Arizona republican., 1913-05-07
EX-|NSPECTORS
ARE CONVICTED
Of CONSPIRACY
Only Thirty-Eight Minutes
Are Required to Reach
Nerdicts in Cases Of -Four
Denoted Officers Of New
York Police Force.
ASSOCIATED PRESS u1srArcHI

NEW YORK. May 6-James F.
Thompson, James r. Hussey. John y.
Murtha and Dennis Sweeney, the foer
denoted police inspectors, charged
with conspiracy to obstruct justice,
were convicted 10y a jury in the su-
preme court shortly after eight O'Clock
tonight
Only thirty eight minutes were taken
to reach a verdict that the defendants
were guilty Of misdemeanor in plot
ting to keep a prospective witnc~s
against the system from making grave
disclosures before the grand jury.
The accused stood outwardly un-
moved as they heard the verdict. The
prisoners gave their pedigrees and ar
ter being remanded for sentence ON
Friday We're returned to their cells
Counsel announced a certificate of
reasonable doubt would be sought
which would give the prisoners
chance to go free under bail pending
efforts to obtain a new trial
The penalty for obstruction of jus
tice is one year in jail or a fine Of five
hundred dollars or both. It is reported
the jury required only one ballot TO
reach a decision.
The seven months investigation OF
corruption in the New York police de-
partment, begun by an extraordinary
grand jury. after the indictment Of
( Former Police Lieutenant Charles
Becker and the four gunmen awaiting
death al Sing Sing for the murder of
Herman RosenthaL the "squealins"
| gambler. ended today. District Attor-
ney whitman notified Supreme Court
Justice Goff that the jury's work was
| nd h, u
! The jury convened in accordance
with instructions from Governor Dix
and has been in almost continuous ses-
sion from October last until a recess
was taken twenty DAYS ago. Among
| the results of it's labors was the inn
! dictment Of the four former police in
| spectOrs convicted today.
! The conviction of Thompson. Hus-
sey. Murtha and Sweeney is regard
| ed by the district attorney as the most
important yet in connection with the
expose of the police SYSTEM" and has
been shown to link the law enforce
ment with the city's underworld when
! Becker, the police lieutenant, hired
four gunmen to murder Herman Ros-
entkal the gambler. last summer,
The men were on trial seven court
days. District Attorney Whitman and
his assistants produced evidence TO
show that the four plotted to buy the
Silence of Geo. y. Sipp. resort Keeper
through bribing him to flee from the
state last December. after he told the
ialdermanic commission investigating
the police department that for years
he made monthly payment for police
protection.
| Before Whitman had a chance tC
get Sipp to repeat his testimony before
the grand jury the hotel man took flight
Being returned to the courts juris-
dictiOn. he declared he had been
bribed with $4,000 to leave. During
the trial the state introduced evidence
tending to show that graft payments
by Sipp reached the defendants. who
in turn. commanded the Harlem dis
trict, where the Sipps hotel is located
Tribute was collected for Thomas
Walsh. who was captain in the
Harlem precinct. and Walsh divided
with the inspectors. according to the
confession of Walsh and Sipp, the
states chief witnesses.