New-York tribune., 1911-04-04

never can make IL less than ten minutes
The result has been that the policeman
sees the excise law and other laws De-
,ng broken but is unable. because OF or
dsrs, to interfere. while nc wonders why
no is held to strict account.
v.hen tA emerged from the jury rocn'
whore he had been for twenty minutes
Mr.. Murphy said he would prefer not 10
talk further, excepting to say:
IT don't know what they were drivihs
q, in there. They seemed to be divloeo'
Some were seeking Information In one
direction and some in another IL was
Ssh,nr excursion 80 far as / was con-
cerned.''
When Assistant District Attorney
Frank Moss. who is In charge of the IN
vest,gation. was told OF this he den'eo
that there was any division In the srahi
t,ry. Both he and George Gordon ba'-
,le the spccial assistant Delegated y!
District Attorney Whitman TO cooper
mr. With Mr.. Moss and Assistant Dlstrict
A,,ornsv James r. Reynolds, asserted
that there was no friction.
referring 20 mis- letter regarding COM
missioner Cropseys statement in the
grand jury room that citizshs ieai'i7
violence might carry pistols IN oe''s u
,ro,ec, themselves. MIR. Battle said that
no had penned the letter without any
suggestion from Mayor Gaynor or |oiii
missioner Cropsey. He said he wrote II
"a make IL clear that the Commissioners
Il
question and had not volunteered IT,
Excise Fiaures for Grand Jury
Another witness before the grand jury
Yesterday was Charles Dillon. a clerk III
the District Attorneys Office, VINO hao
nrepsred statistics on the enforcement
OF. the excise law.
Mr. Dillon stated that for the eleven
months preceding March l, i9il' l'''"
complaints Of violations OF the eAclSo
low had been received from the ponce
by the District Attorneys Office MANY
Of these complaints were repeutons oi
complaints made by other ofncers OH
the same date, under the new pohoy "a
Mayor Caynor for enforcement o. 'ne
law which became effectire on April l.
1910.
He also supplied evidence that during
the eleven months ending March J. lolo'
there vere 1900 arrests for excise Vio'a-
,ions. most Of them being Tor liesaI
sales of huuor. whereas only about lo'
Of the 1900 complaints received IN tne
eleven months preceding March l. l'ii'
We're for Illegal sales.
In other words the evidence o. Mr.
Dillon made it clear 70 the jurors thal
whereas the arrests for sales OF nqooi
IN Sunday aud during the prompted
hours Of week days before Mayor Gay.
nor's nev plan OF enforcing the excise
law vent into effect In April. 1910 aver
aged more than 20 a month. they
drorped 70 two or three complaints
neck under the new plan. no Illegal sales
being discovered by the police on more
thsr one Sunday during that period.
Sudden Jump on Sunday.
While only FIVE illegal sales were re-
,orfed ir the entire month Of January,
fourteen IN February and sixteen in
March. there was sudden jump in the
number for last SUNDAY, due probably
70 the activity Of the grand jury. Alto
gather. the police discovered six saloons
in which liquor was being sold day before
YESTERDAY In violation of the law. Com
plants we're also fled Of 65 other viola
tons OF the minor provisions of The eX-
cisa law. -
Interesting .estinony vas given At
YESTERDAYS session oy process server
Of the District ATTORNEYS Office regard
;ng his effort 70 secure the services Of
plainclothes policeman following state
fnent commissioner Cropsev at ore NJ
the prsY.ous sessions that any citizen
could go such service bv applying ~
rolioe station
Although the process server said he
rranted ne plainolothes man 20. close m
gambling place his request vas ig-
rored until il was discovered that he
was from the District Attorneys office
Then a detective accompanied him 70
the rlsce used a : gambling house. The
defective made himself 50 conspicuous.
however. that the gamblers took warning
srd no arrests were possible.
Thugs Victim ?, Object Lessor.
.rohn J. Hotckh, 0 gray haired. gray
bearded. slightly built man. remained in
the grand jury room long enough 10 show
the Jurors an ugly scar on the top Of his
head roceived from thugs one night
when ~ vas on his way TO his home. in
Tho .-icj1,i+,- of 4ftn street and Ninth
avenue As Q member OF the West Side
Taxpayers' Association Ny l1oechh
stated he called the matter 10 The at
icntion Of DR. George Wenner. its presi-
dent Or. Wenner complained 10 Mayor
Gaynor. Vice President John w Jones
% the association, who attended the
grand jury session yesterday exhibited
q letter ia which Mayor Gayncr had
suggested that Uoeckh must be insane'
because he expressed the belief that the
rolice we're under orders not 20 interfere
IN 90 SOS such as his
The grard jury was in session yestcr-
Gsv from until O'Clock u Is pro
posed 10 hold similar sessions n inves-
,jgate the police situation three times
- week on Mondays, Wednesdays and
Fridays.
Commissioner Cropsey may be Wit
yess again next Wednesday, or he NAV
rot be called until other matters are
brought TO the surface for which the
grand jury would like 10 hear his OK
planaticn