New-York tribune., 1903-02-06
FORCE FEARS GREENE.
HIS Summary PuniShmcntS Haze
Pit All on Good BehdUqor.
GRANT TALKS OF SUIT FOR sLANoeR.


came Commissioner at the beginning of the
year that he has impressed the entire depart
D7ent of tremendous energy. prompt
in decisions and inheNible in his determination
10 have orders ebeyed. The police force has
been put its good behavior through fear of
the man At the head Of it.
One Of the first acts of Commissioner Greene
vas 10 order the various district inspectors 10
establish district headquarters at stations in
their districts. He has made every such in
spector understand that nc is responsible for
the good order OF his district, and that he must
make charges against any captain who fails TO
keep his precinct in order. Responsibility of
The captains has been fixed by definite orders
Instead Of staying at Police Headquarters and
receiving reports from the captains the inspec-
Tors now stay IN their districts and watch the
captains
General Greene IS not content with receiving
reports from the inspectors about the state OF
their districts. He sees for himself. Hardly a
day passes in which the Commissioner does not
take q trip in automobile 10 some district
remote from Headquarters and spend some
hours in inspection No inspector or captain
knows the hour OF the day OF night when the
Commissioners visit to his bailiwick may be ex-
pected-
The hardest blow at police blackInail that has
been struck the Commissioners order in
-erarding all the wardnen Of the city 10 patrol
duty No captain vas left with a confidential
man TO make collections for him The new men
detailed for detective duty in the precincts may
30 renanded TO duty IL uniform at short notice
y there is suspicion thas they are learning the
crooked ways OF former wardTnen-
The reorganization CT the Detective Bureau
has been proceeding rapidly since Inspector
R-ooks vas placed at the head Of the police de-
te-tive service. Central Office detectives are
being taught that their usefulness depends en-
rirel- or their ability to get evidence of viola
,ions Of the Law. They viii not feel above get
ting evidence against gambling houses when
ever such service Is required
A PANIC AMONG THE POLICE.
General Greenes action on Thursday in dis
missing Inspector Grant, Captain Stephenson.
Sergeant Shells and Patrolman Dwyer for fail
ing 10 suppress vice at places Of which they had
received warning. following so closely upon the
dismissal of Captain Cannon for similar Of
eeuCe. has created panic among the captains
fn whose precincts dens of vice have been known
- flourish. The fact that General Greene IS
working in harmony with District Attorney
Jerome Is an additional cause for the fear Of
some CAPTAINS. The District Attorneys method
q getting evidence Of g captains neglect Of
dutv has come 70 b regarded by many officers
of the force as almost infaliibIe. Sometimes, as
IN the case Of Cannon, = conviction in the
criminal court follows dismissal from the force
Mr. Jerome apparently was not satisfied with
-7e light sentence passed by Recorder Gof upon
Cannon. He was asked yesterday If he intended
- prosecute Shells and Dwyer, who were in
s7i-1ed or substa ntiary the same charges as
those OF which they were dismissed from the
force on Thursdav. and he replied:
no. 7 an not going to prosecute them. II Is
,rv intention nos to dismiss the cases There
5s 40 use in putting the city 10 the cost Of
81 fspa nd taking up a weeks time Of the court
On such cases and then have the men fined
$50
Donald Grant and John T. Stephenson, the in
spector and captain Of police who were dis
missed from the force by General Greene on
Thursday. were in consultation with e1-Judge
" u X olco1t. their counsel. yesterday, and
& was decided to begin certiorari proceedings at
once with view 10 their reinstatement by the
courts Grant declared that he Intended to find
out = General Greene intendedFto include him
in the remark about wedding out crooks and
- bring 4 suit for slander If the Commissioner
meant 70 class him with crooks"
Ny dismissal is the most outrageous pro
,eeding ever heard Of IN my long connection
with the Police Department" he said. Get
'7sck2 Why OF course viii. There was no
evidence against me. General Greenes action
VIII react upon him. Z. Republican, fnd
! never have been accused OF association with
that element in the force which is supposed to be
looking for graft The only time I saw the
Commissioner vas the day he suspended me
from duty. L is apparent shat he has conceived
= 7ren- impression about NE He is mistaken
z he thinks the dismissal Of men who have
served the city long and faithfully viii effect the
reform he desires"
HOPEFUL OF REINSTATEMENT
Mr. oIoott said that while it might be thought
IN becoming in him as d defeated counsel in
ease 70 crticise the Police Commissioner he felt
certain tnat the courts would place Grant and
Stephenson back in the police force as inspector
and captain without much delay. The record
r The trials At Police Headquarters he said.
shows that as inspector and captain they did
their whole duty in efforts to suppress certain
rlaces IN which Terome's detectives found viola
lions Of the law. The testimony at the trials
showed that they went TO unusual lengths in
rr7ing 70 get evidence. even employing outside
detectives when regular policemen were unable
% get the evidence. The fact that certain high
clsss detectives IL the employ OF the District
Attorney were able TO get evidence which regu-
ls- roIicernen and such outside men as they
could obtain unable 70 get does not make
q case Of neglect OF duty against the inspector
e the district and the captain Or the precinct
that Inspecto- Grant and Captain Stephenson
were among the most efficient and faithful Off
,ers Of the department
The most direct evidence at the trials was
s-zsjnsr Stephenson as the man Immediately re-
srorSibIe for the enforcement Of the laws in his
r7ra~irlct and Yet the against him fell to the
mound 50 completely that at the close Of the
-rsaI 7 said 10 Assistant District Attorney Nor
vsr who conducted the prosecution. Nj Nor
gan. why don't you agree 10 dismissal OF the