New-York tribune., 1903-11-05
CORTRIGHT WILL RETIRE
Honest Inspector Cannot Stand an.
other TGmmaHy Regime.

The retirement Of Chief Inspector Moses ~
COrtright about the time General Greene ceases
TO be Police Commissioner Will remove from
MuIberry-st. an officer whose absolute integrity
as an official has been tested by many years OF
service through several administrations Cort-
riqht became a policeman after serving through
the Civil War as a soldier. and he has worn
uniform for forty-One years In all that time
his record has been without blemish- His Dro-
motions in the police force were fairly earrsd
AS a veteran he is entitled 20 retirement on a
pension as soon as he asks for II. and ne said
yesterday that he had decided 20 ask for It be-
fore the police force is turned over 70 the contro
Of Tammany again.
For many years under police boards controlled
by Tammany Cortright was a captain, COM
handing the precinct at Washington Heights
that is. ne was allowed 20 stay there most %
the time but Il was the habit OF the officials b
Mulberry-st. to transfer him OCCASIONALLY to
some otner precinct which needed cleaning up"
His ability as a disciplinarian. his courage and
his honesty were counted on to ren1ovs condi-
tIons which some grating" captain had caused
to be intoierable in precinct. and when he had
restored efficiency OF police service. caused the
law TO be enforced against the worst offenders
and had closed up the most offensive and vicious
places there he was allowed 70 90 back TO his
goat district" Cortright once protested when
a great autoerat OF 3Iulberry-st. ordered him to
clean one Of the red light" districts east Of the
Bowery. but the autocrat said: Cant help It.
Cortright. You the only captain can
trustr'
COrtright was made Deputy Chief when there
was only one such official in the force. A change
in the law reduced him to inspector. but he still
has a salary Of 5000 a year. and can retire
a pension Of 50 500 a year Two other inspectors
who were deputy chiefs under Devery and ssLI
keep their former salary are P. II. Mclaughlin.
Borough Inspector in Brooklyn. and William ".
McIaughIin. now in command Of the lid Dis
trict in Manhattan. It is believed that P. r
McI.aughIin will soon retire. now that his rela-
tive Hugh Mclaughlin. has been wiped on the
political slate as boss Of the Democracy OF
Kings County
William w Mclaughlin is said to be the
Tammany favorfte for Chief Inspector ID Cort-
rights place He was smirChed badly BY the
IexOw investigation, was indicted, convicted ot
blackrnaiI and sent of the force but he got
new trial esca ped conviction second time and
returned to the force as an inspector IN time 70
be raised to Deputy Chief when Devery was
Chief As a captain in Tammany times he was
in command in the TenderIOin and in the red
light district east of the BOwery. and he adj
mitted before the Lexow Committee that he
had acquired property amounting 10 more than
100000
1t is understood in the Police Department that
the victory Of Tuesday will be barren % Tam
many unless the police can be 50 controlled as
TO bring back the old system OF monthly pay
mentS by which saloons can keep open on sun
days, by which pOOlrOOms can run unnOlested
on week days and by which gambling houses
and dens Of vice can be protected al the
time There must be some official IN 1iul-
berry-st from whom the police shall take theii
orders TO that end, no matter what resPectanla
fgurehead NAV sit in the Commissioners chair
COrtright never has been the medium for such
orders, and he will not be.