The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1921-10-01
CITY GASOLINE USED
BY POLICE FOR RIDES
in STOLEN MOTORS
Meyer Committee Learns of
S1,708 Gas and Oil Fed
Free to Cars.
SNAP FOR DETECTIVES
Hylan Automobile Promise
Is Disregarded- One for
Him Cost &,248.
JOY TRIPS AT WEEK ENDS
Brown Puts Enormous Pier
Protection Cost Up to High
Police Administration.
JOY TRIPS AT WEEK ENDS

Automobiles marked stolen" on
the police records were used by de.
tectives and other employees of the
Police Department over periods of
several months, and during that time
were supplied literally with gaso.
lcne and oil from the municipal sta.
tions operated by the police for the
maintenance Of city cars.
Testimony charging that such was
the practice was given in detail be.
fore the Meyer Committee yesterday
in City Hall by Leo J. McDermott,
Investigator for the committee, based
on receipts and other official docu-
ments taken from Police Headquar-
ters. From 1915 to 1918 Mr.. McDer-
mott, under Mayor Mitchell, was pur-
chasing agent for the Bureau of Re.
pairs and Supplies, service which
enabled him to become thoroughly
conversant with the subject.
More than $50 signed slips were
presented in evidence stating that
gasolene had been issued to cars
marked stolen. No explanation was
given of how the automobiles hap
pened to be in the possession of the
policemen.
Records Indicate Joy hiding.
The gasolene records showed that
the peak of consumption" was on
Saturdays and Sundays and holidays,
indicating that the operators of the
cars labeled 'stoleA aid most Of
their riding over the week cnds. The
amount of gasolsns issaed by the
city without CO.. TO the operator OF
car was as ga as thirty gallons
some Saturdays and Sundays s.
Charges that oius on record in the
Police Department covering police
supplies and printing were false and
fictitious" and in direct violation of
the city charter were made by the
committee, and much evidence was
presented from the records of the
police in substantiation of the &C.
cusation. Especially bids covering
small printing jobs were irregular,
ii was shown.
Summarizing the strong points in
all of the testimony given during the
entire week, Elon r. Brown, senior
counsel for the committee, stated
that it had been established that the
exorbitant cost of policing the city's
piers held under lease by steamship
corporations is in large part due to
higher police administration" This
charge of s41,0O0,O00 a year as
against the entire police budget Of
the city of $20.OOO,0OO imposes a
heavy and unnecessary burden on
commerce, he said.
Sudden Rise OF Eddie Hughes.
The sudden rise of Edward J..
(Eddie) Hughes from moderate
means when he retired from the Po.
lice Department to affluence in
three years; his intimacy with "the
head Of the Police Department" and
his big pier business were covered
by Mr.. Brown, who said no man can
watch the ticker and the criminal at
the same time.
The financial operations of high
police officials, their plunges in big
figures in Wall Street and their big
real estate operations; the inter
twining of the evidence showing the
operations of members of the police
reserve force; the evidence of wire
tapping all tend to show lax disci.
pline, the breakdown Of the police
system. Mr.. Brown said.
Mr.. McDermott was on the witness
stand all day. He spent months gather
ing and analyzing the records obtained
from the Police Department In the
committees raids on the offices. After
going over scores OF records dealing
with printing and other contracts for
less than 81 900 the witness took up
the automobile cases. Leonard Wall
stein. associate counsel TO the COM
mittee. conducted the examination. He
handed big batch of the automobile
papers to the witness and asked:
did you find that there were a num-
bcr of instances in which the receipts
stated that the gasolene or oil had
been issued TO a stolen carr"
YES found a great number OF In
stances OF that kind"
"For example. these receipts would
read as follows: 'Fortieth Precinct, re-
ceipt No. 1884, date May 3. 1918. ten
sallous OF gasolene. issued for n Hud-
son car, No. ----, stolen; received by
r. Cannon. operator, No 3s7. auto
squad That would be car reported
ConttNusd on gocoNd Pu0A