New-York tribune., 1921-11-18
Honest Dan" Must
Apologize, Insists
Reputed Shadow
Rule 1877, That Gagged Cos
tigan, Seemingly Lifted to
Let Detective Devine DENY
He Trailed Enright's Foe

Detective Thomas ]. Devine. in a
statement issued last night at Police
Headquarters. denied that he had ever
had Honest Dan" Costigan under sur
veillance and said that it was his opin-
ion that the. former police captain,
after reading his denial, would make a
suitable public apology
Costigan, upon learning that Devine
wanted an apology, laughed and said:
Hell get it," His comment on the
statement was:
"I have said all care to say at this
time. What said about Detective De-
vine stands" Costigan upon his re-
tirement from the police force at mid
night Wednesday night told of being
shadowed day and night during every
week, month and year since Police
Commissioner Enright took Office.
Devine in his statement said that in
three years Of active service with the
Police Department he had "seen MI.
Costigan about six times, and then only
on the Ogden Avenue car line late at
night, which he took to 164th Street
and Ogden Avenue"
Captain Richard O'Connor. in charge
Of the East 104th Street police
station, was transferred last night to
the Brownsville police station, st 2
Liberty Avenue, Brooklyn, the post
held by Costigan on his retirement.
Captain O'Connor served as inspector
during the Mitchell administration and
was held in high esteem. His home is
at 297 East 206th Street, the Bronx.
Captain Joseph Loonan, Of Headquar-
ters, was sent to the East 104th Street
station to take over O'Connor's com
mand.
Devine's statement read in part:
Perhaps Costigan's seeing me on
me at other places which of necessity
! had to visit in connection with the
discharge Of my duties, created the
false impression under which he is
laboriEg.
II have never RECEIVED orders from
any superior officer Of the Police De-
partment to keep either Mr.. Costigan
or any other member Of the Police De-
partment under surveillance, nor or
ders to investigate their habits. con-
duct or work. The records of the
Police Department concerning the work
I have performed the greater part of
the day and night for the last three
years all over New York City are, be-
lieve, sufficient evidence to show that
X would have been impossible for me
to trail him and put him to bed,' as he
aPtly says, at tHe close or each day.
He perhaps is fully aware Of the harm
such statement as he has made will
do subordinate officer Of the Police
Department, and I am quite certain
that with these facts in his possession
he will make a suitable public apology
Friends of Costigan were quick to
point out last night that while Rule
1877 Of the department. had prevented
him and other members who had in
Cured the Police Commissioners i'll
will from making public statements
and replying to attacks made upon
them without permission Of the. Com
missioner, it apparently had been sus-
pended in the case of Detective Devine.
Devine's statement, Costigan's friends
contended, would have been considered
fragrant violation of Rule 1877 had it
come from "Honest DAM while serv-
ing as a member of the force. There
were many times, they said, when
Costigan would have liked to defend
himself in the press, but didn't dare.
There was no question in the minds of
those Gloss to the former police cap
tain that the statement of Detective
Devine was written in the office Of
Police Commissioner Enright.-