New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-06-16
Police Commissioner Makes the
Counter Charge That the
AIdermaniC Investigation
Was Politically Biased.
HE DIDN'T TRUST BUCKNER
Feared Chief CounseIs Meth.
ods, and for That Reason Act
ed as He Did About Records
Says All Gambling
Houses Are Closed.

'NHHi'loi"'I NdiuO. fOllCe OOfH1nl5-
sioner issued twcnty-four page
| printed statement yesterday. giving his
answer TO the charges lodged against
him by the Curran aldermanic COM
mittee.
Waldo's categorical answers to the
twelve separate charges made against
him are all denials and in the opening
paragraph Of the statement he makes
the counter charge that the aldermanic
committee investigation was political
| ly biassed"
| The report of the committee, which
was adopted by vote Of } to (, states
that the present Commissioner is in 4.
competent and unfit to perform the
duties Of his Office" says the Commits
sioner. This statement is rot sus-
tained or supported by any Of the testi-
mony taken or by any analysis Of the
! specifications of this charge"
He also makes the charge that pros
| pective witnesses whose testimony
| NVblh udN' btfil dNbl dDlf W Alf UpllAt
administration were not called upon to
testify.
His Testimony Shut OF.
The report Of the aldermanic COM
mttee admits that the present Police
| Commissioner is honest" is the opening
paragraph of the Commissioner state
ment. The efficiency Of the admins
tration is however, attacked. The po-
litically biassed character of the alder
manic committee investigation is
shown by the fact that at no time was
the Commissioner or any administra-
tive member of the department allowed
TO testify as 10 the administrative
methods actually employed or as to tho
work accomplished.
Persons were interviewed by repre-
sentatives OF the committee and IN
formed that IT was the purpose of tho
committee 10 call them MS witnesses.
| When it was learned that the tesu-
mouy they would give would be favor
able to the police administration they
We're not called upon to testify
To the first general charge that he
| failed TO prevent "a widespread system
| Of blackmail and extortion by certain
of his subordinates" the Commissioner
repeats in substance the defence which
! Mayor Gaynor has advanced in his be-
! half, TO the effect that he devised and
put in operation the special squads
to raid gambling houses and other
! Illegal resorts.
ION the Becker trial" says the Com
missioner's statement, 'it was shown
| that this Lieutenant, who was at one
time in charge Of one of these squads
assigned to this work was not able
even TO protect the gambler with whom
he was alleged 10 be in partnership
| His administration. Commissioner
Waldo says, concentrated its effort
upon the prevention of the delivery OF
protection as the logical means OF
| stopping graft" and he adds: I'm
every case where graft has been re
vealed il can be conclusively shown
that such revelation followed the stop
page Of the delivery of protection which
the corrupters Of the police had been
accustomed to receive"
"AlI Gambling Houses Closed"
Commissioner Waldo, in answering
| this first charge, makes the fiat state
ment that all the gambling houses In
the city are closed, in this language:
That no protection is being fur
| ci ~ fc hN-
the fact that all of the gambling houses
are closed. IL gambling houses
were open in this city this would be
serious charge, and would require con-
siderable evidence in refutation. 1t Is,
however. an undeniable fact that gam
bling and Illegal resorts have been more
effectively closed by this administration
than at any previous time in the his
| tory Of the department.
Real estate men who have lost money
by the closing of gambling houses and
gamblers who have been driven out of
business, the Commissioner says, have
endeavored in every way to discredit
the administration"
The second charge-that he permitted
accused police officials charged with
grating to have the accusing letters
for their own information and for
"self-investigation" - the Commissioner
| denounces as absolutely false"
"All matters of this character" he
saws. have been investigated by nu
merous sources. No reliance has been
placed on Investigations Of officials by
themselves. Such letters sent to Off
cials have been sent 10 them only after
the charges had been investigated"
In cases where these letters were
sent to the accused officials on the day
of receipt, Mr.. Waldo says. the matters
had been previously thoroughly in
vestigated.
To the charge that he did not disci-
pline inspectors who were proved in
efficient or significantly inactive" by
the raids made over their heads, Mr..
Waldo replies that he took prompt ac-
tion "in all cases where officials could
In any way be held responsible for any
wrongful condition that might be found
to exist"
To the charge that he permitted COM
mapdng officers TO conceal from him