New-York tribune., 1919-09-07
Reporters Demand
That Mayor Hylan
Name the Accused
They Write Him Asking for
Specific Information as
to His Charges Against
Men on Gamblers Payroll

Police Headquarters reporters, some
Of whom have ad that assignment for
thirty years, wrote to Mayor Hylan yes
terday. asking him to make public the
names of the newspaper men there
whom he accused of being "on the pay
roll of gamblers and the vicious in
terests" The Mayor made his anony-
nous charge Friday evening in a
speech to patrolmen at the department
campfire. Speedway Park, Sheepshead
Bay. The reporters letter, after call
ing the Mayors attention to the ac-
cusation attributed to him, ended as
follows:
1--WE, the undersigned newsgatherers
at Police Headquarters, day shift, ap-
peal to your justice to make public the
names Of the newsegatherers and the
papers that they represent or repre-
sented, who in any way were connected
with gamblers or vicious elements and
were on the payroll Of the police. Re-
questing an immediate answer"
The letter was signed by Robert
Moran. "Globe"; Frank Roth. Evening
World; Frank German. Evening Jour
nal; Max Fischel, Evening World;
William J. Wallace. City News Asso-
citation; Harry O'Donnell. STANDARD
Union; Michael Finigan, Telegram;
Thomas K. Killilea, jr., Evening Sun;
Cosmos Petersen, City News Associa-
ton, and William Olson, Evening
Sun"
The Mayor was wrong in making the
assertion he did, the reporters declared,
some Of them adding that he probably
had received misleading information.
He was right. they all agreed, in saying
that every effort had been made by his
administration to prevent them from
getting departmental news. When 70,
lice Commissioner Enright reduced
Honest Dan" Costigan from an inspec-
torship TO a captaincy, they said, the
ban had been placed on newspaper men.
Former police commissioners, they
pointed out had held daily conferences
with reporters and talked without re-
serve of their plans to some OF the
veteran news gatherers, gladly avail
ing themselves Of their knowledge of
the department. Colonel Arthur Woods
and his predecessors, they said. had
never evinced any fear Of violation OF
confidence.
Now not only are the daily confer
ences thing of the past. but the
strictest secrecy is maintained CON
cerning what formerly was regarded
as routine news. Burglaries, such as
formerly would have had Headquarters
buzzing with activity, and, If long un-
solved. woulr have cost an inspector
or so his Job. now were carefully con-
cealed, it was SAID.
No reply to the reporters letter was
received yesterday.
Mayor Hylan continued his remarks
about the Headquarters newspaper men
in his speech at last nights campfire.
"Some of these news gatherers," he
said, "were seen in the association OF
Police Commissioners and other high
officials and many men who wanted
special consideration, and they were on
the payrolls of the vicious interests OF
the city and those who made II bust
ness to violate the law.
MANY of these men were lnstru-
mental in having policemen assigned to
various bureaus, such as the vice squad,
the Detective bureau and the Tele-
graph Bureau. Naturally these police
men would be under compliment and
obligation to these gentlemen. When
complaint was sent 70 Headquarters
reporting vice conditions in the city
the policemen would occasionally give
ont the information"