New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-02-05
FOX GOT 10 PER CENT
OF GRAFT COLLECTIONS
Struck in Vain for 20, Because
1t Meant Overtime Work,
He Tells Whitman.
NAMES INSPECTOR WALSH
CAPTAINS Brother To Be Elk
amined as to Relations with
Newell-Sweeney's Bank
Accounts Under Probe.

Accounts Under Probe.
Patrolman Eugene f. Fox, the graft
collector, who pleaded guilty to bribery
indictment on Monday. spent the greater
part of yesterday afternoon and evening
J with District Attorney Whitman telling
the prosecutor in detail of his relations
with Captain Thomas w Walsh who
was for more than five years commander
of the East 126th street station.
Whitmans Investigators reported that
they found evidences Of extraordinary &C
tivity by former Inspector Richard Walsh,
known as Smiling Dick" brother oil
the captain. The former inspectors &C
tivitv within the last forty eight hours.
since his brothers. name has become so
intertwined in FoX's graft story, was not
what aroused the suspicion Of the Dis
trict Attorneys sleuths. but the fact that
he had been busy on various ends OF the
matter ever since Sipp's accusation be-
came public was believed to be worthy
OF careful scrutiny.
From men who have been i'm close touch
with the police vice situation in Harlem
for the last six years. embracing the pc
Rod during which Tom Walsh served
as captain Of the East 12Gth street station
Mr. Whitman learned that when walsh
went there as a captain, he made an I'M
mediate series of raids which bore all the
earmarks of q sincere determination to
"clean up his precinct According to the
story this spasm of activity continued Tor
several weeks. until his brother, then an
inspector made a call at the station
house, The brothers held conference
which lasted until after midnight, and
Harlem noted that Captain Walsh en-
ergy was not so noticeable thereafter.
To Examine Ex-lnspector
Former Inspector Walsh will be asked
soon, it is said. to explain to the District
Attorney what steps il any. he took IN
the matter OF comforting with Edward ).
Newell just previous to that lawyers al
legged activity in connection with efforts
to prevent George A. Sips coming back
TO New York as a witness against FOX.
The former inspector may also be asked
whether he acted as a messenger for
Newell in connection with the money
which was said to have been given to
Sipp for travelling expenses 10 Tampa
Fla. Fox's confessions to District Attor-
ney Whitman yesterday will be reduced
10 affidavit form to-day
Reports published III morning news
papers other than The Tribune yesterday
that Fox personally had never profited
by his graft collections proved to be mis-
leading when the patrolman admitted to
Mr.. Whitman yesterday that he had al
ways received the 10 per cent which is
counted upon as a collectors allowance
in the systems" graft schedule.
In addition TO collections from disorderly
hotels of which Whitman had evidence
without Fox's confessions, Fox admitted
that up to February l. 1910, he had been
a collector Of Excise graft as well as
Of vice graft. on that date, after he
had been collecting from saloons as well
as hotels for almost two years. ne was
suddenlv ordered to coniinc his work to
hotels lie was told that from that time
on the saloon graft was not to he al
lowed 10 stay in the precinct, as it had
been transferred to headquarters, where
IL was 10 be handled by civilian close
10 the Commissioner
Fox told Whitman yesterday he under
stood that his collections were divided
evenly between a captain and an inspector
and he had learned from other collectors
Who worked from district headquarters
that the inspectors men collected an in
dependent tribute from the same hotels he
covered.
From a hotel that paid me 500
month, which was split 'hfty-hfty' between
CAPTAIN and inspector. Fox said, the in
.spectors man made an independent collec-
ton of $50 month in addition, which
went direct to the inspector
From March. 1908. to February 1910,
lT'ox SAID he collected approximately $1,000
a month, about $1,000 from hotels AMI
the remainder from saloons. After the
lgaloon graft was transferred to Head
quarters FoX's collections from hotels
ran through to December, 1912, at an
average Of from $1,000 TO $1,000 month.
he explained that part Of this Increase
was due to higher rates or to an increase
( in the number Of hotels.
Told TO "See" Hotelkeepers.
Fox told Mr. Whitman particulars of
the beginning Of his employment as
collector" and from his account IT was
an apparently casual appointment The
captain called in several patrolmen. he
said and asked which ones would like TO
do plainclothes duty in keeping the
streets clear of women and similar work.
Fox said he volunteered. and was started
ont 10 clean up the streets. After few
DAYS OF that work. he said, the captain
called him in again and told him ne
wanted a man TO go around to the no.
tells of the precinct and "see" the man
ayers.
The captain explained TO him, he SAID.
that the hotels were a necessary evil. and
90 long as they were conducted quietly
and with outward decency" they should
not be bothered. provided they came
across" He received "A list of fifteen no
tells and a number of saloons. and started
his work as a collector He said he never
had any bother with his collections and
that the money was always waiting for
him.
When no was transferred to the west
152d street station, Fox said he had an
other talk with the captain. and as the
captain said he might as well continue on
the collecting Job he struck for % per cent
instead of the customary 10 per cent for
his work, on the ground that he would
have TO do Il outside of his regular hours