New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-02-04
GAMBLERS ALL IDLE
HERE, SAYS WALDO
Houses Shut Down, and, He
Tells West End ASSoCia-
ton, Police Did 1t.
ATTACKS THE NEWSPAPERS
Complains Bitterly Because
They Prefer Sensations to
Figures of His An
nual Report.

The Police Department needs no de-
fence; gambling has been absolutely sup
pressed. and the police did IL, according
to Rhinelander Waldo. who spoke last
night at a meeting of the West End AS
ISOLATION. in the st. Andrew Hotel. tie
replied to the critics Of the Ponce Depart
ment by taking a fling at the courts and
the newspapers.
IF you read the headlines in the press,
he said. you must have remarKapie
and confused idea of the Police Depart
ment. II you read The entire story which
| suppose none OF you ever take the
trouble to do, you will find the Police De-
partment needs NJ defence
The Commissioner then told OF the three
functions of the police. the prevention and
detection OF crime and the protection OF
public morals. Then, with fervor, MIR.
Waldo added:
The prevention OF crime Is the duty OF
the uniformed force and II you go out
at night now you can judge for yourself
II you are not getting better service than
ever before"
Then the Commissioner read figures
from the last annual report Of the de-
partment. which figures, the Commits
sioner said. proved how efficient the de-
partment had grown under his administra-
ton.
But you can't get the newspapers TO
publish these figures" he declared. They
won't print them. 1t isn't what they
want. If you call some one crook or a
liar, or say you're going to indict sorle
one. they Will print H. II doesn't make
much difference who you call crook or
a liar so long as it's some one. but they
won't print these figures"
Scotland Yard. he said. furnished the
best detectives in the world. and he de-
clar,d he established the Scotland Yard
system in this town.
There IS one way" he continued. FOR
the police to get results. that is. to get
Information. There are three ways OF
getting Information. All have been criti-
ciscd. one is TO get young men who have
Just Joined the force. and who aren't
known. and put them out with crooks
Another Is TO purchase information from
members OF criminal bands. that IL. %
employ stool pigeons. The third IL neigh
borhood gossip-by which | mean that de-
tectives overhear the gossip OF the neigh
borhoOd and learn what crimes are about
TO be committed. and. II they are, who
committed them"
Mr. Waldo said he had little faith IN
the solution OF crime by the deductlve or
Sherlock Holmes method. Less than /
per cent OF crimes were so solved.
To-day gambling has been suppressed.
absolutely" he said To-day there are
millions Of dollars worth Of gambling
houses shut down and lying idle.
The Police Department Will never be
popular Suppose some one intertered
with your business houses. you would not
be pleased with that man. And gamblers
like TO see a Police Commissioner re-
moved. Those men have much influence
in thl. town, much more than you realize.
They 20 to clergymen and 10 other re-
spectacle citizens and try 20 have them
TO do IL. No matter how efficient man
is IL will take him six months TO learn all
that he should know Of the Police De-
partmcnt, and In that time. the gamblers
have an easy time"
Mr.. Waldo said that in London crime
was reduced 10 a minimum, and that
there the police went unarmed.
over in Paris" he went on, tho police
20 around in pairs. with big revolvers
strapped to their waists. In London. JUS
tice is done, and done quickly. In Paris
the courts condone crime and say they
are sorry for this or that prisoner. and
tho police will tell you that II is unsafe
for YOU TO go unarmcd In certain locali-
ties late AZ night. You must look else
where than to the police for the trouble.
II is not entirely with the police. Tho