Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1918-03-16
Detectives CLAIM
TOO MUCH CREDIT

then the case Is handed over to de- |
tective sergeants, whose names are
signed to the complaint.
When conviction is obtained the
sleuths get the credit and the man in
harness is ignored.
The subcommittee on police thought
they had found case of "swiping
glory" yesterday and requested act.
ing Chief Alcock to summon in Pa
trolman David Birmingham of the
old West Chicago avenue station.
Birmingham said in reply to ques.
tons.
II was working nights Dec. Is and
ran into Peter Jensen, a bakery wag-
on driver, who said he had been
robbed of SIS and had just seen the
two robbers going down the street.
We ran to the corner and they were
just going into the elevated station.
I'VE ran down there and caught the |
station agent at North avenue and
Robey street with his hands in the |
air and revolver poked into his
stomach.
81 lined one of the two hold.up men
against the wall. He had no gun.
The other tried to get by me and l
floored him, stepped on his hand,
which he had in his pocket on his
revolver.
II gave my gun to Jensen, who GOV.
cred the man against the wall. got
the revolver of the man on the floor
| and took both to the station. In the
Municipal Court they were bound
| over to the grand jury.
"The next I heard of the case was
in q phone call for the station at IL
o'clock in the morning while I was
in bed. I was told to get over to the
grand jury. hustled over to find
detective sergeants rounding up my
witnesses. They were through and
testified. Both men were taken to
the bureau of identification, but !
was not told the result. When was
asked in the grand jury II they had
records, I had to testify that l didn't
know.
when the case was called for trial
was not notified at all. In the pc.
lice bulletin Feb. IA, 1t said that Doug
las Massett had been sent to Pontiac.
Massett was one of the men In the
robbery"
The bulletin said Douglas Mas.
sett, arrested for burglary Aug. q by
Officers Vented, Murray, Ryan, No
Ian and Berger of the thirty.fourth
precinct, was on Jan. IA sentenced by
Judge McGoorty to Pontiac reforma'
tory"
The committee, composed Of Alder
men Byrne, Franz, Steffen, Kimball
and Kaindl, was unanimous in want
.. ing to know why Massett was sent
away for burglary when there were
two charges of robbery with re
vOlver against him. The patrolmar
couldn't tell. Lieutenant Joseph Pal
, eszynski was summoned, through
, acting Chief Alcock.
, The committee went to the Grim
, inal Court Building to check up OF
. the record. It appeared then tina
Massett was arrested with six Others
on Sept. 20 last for stealing $67'
|. worth of cloth from Salsberg e. Biers
|, dorf, 1856 North Robey street, on Jul!
, 20. In this case the lieutenant wal
subpoenaed Oct. 25, Nov. 10, Dec. . ant
Jan. Q, together with subordinate of
ficers. Only Massett was imprisoned
for this burglary. He pleaded guilty
. Il was while he was out on bond o
$4,000 In this case that he was ar
= rested by Birmingham. Then he wa
charged with robbing one man Of ~
another of SIS, and with assault, will
n attempt to commit robbery, on tn
> station agent. The records show tina
, subpoena was issued for Bermine
ham In this case and delivered to tn
station, but, Birmingham told tn
: committee he was never notified OF II
. do you remember this hold.up o
the station agent?" asked Alderman
Steffen of the lieutenant.
y IL have a slight recollection of It,
!, said the lieutenant A number Of hi
, | answers were evasive.
r Alderman Kimball became angr
= and said: How far do you think W
h will ever get against crime when
4 man is convicted of burglary whe
!. there are two charges Of robbery wit
!. gun against him."
!, 81 made my statement to Judge No
y Goorty and the states attorney u
a chambers where there was one heal
a ing of this case" said the lieutenant
q It was with difficulty that the con
' mittee got him to say that the reaso
\ for the hearing in chambers was bt
). cause another case was on hearing i
@ the courtroom,
4 Would you try man for burglar
4 II you had two murder charge
II against him." asked Kimball.
q The lieutenant finally said he 'pr'
a tested vigorously" to Judge McGoort
r. and the assistant states attorne
against conviction on burglary whe
4. robbery charges were pending.
n In reply to other questions the lie'
y tenant said: 1.-THE station agent cas-
II is the weakest of the three agains
Z. Massett. The agent told me that h
4. thought that Massett and his par
"a ner were just fooling."
The other two robbery charges hav
been stricken off.
The lieutenant will be back befor
y the committee tomorrow.
% Sam Bernstein of the United Loa
T. Company, 81 South Clark street, al
peared before the committee to e.
cd