New-York tribune., 1921-06-06
HirsIlfield DIGS
Up 80 Attack
On Honest Dan
Objects 10 Use OF Captain
Cosiigan in Graft Probe
by Telling Of Saloon
sani' Five Years Ago
Meant 10 Trap CRATER
Commissioner of Accounts
Insists That Small Sum i'm
City Deal Was Misplaced

al Accounts. FASTENED yesterday. unon
hearing that the Meyer legislative com
mitteo wanted the services of Police
Captain Daniel +. Costigan, to make
public report the Commissioner had
made to the Mayor concerning a saloon
Captain Costigau opened several years
ago in Astoria, with the sanction Of his
;uperiors, 10 test the honesty of the
police captain then in that precinct.
Commissioner Hirshfeld said in his
; statement that he had evidence that
Captain Costigsn never accounted to
the city for $6 which he received for
his stock in trade when he closed the
" saloon nor for So which he received for
bed used by John J. Hare, manager
az the saloon. Moreover. said Com-
missioner Hirshfeld, the whole project,
involving as it did the opening Of "a
chesp, low-down beer and liquor joint
with the intention of "seducing police
captain into criminaiity." was on a
low moral plane and not to be com
rared, morally speaking. with sending
a well-heeled cop TO "bet on horse
races in order TO enmesh malefactors "
Absurd, Says Costigan
When shown Commissioner Hirsh-
fields attack upon him last night, Cap
tain Costigan said that it was hardly
worthy Of reply, and declared that
every penny spent in establishing the
so-called plant" in Astoria had been
accounted for to the Police Depart
E,
few supplies left in the saloon when it
closed and the IS for which Hare's bed
was sold,
That place was opened for the pur-
lose of catching 4 CRATER who had
heen shaking down the whole neigh
borhoOd. said Captain Costigan, ''and
the end justified the means. The plan
as ordered carried out by my superb
ogs and had the approval of Commits
sioner Woods. The main thing is that
we stopped the grating"
Commissioner Hirshtield's statement
foilcws:
THE employment by the Meyer leg
i>atIve committee of Police Captain
Honest Dan Costigan to get his fell
low members of the police force would
not be Costigan's first activity in that
direction.
UGTlHE lne iaSC aOullI1SIFdLIOn. uD-
de- Police Commissioner Arthur Woods,
Costigan had employed great deal of
hls time in the same manner. One of
the typical cases where Costigan en-
nloyed his effort apd the Police Depart
ments money in an endeavor to ensnare
police captain and get something on
him IS told in report recently made to
Mayor Hylan by Commissioner of Ac-
eounts David Hirshfeld
According to that report, Captain
tostgan in January Of 1916, in his of
fetal capacity. fitted up, opened and con-
Quoted as a plant beer and LIQUOR
saloon IN a tumble-down, two-story
wooden structure at TAO Vernon Venue,
N the Astoria section of Long Island
City, Borough Of Queens, and in so do
lnE hired a store, paid the rent with
the city's money, procured an excise
stocked the saloon with beer and liquors
and installed Hare as manager.
'Patrolman Beine, who at that time
Was an acting detective sergeant at,
tsched to Lieutenant Costigans Suuac
No. ?, supervised the beer saloon after
i was opened, and Patrolrnan Herman
as detailed and acted as bartender
therein during the entire period of its
existence.
Vernon Avenue is the first street
rom the East River and runs parallel
herewith. No. 740 Vernon Avenue,
where this liquor business was located
is situated too far from somewhere and
TOO near nowhere, and, with the eXcep-
non of cheap-1ooking liquor store Of
former days, at the corner. grimy-look-
.ag glassworks opposite and few di-
apidatsd small wooden dwellings. it
Is surrounded by osquito-breeding
swamps.
From personal observation it would
aeem that this particular location
would be the last place for any one to
COX to catch anything but malaria.
Who John Hare is is best told by
Patroman Beine, who, after testifying
mar john j. Hare, known as Jack Hare,
lad had previous connections with for
mer Lieutenant, now Captain. Costigan,
made the following answer to a ques-
ton put to him:
"Answer-'Yes, he-meaning Hare
#as a stool pigeon
When asked whether Hare was a
.acetraek tout or gambler. Patrolman
helne answered, He was a gambler
When further asked whether this
iohn j. Hare, in whose name Costi-
gan, representing the Police Depart
ment, had opened business and whom
IL mad intrusted with the receipts and
sxpendItures Of the city's moneys. was
an informer, Beine answered yes
When asked whether the under
world would not call Hare a rat,
oeine answered They would
The saloon or plant was continued
N operation for period of approx
mately seven months and was closed
IN the early part of January, 1917,
curing which period it was run at a
ioss to the city of approximately
siZ50. According to the testimony
" John j. Hare, he not only managed
,he saloon but made handbook there
py accepting and placing wagers on
morse races and for that purpose used
'ne telephone paid for with city money.
The object for which this plant
Eas established was frustrated soon
alter 1t was opened, as the captain
ss,hom Costigan had hoped 70 get took
u and did not report FOR duty for
eeine months, and thereafter was trans
'esred to another precinct.
Would Have Been Futile
However, be that as it may, under
sae conditions and as described by
hare and Kiernan, the plant such as
was, would not have tempted the
eapidlty of an ignorant, hardened erin
ma, much less an experienced police
captain.
The vouchers filed by Costigan in
se Police Department show that dur
i'g the SIX or seven months that this
paSlhess was kept open S1,737.48 in
Slty money WA exneuded for rent