New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-09-21
Use of $4,000 Auto Civ
en- TO Commissioner BY
John A. Harriss, An
other Special Deputy
5000 Offenses;;
One Man Ousted
Chief Sees No Wrong in
Police Ordering Goods
and Refusing to Pay

Richard E. Enright, Commissioner
of Police, admitted on the witness
stand before the Meyer legislative
investigating committee yesterday
that he had received a "gift" of
$4,000 from Allan A. Ryan, finan-
cier and Special Deputy Police Com
missioner, shortly after the latter's
appointment to the honorary police
position. He said the money was
given to him as profits" in stock
transactions, which were really fic-
titious so far as he was concerned.
He admitted also that he had been
presented with the "use" Of an auto
mobile by John A. Harriss, another
of the wealthy honorary deputy COM
missioners in the department. Mr.
Enright said he had the "use" Of il
during his entire term of office and
that he had agreed to discuss with
Mr.. Harriss the latter's offer te
give it to him after the Comn1is-
sioner 'got through with the Office
The car is said to be valued at
$4,000.
Favors Limited, Says Enright
There were six other honorary Dcpu-
ty Commissioners in the department,
he said, but swore that he had re-
ceived no favors from any of them
beyond those mentioned.
The Commissioner insisted that the
Ryan gift was not gratuity, that
nobody asked for 1t, nobody solicited
anything" and that the money was
given to him by Mr.. Ryan through the
latter's Gown free will and accord
Mr.. Ryan was sworn into Office April
Is, 1915. The committee produced
check covering the alleged fictitious
stock transaction dated April %, lSl8,
signed by Allan A. Ryan, made ou. TO
r. e. Enright and calling for the pay
ment of $12,0s3.29.
From other records found oy the
committee in the Allan A. Ryan & Co.
Offices. at II Broadway, it appeared that
Commissioner Enright had been cred
tied with 5000 shares Of Morton
Pete" on April II; that there was in
terest of $8.46 coming to the Commits
sioner, and that on April %, 1918, be
had balance of S12.0S3.29. The cheek
for this amount, while not submitted
as evidence, was shown to reporters
and bore Mr.. Enright's Endorsement.
Discipline Method Attacked
The subject was introduced after
Mr.. Brown had attacked methods Of
maintaining discipline within the do
partment and of melting out punish
ment for violations of police regula-
tons. Scores of cases were introduced
involving charges of alleged perjury,
extortion, bribery, attempted criminal
assault, theft, intoxication, interfer-
ence with process of law and other VIC
lations, yet in only one case was the
delinquent dismissed from the force
In most Of the other cases it was
shown that the accused were let OF
with comparatively light penalties,
ranging from q reprimand to loss of
thirty days pay.
The Commissioner admitted that
5000 such breaches of discipline within
the department have come to his at
tention this year. There are 1850
men OH the force.
Mr.. Brown led up to the $4,000 gift
by asking how many special deputy
commissioners there were in the de-
partment. Mr.. Enright named Rodman
Wanamaker, John A. Harriss, in charge
OF the traffic division; Allan A. Ryan.
Coleman du Pont, John NJ Shaw. Doug
las Mckay, Carleton Simon and Ed
mund Guggenheim.
These positions are honoraryf'
asked Nh. Brown.
Yes replied the Commissioners.
Examination by Brown
The examination then proceeded As
follows, with Mr. Brown ouestioninr
Mr. Enright:
O.. These special deputy police com
M n, ssioners,. how do they get even with
the Commissioner for their appoint
mens! A-Do you think they would
want to get even with me?
Q.--l don't know. 1t has been ra
ported to me. for instance. that NJ.
Ryan had arranged for the payment 70
you OF profits on stock transactions
which are really fictitious as far az
you are concerned. A. Mr.. Ryan did
in one instance do something like that
Q-How much did he give YOU
A $I2, 600.
Q.Have the other special deputies
done that same thingg A.--No. sir.
Q.--And the automobile and the gift
from Ryan constitute the only gratui.
ties received from those sources? A..
Not a gratuitys sir; nobody asked for
II, nobody solicited anything; ali os
has own free will and accord.
Mr.. Ryan, the son Of Thongs For
tune Ryan, was sworn IN as head al
the Division of National Defense Of
the Police Department This division
was organized at the request of Mayor
Hylan. MIR. Ryan is the senior partner
Of banking firm hearing his name IL
III Bro4dway, and figured promlnentiy
last year IN the famous "Stusz motor
corner"
The Harriss automobile favor came
up when Mr. Brown Asked the Commits
$ioner if Mr. Hsrriss vax rot : L;rf