New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-08-14
GREENE TO INVESTIGATE.
M4GISTR4TE,S CHARGES.
To Do All IN HIS PoTer to Root Out
BIGcL,mdiI.


THAT there are cases Of petty blackInail by
the police is very probable. and will be glad
OF any assistance that Magistrate Hogan or any
one else viii give me to ferret it out.
Thus spoke Police Commissioner Greene in an
interview at Police Headquarters yesterday.
His words were uttered after he had read an
article in a morning newspaper, in which Magis-
trate Hogan was quoted saying that never
IA his long service on the police bench had he
seen the police graft so bad as it at
present
Among the allegations by Magistrate Hogan
one that concerned the action Of the police
with respect TO Italian charged with selling
a gallon Of wine to a girl of seventeen. The
police tried TO railroad the Italian, according
10 the magistrate, but he succeeded in proving
his innocence. The magistrate said he had
certained that the policeman had numerically
beaten the Italian.
Commissioner Greene read the article over
carefully, and when he reached that portion of
IT relating TO the assault on the italian he rang
for Borough Inspector Brooks, to whom he read
what the magistrate said about the case.
I want you to communicate at once with In
spector Smith, said the Commissioner, land
have him submit a report TO me tomorrow
about this case"
Another allegation by the magistrate was that
West Side court in which respectable young
man. who had tried to rescue a young girl from
a disorderly house, was charged by two de-
tectives connected with the West Thirty-sev-
snth-st. station with abduction. The mag
sstrate said he had carefully investigated the
and found that when the detectives went to
the house with the young man and the girls
mother and two sisters the two officers went in
side, leaving the girls relatives in the street.
After remaining inside for half an hour the de-
tectives called the girls relations into the house
end told them that the girl not there, and
that # was useless for them to search the house.
The young enan, however, discovered her behind
a curtain. He and the girls mother and two
sisters were then arrested. but the women
allowed to go at the station and a charge Of abb
duction was preferred against him next day.
The magistrate said the inference to be drawn
from the action of the policemen was plain to
everybody--that they were protecting a dis
orderly house.
When Commissioner Greene reached this part
OF the article he ordered Inspector Brooks to
instruct the acting captain Of the West Thirty
Eeventh-st. station-the regular commander,
Captain Ferris. being on his vacation--to make
8. detailed report Of any such case that had oc-
CURED in that precinct since January l last.
Commissioner Greene said further:
That there are cases of petty bIaclxmail by the
police is very probable, and will be very glad
Of any assistance Magistrate Hogan or any one
else viii give me to ferret it out. I have tried
10 get that help from great many sources IN
the last six months. To say that petty black
mail is stamped out Of the Police Department is
10 say what is not But to say that ii is toll
Grated is not true. If there is the slightest evil
dence, the policeman is Immediately put on trial
Ny belief Is that there is less blackmail in the
department than heretofore, but that it is not
entirely e1terminated
In reply to a question If it possible to
terminate blackman the Commissioner said:
Well. / think it is very difficult absolutely to
eXterminate it. If that story about the case Of
the young girl in the Thrty-seventh-st pre-
rinCt is true and we can find the people inter-
csted, the guilty policemen viii be brought to
trial without delay.
If may ask a question I would Ike to in
qulre if Magistrate Hogan had these facts about
hiackman and corruption in his possession,
might he not have sent for me? 1 think he
might have given me an opportunity TO investi-
gate them. They would have been very prompt
" acted upon, assure you If Magistrate Ho-
gan or any one else VIII bring me any informa-
lion of that kind against any policeman, and
II can be substantiated, I viii have the guilty
man arrested within two hours. If this mar
ucular case OF the young girl is true it is out
Tageous. You may depend upon it that that
Ease will be vigorously investigated. Every Of
ncer in this department welcomes information
that viii lead 10 the detection of corruption and
instantly acts on il. We even exhaust every
means to get at the writers of anonymous let
teTs, so that we may better substantiate their
allegations.
The Commissioner appeared to be surprised
at some OF the statements made by Magistrat e
Hogan. He also seemed to feel that he had not
heen justly treated by the magistrate because
the latter had failed to communicate with him
on the subject.
Don't you think it strange that Magistrate
Hogan did not personally call your attention to
me matters referred to IN his interview Gen
eral Greene was asked.
think not" enphatically answered the gen.
eral; his motive seems TO be plain l will re-
peat ne added, speaking with great delibera-
ton. that Magistrate Hogan will be respect
fully asked by me to give information that win
suostantlate the statement he has made in dhe
newspaper article. Is that clear"