New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-03-20
FAVOR BINGHAM BILL.
REPORTED TO SENATE.
Police Graft Set Forth Specifically
at Hearing.
rBy Telegraph to The Tribune. !

Transporter. of Buffalo, Democrats. voted
against It. Those for it were Senators White
Davis, Carpenter. Page Dunn. Franchot and
Foell.er. Senators Raines and Grady were alb
sent Immediately following the hearing in the
afternoon Senator Page moved to have the bill
reported. The committee wrangled over it for
several hours
Specific instances of police graft and inefh-
cheney related by ]. w Beattie. head Of the
Madison Square Church House. and an impas-
stoned denunciation by Alfred E. Ommen OF pol
Ice conditions seen by him when a police
magistrate, marked the hearing in the Bingham
bill before the Senate Cities Committee here to-
day.
If the women who pay cops s. just to walk
two blocks on their beats" declared ex-Judgc
Ommen. his voice vibrating with emotion, ''or
the poor women who have TO pay the profess
sional bondsmen night after night. those
same bondsmen who have TO divide with the
roundsmen were here to tell you about the
police. they've told NC. time after time, then
you would know what they are. Then you would
tear up the police department from stem to
stern"
Did you ever prefer charges against any Of
those policemen" queried Senator Frawley, Of
Tammany.
Yes. l did" answered Ommen. You will
find many cases of charges preferred by
down at headquarters. and of policemen dis
missed. too
Tammany opposition came to the front in
frequent interruption OF various advocates of
the bill by Senator Frawley, while right at the
close of the hearing Senator McCarren tried 10
grill Commissioner Bingham. 1t did not
ceed. Commissioner Bingham beat McCarren
at his game. and the impression made on
the committee was so strong that members pre-
dict the certain passage of the measure.
LITTLE OPPOSITION To BILL
Inspectors were notable by their absence; even
Colonel David 5. Mcclure. who was the only per-
son TO speak against the measure explained that
this time he appeared Individual not
representative Of the inspectors. Not single
new argument was advanced against the meas
IRE The only purpose served by the manifest
antagonism of McCarren and FrawIey was to
indicate rather clearly the reason the politicians
and some of the police have for not wanting the
bill.
The committee room was thronged with ad-
vocates of the Bingham measure. and specta-
tors. attracted by the reports Of graft in con-
nection With this bill. locked in until the very
doorway blocked Among those who ap-
peared for the bill were ex Mayor Low. r. Full
ton Cutting - the Citizens Union and the Com
mittee of Fifty; J. S. Durand. Of the Republi-
can Club; delegation from the Union IeR que
Club. compromising Edward F. Brown Henry
+. Hayden. Charles w. Watson Colonel William
e Church and John c. Coleman who also repre-
sented the West End Association: Meyer Schoen-
field. OF the East Side civic Club: OIn j. Ste
phens. OF the North Side Board Of Trade and
many others,
Hardly had Colonel Mcclure finished his de-
nunciation of the bill when ex-Magistrate
Ommen. representing the COMMITTEES Of Fifty
] sr,r3Dr mn =, refYte his ..~,rcvaf
Mcclure has covered everything and touched
nothing said he This bin is for tho people
not the police. II has come from intolerable
conditions, which must be changed The Police
+ Department is incompetent 10 handle crime The
main police work is done by private societies
Take policy shops. the worst crime New York
had 10 contend with. The poor woman with 10
cents 70 buy bread for the children was able
TO play that on gig and lose IL while the chill
dreu starved The police did nothing to check
the scandal. But Captain Goddard a noble soui
rose against l.. and his society stamped il out
Poolrooms and gambling are checked not by
the police. but by the Bowling law and an
active District Attorney.
NOT CLOSED Up BY POLICE.
Take the social evil Grace Church. whose
rector Dr. Huntington. Is one of the best know,
clergymeu in New York has property running
through from Broadway to Fourth avenue It's
parish hoUse where prayer meetings and other
gatherings attended by young men and women
are held fronts on Fourth avenue. At llth street
and Fourth avenue for years has been no.
toriou5 disorderiy house. whose inmates accosted
these young people and sometimes even the
1 clergy The rector went TO the. captain in the
precinct and complained. The captain said he'd
close tho place. Nothing closed. Weeks went
hy: the rector filed complaint after complaint.
one man was arrested and later discharged.
/ What can ! Go?' asked the captain They dis
charged this man So the rector went 10 Super
/ inteudent McClntock Of the Society for the Pre-
/ vention of Crime. and i'm forty-eight hours this
place was closed and a case made against it's
/ keepers | pay 81 a week to a private watch
/ man in my block because the police don't do
/ their duty. a woman hardly dares go on the
street alone at night.
we don't claim for this bill that it would do
! everything hut it would help. The police don't
! nav much attention to the commissioners order
now. and tell you the people are al the limit
/ of their endurance. Why. the Democratic or
/ ganizaticn of New York knows that the min
ute IL let's the police department go To pieces it
! will loose the election
Senator FrawIey interrupted 10 say that this
was not true; as the police vote went to Hearst
Yes the police vote" retorted Omnen. but
I'm not talking about the vote"
GROSS INEFFICIENCY.
IN speak just about few little incidents
which / know" said Mr.. Beatt:e in introducing
himself Two men worked for rich man Iiv-
ing in 37th street. one man in whom l
/ was interested through my work! reformed
drunkard. A watch was stolen from this house
/ Two detective sergeants were put on the case
/ They investigated, and arrested my friend pay