New-York tribune., 1920-03-13
$4,000 Bribe'
Charge Made
In Vice Probe
r.s,er of Former Detective
Asserts Police Official
.Above a Captain Ready
10 Put Up $40, 900 More
100000 Graft Share
Woman Gives Prosecutor
Location of II Alleged
Disorderly Apartments


- higher rank than captain has Offered
detective $4,000 not to tell what h,
Knows at the inquiry into alleged vic,
,,raft in the department which followed
,he indictment of John ]. Gunson, one
of Inspector Henry's detectives, accord
ING to a letter which Assistant Distric'
Attorney James E. Smith. who is con
ducting the inquiry. received yesterday
The letter is from former detectiv.
who has been sent back to the uni
formed force. He writes that not only
hss the detective ne names received the
$4,000 offer for his silence. but that s
still higher police official is ready te
add $4,000 to that offer. if necessary
This official is said to be the center Of
the graft ring and to have made
100000 in the last two years.
Detectives Letter
With names omitted, the letter fol
lows:
e. has been offered $4,000
not to squeal by man higher than
captain. - is In conference
every night with - -. Get him
to squeal, and, oh, what q sensation
Will be in this town! - has
made over 100000 the las. two
years, and he will give $4,000 to
--if If necessary"
Another letter was received by Mr.
Smith at his home address yesterday
It was from a woman living in the 4th
Inspection District, who said she was
the mother of growing" girls. This
mother gave the addresses Of twelve
apartment houses which she declared
are filed with disorderly fats.
Mr.. Smith refused to give the ad-
dresses of these apartment houses. be
cause, he said, they are under observa-
tion According to his information
these houses are honeycombed with
disorderly fats"
The letter says in part:
"You should be commended, in
stead of being reproached for your
fight to make it possible for the
fathers and mothers of this city to
reside with their daughters in apart
ment houses that have for tenants
only respectable occupants.
II think you are modest in your
statement that there are but 1000
apartments in this city occupied by
social outcasts. I have lived in this
vicinity for the last seven years and
have had to change my abode more
than ten times because of the brazen
and shameful actions of the tenants
of some of these buildings and in
order to protect the morals of my
daughters. Many other families have
had to do likewise when repeated
buildings were of no avail.
Strange to say, the owner of all
Of these buildings is one He
must have some wonderful influence,
as neither he nor his buildings are
ever moested by the police
"You may rest assured that at the
proper time, if it be necessary, you
will receive a list of heads of fam
lies who may be summoned before
the grand jury to give evidence in
reference to buildings mentioned"
Sandwiches at SIS Per
Chicken sandwiches at SIS apiece
will be among the things investigated
BY the grand jury in the vice probe
with special emphasis upon the high
cost Of living in vice resorts along the
Great White Way. when the victim
Of the high-priced chicken sandwich
protested, he was arrested on the
charge Of extortion.
To prove this case copies of testi-
mony given in the 7th District Magis-
trate's Court before Magistrate Joseph
E. Corrigan September IA, 1917, in the
case against John R. Crowley, will be
introduced. When Magistrate Corri-
gan had learned Of the circumstances
Of the case he Immediately discharged
Crowley. The case is now in the hands
OF Investigators of the District At
torney's Office.
In his testimony before Magistrate
Corrlgan, Crowley swore that he &C.
eompanled a woman to her apartment
IN NInety-seventh Street, near Broad
way, after taxi ride. Crowley said
after ne had given the woman SIS and
got only chicken sandwich she forced
aim out of the house with the aid of
q man who displayed a police badge
ana fortified it later with q drawn re-
volver.
According to Crowley, he-gave the
woman a IS bill with which to buy
package Of cigarettes for herself
ana $40 bill with which TO buy a loaf
0l bread. The loaf of bread, it turned
out, was the one from which she after
ward cut two slices for the chicken
sandwich.
Displays Police Badge
When ordered to leave the apart
ment, Crowley said, he demanded his
money back, whereupon the woman
opened door to an adjoining room
saa man, with police badge,
emerged. The man, Crowley said. was
not IN uniform.
= The identity of the man with tho
soiee Department badge was not re-
ns.e: rss.ea In police court, but Assistant
Isssrlct Attorney Smith said yesterday
was. '""" "AO '"'' "'"A
:; samuel Marcus, counsel for the So
Jissy ~ Tor the Prevention Of Crime, de-
s,Iined 81, yesterday to make public q letter
S poI; society Is reported to have sent to
.olce ~. Commissioner Enright bearing
~. wv the contentious of Assistant Dis
conditions. '
h,s ar. Marcus said that he personally
to- asa ~ Written q reply to the original let
II. VI commissioner Enright, who asked
ta,,. or society to place at his disposal in
ss,d;aaon ssda;s.ion 1t has in it's possession re-
sssssashg the vice situation. Mr.. Marcus
lssed lstt.sSe TO discuss the contents Of his
h. however. Commissioner Enrirht
MIL SINCE replied to this letter. in
fu.sd f' 1t is reported, the society re-
fnTuuso 20 cooperate with Commissioner
esn sns IN vice investigation Of his
iseli, commissioner Enright yesterday
NJ 70 make public his reply to
fe,..sa sa*fcus's letter. Mr.. Marcus con-