New-York tribune., 1912-02-03
CALLS POLICE STUPID
Grand Jury SAYS It Can't Get
Evidence Against Gamblers.
TOOLS OF CRAFT PLENTY
Waldo and Mayor Gaynor May
Stand on Presentment to
Judge Malone.

The additional grand jury investigating
Gambling cases sent a resolution Yesterday
30 Mayor Gaynor in which the police meth
nds of getting evidence against gamblers
,,.ore branded as totally inadequate. Judge
Malone, sitting I'm Part l of General Ses-
.;ous. received the presentment and the
accompanying resolution for the Mayor
Through the foreman. Thomas w. Slocum,
the grand jury says that nearly every
gambling case they investigated had to be
thrown ont because of insufficient evidence.
Police Commissioner Waldo hurried into
the grand jury room last Thursday after
noon When he came out he said he had
been interrogated about his annual report
n copy of which he had under his arm.
The grand jury's presentment places
different Interpretation on the Commission
ers visit. Here is the presentment;
ITO the Hon. James T Malone. Judge oi
the Court of General Sessions
THE additional grand jury feels i'm
PEELED to make q special report 10 the
court in the matter Of gambling cases
which have been before it this term. After
the most careful investigation of these
cases the grand jury has felt compelled
in almost every instance, although salts
fed that gambling had taken place, TO dis
miss the complaint for lack of Sufhcleht
evidence. The evidence in nearly every IN
stance consisted of the uncorroborated
testimony OF one person as TO the Original
occurrence. even though supported by the
seizure of gambling paraphernalia after an
interval Of from three TO ten days
1.-THE grand jury invited the Commission
or Of Police to aid in their Investigations
and ne appeared before them. Their con-
clusion is that the present system OF OBJ
tanning evidence in gambling cases Is to-
tally insufficient. and they therefore deem
II their duty TO bring it thus publicly to
the attention of the court for such action
as may seem proper and fit 1t is their
request. If il meets with the approval Of
the court. that a copy of this report, with
The resolution accompanying it, be sent to
his honor the Mayor.
THOMAS w SLOCUM, Foreman.
FEB. ?. 1912"
This is the resolution:
Moved. That. basing its judgment on
the evidence as introduced before TINS
grand Jury IN the gambling cases which
have from day to day been brought before
fl. in the opinion of this grand jury The
methods employed by the Police Depart
n1ent in obtaining evidence under the Ia"
for the prosecution of the keepers "f
gambling houses is totally inadequate for
the purposes for which ii is intended.
81 have nothing to say remarked Com
missioner Waldo when asked for comment
on the presentment 4 reliable informant
IN tho Police Department, close TO the
Commissioner said privately that If Mayor
Gavnor takes up the grand jUry's charges
the police will rest the case on the pre-
sentiment Itself
One official wanted to know. II the grand
Jury felt satisfied I'm almost every instance
that gambling had taken place. why 1t
refused 10 bring i'm an indictment Grand
iuries don't have to deal with guilt or in
nocence. but with probabilities, and if the
.yidenCe established even a probability
why - MT that sufficient" said this Of
icial.
R,A ing the jurors skepticism about
the \ 'orroborated testimony Of one per
son n the original occurrence, this Of
fcials ought Il was pretty good evidence
of eff bling IL body Of patrolmen found
roulette tables i'm room. with men sitting
around the tables playing roulette.
The grand jury. as a matter of fact. IS
between two fires. Less than month ago
District Attorney Whitman. moved by the
increasing number Of indictments which re-
suited in cases being thrown out of court,
went before the two jurics and recommend
ed more care in finding indictments. Moth
ing special was said regarding ganlblihG
cases AZ that time. however.