New-York tribune., 1920-11-30

Thirty-fve Convictions
In two and half years the old bomb
squad ran up d record of thirty-five
convictions in connection with crimes
in which explosives were used. In ad-
d'tion to this Tunneys men were re-
sponsble for the interning and de-
/ rtatlon Of large number of dan
gerous aliens.
Notwithstanding the fact that New
York City was recently the scene of
the greatest bomb outrage ir police
history-the Wall Street explosion of
September 16-the present bomb
squad has only one arrest to It's credit.
ne one arrest was that Of a crank
Who sent Il bomb through the mails to
Mrs. Rodman Wanamaker. No arrests
! have been made in connection with the
v ali Street crime.
1t is fact that on the day Of the
Wall Street explosion members of the
bomb squad were serving summonses
on spittcrs on Staten Island ferry
boats.
Court records and those taken from
Police Headquarters and the office of
the District Attorney show that it is
! impossible for the new bomb squad to
devote its time to the duties for which
I was originally organized. The rec
, crds indicate that Gegan and his men
/
u larcenies. hold-urs. violations Of
health ordinances and other crimes
III no way connected with bombs
The Vice Squad
The vice squad, commanded under
the Woods administration by Inspec-
tor "Honest DAM Costigan, has been
completely dismcmbered and abolished
are in its place there has been or
Tanized a body known as the Special
Service Division, headed by INSPECTOR
Samuel Bolton.
Belton was an officer in the power
tul Lieutenants' Association when
Commissioner Enright was president
OF that body and the two men
are known to be close friends. The
COMMISSIONER promoted Bolton to a
captancy, soon after taking office and
later made him an Inspector.
AS was the case in the bomb squad
Costigan's trained vice crusaders have
teen scattered to the five boroughs
under the EnrightLahcy system. None
Of the men used by "Honest Dan" or
Eis successor, Inspector Thomas Nc
donald, IN the suppression OF. vice Is
employed in tie service Of the So
called Special Service Division
Inspector Mcdonald, who made his
rcputation under Commissioners Waldo
an" W oouS as wee crusader IN Brook
lyn. has been relegated by Commits
slcrer Enrlght to, the command of the
East New York district and makes his
Headquarters in the remote Brownsville
station, where cxInspector Costigan is
IN charge. with the rank of captain.
III the Police Department the Browns
vile station is known as the Deniten-
tlary. 1t is the precinct where police
60 VINO get themselves in bad with the
powers that be. The Mercer Street
station in Manhattan used to have the
tlte Of penltentiary, but under En-
right Brownsville has replaced it az
tho last stop for officers and men who
are out Of sympathy with the admins
tration.
A great majority Of the men in the
Brownsville precinct come from Manhat-
tan, the Bronx, Queens and Staten ISL
and and are, to use the expression of
one of them, individuals who "havc
stepped on the toes of some guy close
to City Hall or Police Headquarters"
All of the members Of Honest Dan"
back in uniform. Inspector Belton's
present staff is made up of men from
various precincts.
When Inspecto Mcdonald was called
over from Brooklyn by Commissioner
Enright to take Costigan's place he
brought his own staff with him. He
held this post for short time only,
when he was given command Of the
4th Inspection District to succeed
charge of neglect Of duty was
brought about by Assistant District
Attorney "Jim" Smith
When Inspector Henry was acquit-
ted of this charge Enright transferred
Mcdonald to the I'd District. which
is the one to which Costigan was sent
shortly before he was reduced to
captaincv. 1t was ramored at the time
that Mcdonald had suddenly lost favor
with the Commissioners few months
later he was sent to East New York
and Bclton was given command of the
new vice squad.
The reasons for Costigan's reduction
In rank and his loss of power have
never been made clear. An attempt by
the Republican members of the Board
of Aldermen to bring about an lnvesn-
cation which would reveal the true
facts was frustrated by the Tammany
majority in the board.
Among Costigan's friends it is be-
Eeved that Commissioner Enright
blames him for the refusal Of Arthur
Woods to promote Enright to the rank
of captain. Costigan is said to have
denied repeatedly that he ever had
ANYTHING to do with the action taken
by Commissioner Woods in this matter
and has stated that at no time in his
long career was he called upon TO
check up on Enright.
1t is known, however, that during
the Woods Administration Costigan
made certain unfavorable reports con-
cernng two of Enright's friends in
the department. One of these men is
now a power at Police Headquarters
and the other, although out of the de-
partment, is known to have great in
fuence with the present Commissioner.
Safe and Loft Squad
Under the Woods administration the
safe and loft squad was brought to
q high state Of efficiency and did ex-
celent work In the detection and pre-
vention Of loft rob0crics and opera
tions by crucksmcn. The two big
figures in the old squad were Richard
Oliver and George Fcnnclly.
Both men arc now back in uniform.
Oliver is patrolling sergeant in
Brooklyn and Fcnnelly is a patrolman
assigned to one of Brooklyn's outlying
precincts The presents squad is COM
manded by Lieutenant Patrick McMul-
lin, but most Of his activities arc de-
voted to strong arm work among
gangsters and the investigation of
complaints made by those whose In
flucnce at Police Headquarters is
orcaSor than that ~ tLn ,vorara citi-