Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-02-08
James Purcell Relates Story of Al
lance of New York Police With
Gamblers Eclipsing That of Jack
Rose--S5O,0OO Graft in II Years.
Paid Money to Every Squad Ever Detailed Except
One COstigans Squad Was Honest.

New York Feb, Herman Rosen-
that's one time partner III gambling
picked up the broken thread of Rosen-
thals story, today. and told the Alder
manic committee investigating graft,
n tale of money paid for police pro-
lection, eclipsing that of Jack Rose,
Charles Beckers collector For II
years, James Purcell said he had paid
for the privilege of running a gambl-
ing house, making handbook of con-
Quoting pool room. In all he gave
the police more than $4,000, he said,
during this period.
Former Sheriff Harvey of Queens
county, Police Inspector Mclaughlin
half dozen police captains, including
q brother in-law of Charles +. Muir
ply, the Tammy leader, and scores of
ward heelers and policemen, some now
on the force. others off, were among
the men, who got the money, he said.
Once, he said, orders came indirect
ly" from Murphy himself. TO close up.
lie moved at once.
Charles Becker, now in the death
house at Sing Sing for the murder of
Rosenthat, got $3.50 from him for fix
ing the evidence against him and
five others taken in u raid Becker
made on his gambling house. Purcell
declared Becker was then head of
the strong Arm squad for the sup
preston of gambling
Il have paid money to every squad
that was ever detailed to headquar-
tiers to suppress gambling except one
al /
cept Costigans Costigan was on the
level
Costigan was referred to, during the
first investigation of the Rosehthal
case as the Honest policeman"
In return for this protection money,
Purcell said, the police generally let
him alone When they had to act on
complaints from outside, they Tipped
him off he declared. He always
moved TO another house when thus in
formed. For a while he moved every
day
Once he edefed the police, For nine
months. when he had Jack McAuliff,
former lightweight champion pugilfst
of the world, for partner. they ran d
gambling house on the upper East
Side without making the weekly pay
ments to collectors from the system.
The police stationed two men at the
door Of his establishment. he declared.
to warn all customers that it was a
gambling h0use. But Jack beat that
scheme he said. IF the two police
men forgot to talk or talked nice he
gave them s. apiece a day. If they
didn't they got no money. They gen.
orally talked nice"
Police commissioners. inspectors and
captains came and went, during the
time Purcell was operating in the
tenderloiR, he said, but it made no
difference. The collectors for the sys-
tenn came around regularly every
week or every month. When he was
making a hand book he paid them
s25 week, when he was running a
pool room or gambling house he paid
from s60lto $500 week. When he was
doing nothing he paid nothing.
There were one or two captains and
one inspector, who didn't do business
with the gamblers, Purcell asserted
but they didn't come along together
in his precinct Thus, when the cap
tain was ION the lever the inspectors
men came around ana vice versa
One Inspector he thought incorrupt-
able, he said, was Richard Walsh,
dubbed Smiling Dick"
What became of the money after 1t
reached the hands of the captains or
inspector Purcell didn't know. He had
an idea, gained from talk among his
fellows in the Tenderloin, that some of
it went Higher up. Dut he couldn't
say, he testified, as to that
PnrppIt said bp nppra .e6 for xraapx,
in one police precinet-the 21st-and
probably did business, during that
period at half d hundred places
Naming the men, who collected pro-
lection money from him, each week,
he said they acted for Police Captain
McClintock, Cannon, Delaney. holland,
Cochran, Burns and Gray. The last
named is brother in-law to Charles f.
Murphy.
Il got permission from Mike CRUZ.
a Tammany leader. to open a gam
bling house in 3Srd street Purcell said
"Cruiz wanted $50 week for himself
the same for Capt. Gray and $40
piece to the two men who came to
collect the money each week. So for
while | paid $3.50 week..
How long did you pay this money!
For five weeks Then a friends of
mine called up on the telephone and
said Murphy had ordered my place
closed. Murphy's word was good
enough for me. I closed up at once.
Purcell said Becker raided his place
in 1911 and arrested five men, James
A. White, Beckers lieutenant, caused
the raid. At court Purcell asked
White and then Becker. to help him.
+" Ali right. Becker said, I'll do what
] can, but YOU know l aint in this for
my health. He said he wanted $500. [
laughed at him. | offered him $3.50.
White told me afterward that it would
be all right and paid it to White. The
cases were dismissed.
Purcell was one of seven or eight
gamblers in his police precinct paying
regular weekly amounts to the police,
he said
The first protection money | paid
was in 1897 he said. II paid a police
man named Jerry Murphy SIC not TO
disturb racing game | was running.