the
old story of promotion: the original owners
retained the bonds Of the company. the com
mon shares were air. and the preferred shares
water. Greene Barber and their partners
bought for the trust a number Of independent
asphalt companies, and they succeeded in
every case in passing over to the trust at
par shares which they had bought at no
higher than 81
By parading the name OF Greene. the great
grandson Of Gen. Nathaniel Greene. the hero
OF Santiago and LuZon. they succeeded IN
distributing among the public great portion
of these ethereal asphalt shares, particularly
those which Greene and his father-m-lsw
had secured as promoters profits And even
when the trust broke up and larger trtSi
was founded it was chiefly the name Of
Greene which induced the possessors Of
bonds and shares TO turn in their alleged
valuable shares in accordance with the plan
OF reorganizaton. The larger trust nafnr'
ally met with the same fate as its predeces'
sor, except that the reorganzers had greater
opportunity to enrich themselves at the COST
OF the credulous public, blinded by the witch
ery of a name and the veneer of respecta'
n gna kn hrp Yohf
fully very soon. and Gen. Greene may count
on many painful quarter of an hour.
Al the same time the reform party in the
city administration will also exert itself 10
secure the approval Of the citizens for the
pcrpetuation of the present administration
il possible with the retention OF Seth Low
az Mayor and OF his Commissioner OF Police
Gen. Francis vinton Greene. The latter
does NOT feel himself touched in the least
by the disclosures in the Asphalt Trust mat
ter. He is inwardly perfectly at ease for
not cynically Mt all, but in full assurance oil
his safety whether from the civil or the Grim
inal law he declares that In tn" foundation
and the reorga nization Of the Asphalt Trust
nothing was undertaken without competent
legal advice. That Greene. under such clr'
cumstances. can still be regarded by the IN
innate supporters of Low and the reform
administration as an acquisition. ia ONLY pos.
sible in persons who are morally blind Or
al least stigmatic that is. without norma
moral vision,