New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-03-29
RAIDERS HIT OUT
EXCISE CRUSADERS
TELL OFVIOL.4TIONS.
Cunningham and Keenan,, on
Trial Sag They We're after
Police Officials.

/ Patrolmen Charles +. Cunningham
! and Thomas keenan,. who were trans
/ ferred from the Westminster station 10
/ lower East Side precincts and were sub
sequently suspended because they per-
sisted i'm making Sunday excise arrests
/ in The Bronx, appeared for trial before
/ the Third Deputy Commissioner. Mr..
| Walsh. yesterday. John Ssntora, of No.
261 Broadway. represented the men. DR..
/ Charles II. Parkhurst and Robert n.
! McCIintock. superintendent IF the So
ciety for the Prevention of Crime. We're
/ interested spectators at the morning
I session.
MY real motives for making the ar
rests" said Cunningham. when called TO
the stand in his own behalf, were that
had reason TO believe that saloonkeep-
ers are paying high police officials for
protection. Wherever have been have
found that the plainclothes men were on
friendly terms with saloonkeepers.
have frequently seen them go into sa-
looms on Sunday when liquor was being
sold and fail to make an arrest"
why did you not tell your superiors
that the law was being violated?" asked
the Deputy Commissioner
Because I knew no action would be
taken by them" replied Cunningham.
He said he believed that if patrolmen
were allowed TO make arr,,ts wherever
they pleased the saloonkeepers would all
close UP. Il did duty on my post on
Sunday evening, and every saloon on il
was closed up. and if it vas the wish of
the inspectors and captains to close up
saloons. every one of them would have
TO close up he added.
Same Story by keenan,.
Keenan, said that his sentiments were
the same a. Cunningham's in regard 10
enforcing all laws. He said he found
that the law was being openly violated
in The Bronx. He did not report to his
superiors, he said, because they could
see the violations as we'll as he could,
and because they would take no action
If he did report to them.
II wish 10 inform the Police Commits
sioner now that the excise law is still
being violated in the Goth Precinct" he
said.
Commissioner Walsh then told him to
report this through the regular police
channels. and adjourned the trial to this
morning.
The appearance OF DR.. Parkhurst and
Mr.. McClintock in the trial room gave
new impetus TO the runors that the ac-
cused patrolmen were TO be employed
under the latter's direction if the trial
went against them.
At the morning session Inspector
Flood, who is in command I'm The Bronx
several police captains and saloonkeep-
ers testified. The inspector said that
the men had been transferred for the
good of the service.
Captain Day. OF the Eldridge street
station. said that Cunningham was a
sober, industrious, courteous and EN-
| cient officer. He denied emphaticaIiy
that he had ever ordered him not TO
make an excise arrest. Captain Tappin,
Of the Morrisania station, said that he
didn't know of any rules to prevent a
patrolman's making an arrest outside of
his own precinct, but he would want 10
know the circumstances surrounding the
violation that prompted the arrest.
Tell of Money Borrowed.
Several saloon keepers testified that
keenan, had borrowed money from them
at various times. In some cases. they
said. he had repaid the amounts. Coun-
sci for the patrolmen brought out that
the requests for money had never been
accompanied by any threats of arrests
for excise viola tons
While Inspector Flood was on the
stand he was asked by Attorney San
tora:
isn't II true that right after the first
excise arrests, you. Ault. president of the
Liquor Dealers Association. and Wei
gand. saloon keeper. had a three-hour
talk in Weigand's saloon and that the
! transfers followed"
When Flood denied this. the lawyer
asked II he had not entered his name
I In the blotter Of the Westchester station
on January %. and although Santora
/ said that he intended 10 shcw that this
I conference had actually taken place
/ Commissioner Walsh refused to allow
] the question to he answered. Inspector
| Flood vas allowed to say that the trans-
| fer OF the men was for the best inter
/ ests of the department and for the dis
| cipline Of the force"