Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-09-30
N PROBE HOUSES
POLICEMAN OWNS
civil Service Body Condemns
practice and Dismisses Pa
,roIman for Harboring Girl
coRTELYOU WILL ACT

po,;cc officials have started nm inves-
.,,ot;on of rooming houses OF alleged
questionable character said to be owned
=, members Of the bureau. At hear
,.r before the Civil Service Commission
n patrolman on trial for harboring
a. oigbtecn- year-old girl runaway, it
sos revealed some patrolmen own sew
oral lodging houses.
A. Ipost six members Of the Tenth
II puttonwood streets station own or
Snnduct rooming houses in the densely
.onuIotcd secIio< j. which the station
bonse is located, It was revealed.
H'C Commissioner Woodruff questioned
,be propriety of such condition. lie
;ndicated that the apparent question =
able character Of some of the police
man owned places was u proper subject
Of inquiry.
Acting on the suggestion. Director
cortelyou later said he would see to ii
Immediately that members of his de-
partment whether ordinary policemen or
rated officials, give nm account of the
management Of any rooming houses they
conduct.
Casey Started the Inquiry
The hearing which turned attention
10 the rOoming- house situation was
that of Policeman John J, Casey, of
the Tenth and Buttonwood streets sta =
ton. He faced serious charges in con-
nection with Jennie Wilkinson, of
Hnzelton, Pa. Casey and the girl were
arrested last week in rOOming house
owned and operated by the accused
policeman at Twelfth and Green
streets.
At a previous hearing before Judge
Brown In Morals Court Casey was
held In S400 bail for n further hearing.
The girl. who was said to have been
on probation when found with the po-
liceman, was placed in charge Of a
matron.
Casey was found guilty of the
charges by the Civil Service Commits
sion and was dismissed from the force.
The testimony of Acting Lieutenant
Walsh. Of the station house to which
Casey belonged, developed the other
angle Of the hearing.
Commissioner Woodruff asked him
whether other policemen in his district
operated rooming houses. Lieutenant
Walsh said they did.
Bad for the Force Says Walsh
"Do you think It is good for the
morale of the force to permit policemen
to be owners or proprietors of rooming
houses such as owned by Casey Mr..
Woodruff asked.
81 do not" Walsh replied. ''but I
have been told there are policemen who
own four and five such houses"
'In what districts do these police
men do duty?" II cannot give any
direct answer to that other than my
own, in which, believe, six members
of the force own and conduct such
places"
The commission retired for nearly
an hour before rcnorting their decision
to dismiss Casey. Commissioner
Woodruff announced conference
would be arranged Immediately with
Director Cortclyou.
Director COrtelyOu said he was
greatly surprised to hear of policemen
owning and conducting lodging houses
Of alleged questionable nature.
''NO one has ever told mo directly
or indirectly that policemen conduct
any such rooming houses. he said.
$50 far ! have received no official word
from the Civil Service Commission
about the reported conditions. but
can assure you that no stone will be
left unturned to get Mt the bottom of
the whole business