New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-11-01
ALDERMEN PROBE
POLICE POLITICS
Find Under Waldo Speedy Ret
ribution Visits "COpS" Who
Make Fuss in Courts.
DISMISSAL REPLACES FINE
Patrolman Sued for Remission
and Was Ousted from Depart
ment Two Days After Action
Sought Was Granted.

The Curran aldermanic committee traced
the Stanton affair back to it's origin yes
terday when they examined Patrolman
field S. Sheehan, Commissioner Waldos
secretary, that oliver had told him Lieu
tenant stanton had tried to shake him
down" for $3.50.
Sheehan was subpnnaed as a witness,
but Emory r. Buckner, the committees
counsel, stopped the administering Of the
oath to Sheehan while he made formal re-
quest on the Commissioners secretary to
waive immunity. This Sheehan fatty de-
clined TO do. hasing his refusal on the
ground that he did not believe the commit
tee had any power to give or accept
waivers on immunity, and when he stuck
to this argument was dismissed from the
witness stand.
Kerrigan, who followed Sheehan on the
stand was as evasive and as forgetful
as Oliver and the rest Of the witnesses
against stanton. First Deputy Commits
sioner Mckay, who tried Stanton, was
perfectly outspoken in his answers, but
was insistent on the point that he would
not talk about his judgment as rendered
on the Stanton case, and that he would
not talk about points which stood In the
record of the police trial.
With the Stanton case ended the COM
mittee turned to the matter Of police ad-
ministration I'm the Waldo regime with
reference TO the wholesale preferring of
charges against patrolmen in the I'd In
spection District as a result Of which
Inspector DAILY, who was In charge, was
later tried and fined thirty days pay for
not enforcing better discipline.
Through Otto Milky, VINO was one of
the patrolmen fined on tho famous
Schmittberger ride, and his former coun
Sc William f. Murphy, Buckner laid
bare a tale of the quick retrIbution that
meets patrolmen in the Waldo admins
tration when they raise too much trouble
In the courts. In the devious windings Of
Police Department politics 1t was all in
terpreted as follows: That Daily had sue
ceeded the reduced McClusky as inspector
of the Tenderlon district DAILY made
good" cleaned up the district McClusky
had been reduced for lax work I'm the dis
trict. ergo. McCusky '1aid for" DAILY.
Waldo came in as Commissioner. Nc
C1usky gained favor, was promoted again
TO his inspectorship. and by way OF re-
talIation Days district was ordered
secured for delinquencIes. Milky fear
lessly bucked into the very system which
was making things mighty uncomfortable
for even such a power az DAILY. He sued
for the revocation OF hts fifteen days fine.
lie had several grounds, the chief Of which
was that he had been "on post" and had
even known about Sohmttberger's ride in
advance, az, indeed, most OF the patrol
men caught did. Also Milky and others
contendcd that such a heavy penalty had
never before been visited on patrolmen for
such an offence.
But with all this Murphy, Nikly's law
yer, had the real shock OF the inquiry
along the lines OF the Waldo-ordered
SchmIttberger ride to deliver when he told
OF the recent dismissal OF Milky from the
force. Murphy had the Police Commits
sioner served with writ OF certiorari to
get possession OF copy OF the minutes OF
Niklys police trial before Deputy Commits
sioner Dillon. Because OF numerous ad-
tournaments requested by the Corporation
Counsel. It was not made finally return
able until March 1912.
In the mean time. Murphy testified yes
terday, n Police Headquarters stenogra-
pher told him he had not transcribed the
minutes OF Nikly's trial, but the findings
of the trial commissioner had been IN
dorsed by Commissioner Waldo with the
following words:
THE Police Commissioner, having the
testimony before him. orders on this day
July II, 1911, that the said Patrolman
Milky be fined fifteen days pay"
The stenographer later got an appoint
ment as court stenographer, so Murphy
felt free TO make an affidavit Of what he