The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-09-15
POLITICS IN TWO.FARE RIOTS.
INSPECTOR CROSS BLAMES COLER,
FLAHERTY EFT Al.

-
Says They Butted In So ~ 10 Get In the Lime
light And 10 Gain Political Prestige
MIR. Van Weeks Harangues and
COler's Caution 10 Him 10 he Careful
The report OF Borough Police Inspector
Adam Cross on the double fare riots on the
hines OF the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Com
pany in the early part Of August, which
was written by him under date August %,
was made public yesterday. The inspector
asserts that the riots were precip itated by
ar -inhammatory press" and tho repre-
hensible attitude and unseemly interference
on the part Of a number Of gentlemen
. . who tried to gat into the limelight.
who tried to butt in " " " who en-
de avored to excite by their iniammable
remarks and actions the people to riot,
presumably for the purpose of a~ggrandizing
and gaining political prestige for them
selves"
The buffers in referred to by Inspector
Cross are Borough President Bird 8. Coler,
Deputy Highways Commissions Durbin
Van Week, Magistrate Higginbotham and
Sheriff Flsherty.
Inspector Cross, after recitins the decision
Of Justice Gaynor in the McFarlane case
regarding the arrest Of a man for not paying
q second fare, says:
This decision had the effect Of deter
mining in the minds Of thousands Of peo-
pie in Greater New York that the Brooklyn
Rapid Transit Company had no legal right
to charge ten cents for riding in its cars to
Coney Island. II also had The effect Of
arousing them to such IN extent that they
would refuse TO pay the second fare, IL de-
manded, for had not Justice Gaynor so
decided? On the other hand, h railroad
company was just as determined in insisting
on collecting the second fare, for had not
the Appellate Division Of the Supreme our
decided that they were well within their
rights in 30 doing? That was the situa-
ton and condition OF things for the police
to meet at the time the trouble COM
menced. The situation was a peculiar one.
1T was dificult to determine just how
the police should 20 in the controversy.
It was veil defined that they should pre-
serve the peace and protect life and prop
erty at all times, and hat they did and
that only. At no time did they take part
with either side. They remained abso-
utely neut trail, not withdrawing the absurd
statements 60 the contrary that appeared
In some Of the sensational papers.
Inspector Cross then goes into detail
regarding the incidents Of the riots and
Deputy Commissioner Van Weeks attempt
monkey wrench in place Of q controller.
he says that Borough President Coler,
Sheriff Flaherty, Deputy COMMISSIONS
Van Week and Lawyer Baldwin entered
the cars and Van Week began to make a
speech saying that Justice Gaynor had
decided that the passengers need pay
but one fare and that President Coler
and Sheriff Flaherty were there to protect
them in their rights.
"I Immediately asked Mr. Coler il he had
authorized this man, whoever he may be,
to make any such statement writes In
spector Cross, and Mr.. Coler replied that
he had not authorized him to say anything
and thereupon loudly called out to Van
Week: Van, &c slow; stop that Iimmedi-
ately entered the car where Van Week
was and directed him to stop his harangue.
Van Week thereupon paid the conductor
Of the car his fare, remained in the car
for the time being, but RETAINED from
making further remarks"
Then Inspector Cross refers TO the at
tempt OF Sheriff Flaherty to butt in by
and saying he had been rogue sted by Presi-
tent Coler to see that no unnecessary force
or violence was committed n to arrest II
necessary any employee Of h company
detected in ~sssaulting passengers.
After remaining at The scene Tor about
two hours writes the inspector, q
after stating that he was perfectly satisfied
with the way the police were performing
their duty, he and his deputies abeented
themselves and disappeared from view
Inspector Cross then tells Of the inter-
view published from Justice Gaynor which
had the effect Of changing the feelings Of
the people toward the company. Then
Inspector Cross pays his compliments to
Magistrate Higginbotham, who a to
butt in. In this respect Inspector Gross
-. kkak uf-.snAnfho1n mt IN an ann0ar-
ance at Kings Highway and Neck road,
where he posed for a fashliGht picture
for one Of h newspapers"
Inspector Cross also says:
During the time the Borough President
and the Sheriff were at Kings Highway
and at Neck road il was noticed that more
passengers refused to pay the second fare
and much more resista nee was offered by
the passengers in leaving the cars thar
at any other time, so far as l could observe.