New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-06-07
DOUCHERTY'S FEATHERS
RUFFLED BY ALDERMEN
Curran Committee SmlteS De-
teCtive Bureau in Its Report
on Burglary Testimony.
MALICE AND LIES, IS REPLY
Unanswered Story of Benjamin
Levy About Being Paid to
Rob by Deputy Commits
sioner Taken Up.

With the Tammany members or tne
committee still holding Off one fusionist,
Downing. OF Brooklyn. waiting foS Mon
day, and another Esterbrook. at home ILL.,.
the Curran aldermanic committee gave out
Yesterday two more sections Of its re-
port. attacking the Detective Bureau ad-
ministration under Waldo and Dougherty
and suggesting important changes in the
surgical bureau. the abolition OF the Tene-
ment House. Health Department ana
Boiler squads. together with reorgani-
cation of the Central Office squad which
you'd put all clerical duties in the hands
Of civilians.
George 5 Dougherty, the Second Deputy
Police Commissioner as head Of the De-
tcctlye Bureau, bore the brunt Of the COM
mittees attack yesterday. II came In the
shape OF review OF the notorious
feather burglary" testimony, which was
sworn 10 before the committee on No
vernber 81 The report puts the issue
squarely up TO Dougherty. through evil
dence Of Benjamin Levy. who accused the
Second Deputy Commissioner Of instisat-
ing the burglary
Levy testified that in this case Deputy
Commissioner Doueherty gave him S25
with which 10 purchase burglars tools,
and after he succeeded in the burglary
paid him s75 for his services" says the
report city vouchers for these amounts
IN Levy's favor were found in the Con
trollers Office"
WORTHY Of Crook" Says Oougherty.
Dougherty was called 10 the witness
stand to answer the Levy charges. but, re-
fuslng 10 waive immunity. was not per
mitted 10 give evidence. When H.
saw the aldermanlc report yesterday
Dousherty suid:
The bulletin on the Detective Bureau
issued by the committee Of aldermen is "a
sample Of malice and lies worthy ot the
trade talent of q professional crook. The
aldermen have lined up convicted thieves
on their side against the work OF hard
working. honest detectives. II is too alb
surd 10 discuss in detail. and. besides, |
haven't time 10 fight with politicians.
THE accusations against the detectives
made by BENJAMIN Levy and others were
presented 10 the District Attorney by me
TO act upon as he saw NJ. II there was
anything Irregular in the information i'm
parted TO me by Levy. would the bills for
his services have been sent in the regular
way 10 the Controllers Officer"
Chairman Curran of the aldermamc
committee said later that Dougherty had
evidently overlooked the points of the
case which were that the robbery might
never have been committed except for
Dougherty's connection with Levy and
that the insurance company paid the vic
tim OF the burglary $500 Tor the loss of
feathers which even the police admitted
were not stolen by the thieves. and which
the testimony OF the aldermauic inquiry
recites. we're taken by policemen.
In its conclusions the report sets forth
that the detective bureau Is inefficient.
that there exists a partnership between
some detectives and criminals by which
the profits OF crime are shared and that
incompetent administration and made
quate supervision are primarily rcspon-
sble for the ineffciency and dishonesty
found among detectives.