New-York tribune., 1911-04-02

decrease Of Sc per cent. But In two branches
of crime there has been an increase which
must be gratifying to the authorlties. III
i the awful form Of wickedness known a.
juvenile delinquency, and which includes
| ever ything Il chlld can do from playing
ball in the street 10 playing hockey. we md
that the arrests have increased from 500
in 1853 TO n,cJD in 1910. | think that this
disproves the Mayors contention tnat this
decrease was due to minor ofences.
Now II that is not an answer To this TAX
about petty arrests ] would IKE TO nave
better. | will also say that after this ter
| ritc "hulla5aloo' that we had last year
about the Bureau Of Weights and Meas
| rres run by Mr.. Driscol whom the Mayor
called steam engine in boots we ma an
Increase Of 2I7 per cent: but that Is not so
startling when you realize that that 2I7 per
per cent means thirty-six actual cases.
| Coney Island, perhaps, Is the hrst place
| where the connection between Gaynor =
| methods and crime became generally evil
dent. Coney Island is the great relaxing
| spot for the entire city. and as you can
J Judge mans morals by his recreations'
! 80 YOU can judge the morals Of COM
munity.
There was riot OF vice In Coney Island
| last summer the like OF which was never
! seen in this country. The inspector IN
! charge was mdn named o OBrien-lnspec-
| tor O'Brien.
Reign CT Vice at Coney Island.
The summer before Inspector Russell.
SEM tueIe Dy Mayor ldu oSc',
IN command and he held the lid screwed
down tight. O'Brien pried off the lid ana
! threw the screws away. IT was the mosi
! open place that we have ever had Mitchei
took control and in two weeks he lounu
out the situation and had cleaned ou,
| Concy Island as If ii had been cleaped out
by fro When his work was done there
was the most wonderful procession iron,
Ccney l sland that think has ever utcurieu
in the history of civ iilzed community. ~
is almost incredible. That is wnat Mitehei
did. and did that in two weeks ume.
The man responsible for that cohultion
was o. Brien. and o. Brien was put on triai.
The evidence was taken by the Police Con-
missioner and taken months ago Inc eN.
Gcnce " as all in and decision was reserVeu'
decision has been reserved and DECISION az
ways will be reserved IN that case ANA
why was it reserved? Ask yourselves thal.
Was It because perhaps with O Brien un-
convicted has his mouth sealed. Dut WIN
O. Bren convicted and dismissed IT mlsht
he that he would tell what ne saw anu
whom he saw al Coney Island? cnaliense *,
| the Commissioner 70 decide the case vi III
spector O. Brien. and ] say TO you no" .i'd.
until he does that, and until he decides that
case his department rests and restS Jus'!
under the deep suspicion OF the puphc,
! naye described conditions, i.oW let H'o
Try 10 find the responsibility
Mayor as a Licenser Of Vice.
Now the Mayor have said the Mayor;
The Mayor is the real undisputed head oI
the police force of this city: lie mas i,c
absolute right of removal Of the Coniiihs
sloner for any reason CT fer no reason
To understand the Mayors attitude Tow
ard the police force II Is necessary, tliihh,
to study his habit of mind, and we can se'
that only from his actions. Before ne ce
came Mayor he was judge OF inc gu
preme Court in Brooklyn. BrooSl!n i III
the Second Department We I'VE IN tne
first Department. Many crook VINO was
convicted and wanted certihcate OF & rea-
sonab,e doubt and many persons "no
wished TO run disorderly houses or poor
rooms or gambling houses without ponce
interference lust crossed the river TO
Brooklyn and got their injunction IRON MI:
GaynoT There were plenty OF JuuEes ~,
New York: why did they go to bro9kEn; .,1 nH;,n II
it was not that his attitude was well known ,s,n
to them. Many place was run uhuer lhe
protection Of his injunctions; ,
Carried TO its logical and extreme con
cusion. the Mayors ioeas OF personal M
erty would. it seems TO me. result III A.
most unlimited license II not anarcny ltsei'
Now. this question Of his dcmoraGzatlon
of the force. To 80 back to IL. l.e, iiie
quote from his letter 10 the commissioner,
under date of January =. 1871" lie sd! ::
Let the whole force know once ana lor an
that it will he deemed greater onencc W
commit an unlawful battery on citizen or
10 unlawfuly enter a house than To lei
criminal escape.
Ry the rehearsal Of six or eight cases.
most Of which had already come before the
gan explained how and why the police force
had become afraid to carry out the duties
which the law laid upon them. These cases.
il seemed to him. showed the attitude OF
mind Of the police the attitude of mind of
the Mayor. and proved, as he said IN the
beginning. that Mayor Gaynor was respon-
sible for the conditions.
Il know of no law" said the magistrate.
(which makes police officer a punching
bag for a criminal" He went on as follows:
commissioner Busher in his letter of res
ignation, which was published IN the papers
al the time. says: since the hrst OF the
year I have seen the department become
more demoraized ana the Violation or the
law more and more nagrant until now Am
convinced that | cannot retain my position
with seif-respect.'
have another letter from Mr.. Bugh"r
in my pocket which absolutely bears that
out viii read il TO YOU. lie says:
My Dear Judge torrlSan: | nave just
read youI statement in the morning papers
You deserve great credit for the fearless
way in which YOU have spoken. was VI
the Police Department FOR lcur years aiG
three months. Permit me TO say that |
believe every word OF your statement TO
he absolutely correct. You will recall that
when / resigned first deputy commis-
suner OF police last October spoke some
What as YOU nave with reference to the
deinoral lization of the Police Department
ard the increased violation Of law"
II is not my purpose 10 deal much win
the excise question. ! have already touched
on that However. ! WISH 10 say one thing
which shows the attitude Of the under
world and also shows that the underworld
understands the Mayors attitude. When
Mitohels men were making Investigations
they were constantly told that things were
tight then, but to come around next
week. when Mayor Gaynor VIII ne back
and vou can get in That shows tho attl-
tude of the underworld.
The Manor knew the conditions At Concy
Island | have that on Mr. BuGhers au-
fhnritv hni he did not do ANYTHING.