New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-01-15
Sipp Names Him to Grand Jury
as Real Head of Vice Graft j.
System in HarIem--His I
Story |ndicts Fox. ~
WHITMAN F0ILS WALDO
Police Bungle Commissioner
Effort to Intimidate Former
Hotelkeeper by Serving I
Him and His Son !.
with Subpenas.

Eugene A. Fox, the policeman why
had been named as one Of the 'sys-
TENS" collectors in Harlem. was In
dicted for extortion and bribery yester-
day by the unanimous vote Of the
John Doe" grand jury after 1t had
listened to the testimony Of George A.
Sipp, the former Harlem hotelkeeper.
and his son, Howard.
Three police inspectors and one police
captain were named by Sipp as men
who had participated at different times
within the last five years in the police
graft on vice in Harlem. and the for
names of several witnesses who could
corroborate his charges.
Back Of the whole story related by
Sipp lies the predominating influence of
one of Tammany's big leaders. At this
mans beck and call the police COM
manders who succeeded each other in
the district with which sipp is familiar
drove one man out of business and fos-
tered the illegal trade of another.
Prospective Raines law hotels which
seemed TO promise competition with
those in which this Tammany leader
was reputed to be interested were not
permitted to open their doors, and when
their proprietC 5 insisted they were
bounded by the police until they threw
up their hands and their business to-
gether.
Police BunsIe for Waldo.
One saloonkeeper who had incurred
this mans anger found. Sipp asserted,
that he had to shut up shop promptly
at the time limit established by law,
while competitors were permitted free
run beyond that limit. This mans
domination Of police methods in
handling excise and vice 10 Harlem
even extended so far that q barkeeper
who had risked his enmity found he
could not hold job in any saloon ip
the district,
The desperate fight made by certain
high police officials who are sure to be
involved in the District Attorneys
graft net if Fox becomes witness for
the people In their effort to either pre-
vent Sipps appearance before tho
grand jury or TO send him before that
body as discredited witness, was lost
after a comic opera climax in the Grim
inal Courts Building.
This last scene was produced under
the direction Of Rhinelander Waldo.
Police Commissioner. who sent detec-
tives from headquarters to serve SUBJ
ppnaes on Sipp and his. son. Whether
acting under specific orders from Wal
do or not these detectives precipitated
q near-riot in the corridors OF the
Criminal Courts Building in trying TO
serve the subpoenaes, which were
signed by the Commissioner, The net
rosuIt of their hand -to-hand encounter
With the county detectives and deputy
shcriffs who were guarding tho Sipps
was that one subpoena for the elder
sipp was found on the floor of an ele-
yator in the building. and one for the
son on tho floor Of the third floor cor
ridor leading to the grand jury room.
In any event, if Waldo follows his
custom of suspendng policemen who
have been indicted by grand jury the
subpocnas for Fox's police trial will
be superfiuous, becase the states Grim
inal action against the patrolman will
take precedence.