New-York tribune., 1908-01-16
JEROME UPHOLDS MEN.
LAYS BARE CRIME
Tells Of Grating by Police an HIS
Section Of CuY.


the District Attorneys office. He vigorously
defended his staff of detectives. now dissolved
through General Bingham's actions and SAID
rho Commissioner was being mised Mr.
Jerome said the deputy police commissioners
cid not know the difference between policeman
and fireman in uniform. and declared tfiat
conditions almost made him long for Devery'
for the latter. he said lat least knew a crook
when he saw one
There was no midnight visit between COM
missioner Bingham and me. did meet hlrn at
the TRANSFORMATION Club and We discussed the
r,resenf situation" said the District Attorney
First Of all let ne make Il plain that Intend
10 stand by the men of my office TO the last
There is no evidence against any Of these men
that there any grating on their part
They were little bit rough. 1 suppose. and
shat 7 regret But they didn't turn a dishonest
penny
Il care not what their records may have been
refore they came here but since they have been
connected with this Office they have done hard.
Efficient conscientious work. have shown results
and delivered the goods. and don't intend 10
stand by and let any bunch of grating cops Job
them
Not only will 1 stand by them 10 the last
knowing they are honest while working for me,
but will appear in their defence when they are
placed on trial at Police Headquarters. So that
I NAV he ape 10 do this 1 asked Commissioners
Bingham when 1 saw him that night TO post
pone the trial of these men until e week from
SATURDAY. This will be day when there will
be no session Of the Thaw trial and l will be at
liberty
The system may be able break them. but
they won't do ii without the people Of New
York knowing what is being done
They say that WasserHan and Butler have
bad records But who is going to vouch for the
policemer who were sent out to trail them when
they were collecting evidence which was TO have
been turned over to the Commissioner himself
and which he might have used as his supreme
Hisdenn might direct.
Z sent Reardon. wasser1nan. Butler, Brennan
and Mara over into the 18th Precinct (E1ldridge
street station). not so much TO make raids as
70 get evidence for the Commissioner concern
ing his own men there. That is rotten, dirty.
eraftinE precinct. Then what do find? At
once twelve fifteen Central Office men. each
drawing $1,000 year, are sent out to trail my
men. but not in any way TO aid them.
And my men learned the fact that they we're
being trailed day or two after this thing
begun They came and told me They told
me. too. that they were afraid job being
put up on them, That's how they fea2 the
system.
See what has happened in this precinct since
down there tonight and you'll find every one
Of those places going full blast L know this
because live in that precinct, and besides this
7 have had IL covered by good reliable men
whose identity I never will reveal. II was only
the other night that man went into one of the
worst of these places, lost s4o0 at stuss, and
then went out and pawned his watch so that he
could have more money TO lose on the game
Ehy il has got 50 bad there in the last few
davs that the police officers Of the precinct are
going around TO these places and saying to the
rroprietors-
We've got Jerome stopped now; you can go
ahead
Then Nr Jerome picked up diagram of the
18Th precinct on which different colored blocks
indicated the existence. according TO the re-
rorts that had come 20 him, of places of TINS
character. The chart showed 4fty-four places
where stuss was played, twelve disorderly
houses sixteen resorts of thieves. This map.
Mr. Jerome said. had been prepared for trans
mission 10 Commissioner Bingham. well as
card index which gave additional informa-
zion.
Yet when my began to work over there. :.
continued Mr.. Jerome I'VE find these dozen or
more Central Office men trailing them around
the precinct and putting the screws crooks
10 get them 10 turn UP something against my
force. And they got their orders to do this. to
himself One Of them was Calvin, himself a
decent honest man. believe. ] found him one
day on the first floor of this very building wait
ing TO see my men start out. 1 sent for him. and
he told me he had his orders from the COM
missioner himself
Speaking Of the work my were doing
over there. Calvin said, The people over there
don't care a snap of their fingers for police
man The police over there seem unable to find
out the true conditions. probably because they
can't spare men enough to go around. But they
could spare these twelve fifteen Central Of
fee men 10 trail my men. as soon as they got
busy.
-'oh. it is perfect con game tell you. The
crooks at Police Headquarters are coming this
decent. absolutely honest Commissioner. With
lot of boys as deputies. some of them who
can't tell cop from fireman, going around
bertiloning thumb printing and gumshoeing-
honest il almost makes long for the days
Of Devery. He knew a crook when he saw him,
and he could tell a cop from fireman in uni
form.
If the relations Of the District Attorney as
an assistant 10 the police force are TO be shad-
owed because these young gentlemen deputies
think it is an interference with their depart
rnent then it can be shadowed. 1 would gladly
he relieved of this extra police work
DO you think the effectiveness of the police
force has improved recenty?" Mr.. Jerome
asked.
Improve nothing he replied. why, the
COPS don't patrol at all You can take an auto
mobile and tide ten miles any time after
O'Clock in the morning and you won't find d
policeman and it's a dollar to doughnut that
If YOU do find one sou will find another with
him
The saloons are open day and night and
he Rai Ia