The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-04-12
.SUBpGNIS CORTLAND MYERS.
GEN. BINGHAM WANTS HIM TO
TELL ABOUT THE POLICE.
would Like to See II He Has More Than We
Have" Says COmmissi or
P%oOlrOOms Sent 10 the MayOr-Sub-
pRna Couldn't he Served Yesterday.

PoOlrOOms Sent 10 the MayOr-Sub-
pRna Couldn't he Served Yesterday.
The Rev. Cortland Myers, head Of the
New York Society for the Enforcement OF
the Criminal Law, has been writing letters
to Gen. Bingham accusing the police OF
failing to close p~oolrooms. After a more
or less unsatisfactory correspondence. with
the clergyman Gen. Bingham got a sub
puna for him yesterday in Jefferson Market
police court from Ma gistrate Finn.
The subpoena instructed Mr.. Myers to
appear in John Doe pro ceedings at 2So
in the afternoon. 1t was given to a police
| officer to serve. He reported that he had
been unable to serve it on Mr.. Myers and
the hearing was adjourned. Gen. Bingham
intimated that Mr.. Myers had "ducked.'
"Mr. Myers had written to me making
certain charges, I" said Commissi oner Bing-
ham, "and / thought | would like to hear
what he has and to see IL he has any more
than we have. 1 therefore wrote him that
l would like to ha We the aid Of any good
citizen and would appreciate any help he
could give me. His reply was that he had
given me a list OF places and the people
running them and that was all he proposed
to do. He pretends to be always glad to
help. Why doesn't he co me out in the
open?'
Gen. Bingham was askedif the case looked
to him like that Of a mar who makes a
bluff and has it Unexpectedly called.
Il don't know that l would put 1t as
strong as that. However, he seems to
have been at home to every one but the
police"
r. p.--l-- .nf,1,l 10 pnnHn ntihlin
the correspondence which has gone on
between him and Mr.. Myers. 1t is under
stood that it contained a list Of fifty alleged
poolrooms, all in the Tenderloin. The Com
missioner said that all but two Of the places
that the clergyman mentioned were onthe
captains reports OF suspected places. Many
Of the plac are protected by injunctions.
Deputy Police Commissioner Mathot was
assigned by Commissioner Bingham to get
the subpoena for Mr., Myers. Before it was
issued, Mr.. Mathot, Inspector Schmitt-
berger and Captain Hodgins Of the Tender
loin precinct had a long talk with the Magis-
trate.
MIR. Myers was at his home in Brooklyn
early yesterday afternoon. He said then
that he had not received any subpoena.
Asked if he would respond, if one was
served upon him, he was quoted as aging
Why, of course / would. But whether
| would tell what we know about the con-
dition of affairs in this city is another .oues-
ton. IL is the business of the police TO
supp ress vice. If they don't suppress it
they neglect their duty. Not long ago our
society gave the police a clean $1,000. Now
they want us to pay their bills, and we
don't propose to, II we can find where
evil is done, it is certainly possible for the
police to do likewise. God knows they
ought to be able to if they want to-"
later in the afternoon it was said al his
home that Mr.. Myers had gone out. It was
also said that no police officer had called.
John Walker is the counsel of Mr.. Myers's
society. The Offices are at lOS Fulton street.
Or the door also appears the name OF j. A.
Britton, head OF its detective force. Some
years ago Mr.. Myers made the charge that
the police had tried to bride Britton. Capt.
Piper, then Deputy Commissioner, init
mated that the police did not believe Britton
and that one Of the agents OF the society
was a fugitive form justice.
At Mr.. Walkers office it was lea rned
yesterday that the letter containing the
list of poolrooms had been sent to Mayor
Mcclellan first aud by him referred to Com
missioner Bingham. Mr.. Myers followed
this up with two more letters to the Com
missioner threatening that il he didn't
tai action the society would AXE the matter
to the Governor.
This is only another ate mpt, 1t would
seem, to silence US" said Mr.. Walker yester-
day. They want to annoy us apparently
in order to get uS to stop. lhls society
does not pretend TO be one for the cole ction
of evidence. That is for the police. We
rave our agents and they find that places
are running, and sometimes get the names
of those who are behind them. Our plan
IL to send this information to the ca ms
and inspectors. What happens? The cap
ia ms and INSPECTORS Immediately cal
upon us to produce legal evidence. When
we say that we are not in the business OF
getting evidence, they depart and do
nothing. They tried these court pro-
ceedings once before, in Devery's time.
Capt. Delaney, at Devery's advice got a
subpoena for us. District Attorney Philbin
went TO court with us and told the Ma gis-
trate that the police had no right to take
such proceedings. The Ma gistrate up
held this view. lie held that when a citizen
made complaints of places TO the police
they had no busire IS to summon that citizen
to court, but should proceed against the
pla ce the mise Ives.
"Our position Ia that we have simply
turned over our informa ton to the police,
and il is for them to inve stigate,"
Mr.. Wa lker sai that once the society,
after the police failed to act on its COM
plants, had ra ised some moneyandc collected
evidence. This was In Brooklyn, and the
result was that a lot of poolroom keepers
pleaded guilty and several captains quit
the force.
But that cost money, more money than
we have to spend, " said Mr.. Walker.