The daily morning journal and courier., 1904-06-17
Letter From Samuel P. Thrasher.


 Letter From Samuel P. Thrasher. The following letter was sent to the committee yesterday by Samuel P. Thrasher:
 Hon. Lynde Harrison,
 New Haven, Conn:
 My dear sir: I am in receipt of your letter of the 14th inst requesting me to inform you in writing whether have any complaint or information to give concerning the police department in New Haven. The letter would have
 been answered more promptly had I
 been in the city when it reached my office.
 Permit me to say that have never
 made any specific charges against any
 member of the police department, nor do intend to do so before your com mittee or any other not authorized by law to compel the attendance of wit nesses, and to compel answers to all proper questions and to punish for contempt as in any established court. l do not understand that your com- mlttee has any such power.
 I shall be perfectly willing to appear
 before your honorable body and state |all that have stated in public or pri- vate concerning the New Haven police department. I have said, and I say now, that the department has been and is inefficient, and that the city has suf- |fered and still suffers because of that fact. l will lay before your committee such evidence as has come within my personal knowledge to substantiate my statements. I will submit evidence tending to show that the New Haven police department has been, and is
 being used as a political machine of no small proportions thus depriving the city of it's best service. My informa- tion will be given formally, but with sufficient detail to satisfy you that the evidence is worthy of consideration. Alter have made my statement I shall be pleased to be inquired of by any one or all of your committee, or to
 be cross-examined by any attorney or person having such right. shall, how ever, respectfully decline to submit any discriminating evidence against any single member of the department, or to reveal the sources of my information. if such information comes from officers now on the force whose positions would be jeopardized by such revela- tons, as it must be apparent that of ficers who have told things, confiden- tially or otherwise refiecting discredit upon superiors or other members of the department, would be marked men in. spite of promises of protection. With out any official act on the part of com missioners such men would find it con- venient to resign. Charges without suf- ficient foundation in fact have been preferred against faithful officers in other cities, why not in New Haven?
 As I understand it, your committee was appointed to examine the affairs. of the police department and report to the mayor. Now this examination is not an inquiry by the people who are to report to you. An examination by you into all the facts obtainable by such methods as may be at your con1- mand. is expected, and you are to re- port your findings and recommendations to the mayor. If bank examiner should go to one of our banks and noti- fly the officers and clerks and certain depostors that he was ready to hear charges against any officials or clerk, the procedure would be looked upon as peculiar to say the least. I feel con- fident that if your examination is car ried on with the intelligence and skill which we have reason to expect from the personnel of the committee, the re- suits will justify the labor and discom- fort of the proceedings. It would seem to me that by the ordinary methods of inquiry it would be more difficult to conceal the truth than to reveal it.
 If I am correctly informed, you can, through the mayor, command the at- tendance of all police officials. If you were to call all the commissioners, and one by one every man on the force, and have each examined by competent att. torney, feel sure that you would be able to make recommendations for the good of the department, which if car ried into effect, would bring lasting ben eft to the whole city. I think I may assume that my work for the last dozen years in this city and state in behalf of law and order, will lend some weight to my words. have no "axe to grind' and no motive for appearing in this matter except to lend what little inf1u- ence have toward bettering deplor- able condition of things in this city.
 If I am to be called before your com mittee I shall consider it a favor if may have at least weeks notice, as am extremely busy and shall want to prepare my case with some care.
 Permit me to suggest that there are many others who are in possession of facts tending to show that the New Haven police department is inefficient. will take the liberty of naming three of them at this time, Colonel Norris G. Osborn, Alexander Troup and Walter Leight might give you some evidence tending to prove the general assertions herein contained.
 Trusting that have made myself un- derstood, I am,
 Very respectfully yours,