The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-04-11
sCHMITTBERGErs LAURELs.
Comments by Ex-Inspector Williams on
Typewritten biography.


Typewritten biography.
Police Inspector mittberger has about
as many medals and other awards Of honor
an any man on the police force. He got his
first medal in 1881. II was voted to him
by the Police Board for his good judg-
ment and sagacity' In running down and
Quisley. who stole merchandise by the
wagon load from an East Thirty-second
street storage house and later fired the
building to cover their tracks.
He got q second medal In the following
year from the French residents Of the
Tenderloin precincts. That was presented
TO him for his work in connection with the
arrest OF Michael McGloin for the murder OF
Louis Hanier. II Is Of gold. set with dia-
monds.
He has also q scarfpin which Prince
Henry sent him, but that was given more
as personal memento than anything else.
Then no has several honorable mentions"
and a letter from the Societe Culinaire
Philantropique. expressing it's admiration
Of the manner in which he got the murderer
Of Desire Houvet, a French cook, who
was stabbed to the heart as he was leaving
Sixth avenue saloon with ten or twelve
of his friends.
Schmittberger has also received a great
deal OF credit for the part he took in ar
resting Chastine Cox, who murdered Mrs.
Jane Deforrest Hull. on Jan. ~, 1879. He
never received any official mark OF honor
in this case. however.
Now. there are some persons who question
Inspector Schmittberger's right to his
laurels. One man who is not enthusiastic
O.
ments il former Police Inspector Alexander
8. Williams, who was Gear Of the Tender
loin' when Schmittberger was a wardman
there. Mr.. Williams was questioned on the
subject the other day by a Sun Isporter,
who had with him typewriter account
Of Schmittberger's life, which the Inspector
himself had given out.
Nov. see here" said Mr.. Williams, look
ing over the document; ito begin with,
leave Schmittberger out of the Cox-Huli
case entirely He had nothing in particular
to do with il.
Il brought Cox here from Boston myself.
He was handcufed to my left arm all the
way down on the Fall River boat He lay
beside me in the same berth that night,
with the detectives keeping guard outside,
and he told me the whole story of the
murder. That was the only confession he
made, and II was my recital Of II before the
court that helped to convict him.
As to the clue which Schmittberger
found-he was cropping around In this city
like the rest Of " and not a bit wiser than
we were. A repSrter-his name was Balch,
think-got on to Cox when he was pawning
some .jewelry In Boston: The reporter
saw him 60 into the .pawnshop. and his sus-
pioion was aroused In some way.
Anyway. he went into the place and
found Mrs. Hull's watch. Then ne notified
the Boston police and haunted the negro
quarters until he discovered Cox In church.
Coz was arrested by Chief Of Police Adams
Of Boston, who notified Supt Byrnes.
Schmittberger and and others went to
Boston and brought the prisoner back.
That was all Schmittberger or any Of us
had to do with it.
spector Sohmittberger received a medal
from the French citizens Of his precinct
how about that2 The account from the
inspectors Office says that Schmittberger
was the man selected by Supt. Byrnes to
he murderer over McGloin's head while
the net which was being woven by the police
was being completed.
well. said Mr.. Williams, 'the posting
Of that notice was about the only thing
out to nail up placards offering reward
Of $500 for the murderer. and McGloin
happened to be present In q saloon while
SchInittberger was putting the notice
tDefe.
we learned Of McGloin's guilt through
q confession OF his mother. and Supt. Byrnes
made the arrest Practically all the police
did on their own hook in that case was TO
trace the revolver which Mciloin used to
the pawnshop where he had hooked Z.
It was said that Schmittberger tackled the
notice over McGloin's head while another
detective stood by to see what effect IL
would have on him. but don't know about
that
In the Houvet case Mr.. Williams said
that he was positive that Mrs. Quinquinet,
the woman who stabbed Houvet as he was
leaving a saloon with his friends. was
pointed out by one Of the dead mans COM
rades, while the manuscript which Schmitt-
berger gave out says that without a clue
to work on NE discovered the woman living
above the sdloon In which Houvet was killed,
found a bloody knife there and took her
TO the police station and got her to confess.
why said Mr.. Williams, Jimmy Price
Capt Pr ice who is now retired-was a
detective In those days and Schmittberger
wasn't a Circumstance TO him. And there
were other good ones. too. But after all.
a detectives reputation sometimes is made
Of pretty light stuff, and you can't blame
them for Blowing out their chests and
piping things little once In a while. They
be ~, do II yo,, kppw II tbev didn't