New-York tribune., 1921-03-02
Hirshfield Says
Indicted Police
Are Innocent
Sends a Letter to Enright
Asserting That Lal,ey and
Others Acted InsidcLaw in
Accepting Auto Rewards
Whitman Not Concerned
Prosecutor Says Statement Is
at Direct Variance With
Testimony to Grand Jury

David Hirschheld, Commissioner of
Accounts. last night made public let
ter to Police Commissioner Enright
whitewashing Chief Inspector William
s. Lahey and other members of the
Police Department indicted by the
grand jury investigating the Hylan ad-
ministration.
Mr.. Hrschfield's letter says that he
and his assistants have made a thor
ough investigation, particularly of the
case on which Inspector Lahcy is in
dictcd, and find everything was done
according to law. Lahey was indicted
February "a. He pleaded not guilty
Monday.
Former Governor Charles S. Whit
man, who, as special Assistant District
Attorney, is conducting the grand jury
inquiry, after reading the letter, an
nounced that Hirschficld's statement
was in direct variance with the sworn
testimony given before the grand jury.
The statement says that a check for
$50 was received by mail June II, 1920,
! from the Automobile Underwriters
Detective Bureau, payable to George
Andrews, who was then a detective on
the automobile squad as a reward for
/ recovering Buick car owned by
Blanche McTriguc. The check was for
warded to Lahey, then Second Deputy
Police Commissioner, for attention,
and he, acknowledging its receipt on
June 1S, sent the check to John j. Cray,
inspector commanding the detective
division, for report and recommends
tion.
Cray Recommended Acceptance
Inspector Cray called for report on
the case from Acting Detective Ser
geant John Fitzpatrick. commanding
the auto squad. Fitzpatrick on June %
reported to Cray, giving the connection
of Andrews with the recovery of the
McTrigue car and requesting permis
sion to accept the $50, less usual dc
ductions.
On the same day Cray recommended
to Lahey that the request for accept
ance OF the reward be granted minus
deductions for pension and relief funds
Lahey, it is said, referred the matter
to Joseph A. Faurot, Third Deputy
Commissioner and executive officer of
the department, recommending that
Andrews be permitted to accent the
reward.
Endorsements on the papers in the
matter show, it is said. that Faurot
approved the recommendations and
transmitted the check to +. j. Healey
bookkeeper of the department. The
Hlrschheld letter concludes:
S25 to Police Fund, Report
"As stated before, the check was
payable to Detective George Andrews
and the bookkeeper, tn .refore, on June
"a, 1920 delivered said check to De-
tcctlve Andrews. but before doing 80
received from Andrews S25 casn. that
beng the amount equa, to 40 per cent
of $50 and 10 per cent of $50 for the
police relief fund and the police pen
SION fund. respectively, and the book
keeper on the same June "a, 1920, made
an appropriate entry of the receipt of
SAID S25 in the regular book of account
of the department kept for that pur-
pose"
Contradicts Sworn Testimony
After Hrshfield's letter had been
read to former Governor Whitman he
made the following statement:
Nubppnas covering every record of
the Police Department regarding the
pension and other funds as affected by
the payment Of rewards to policemen
were served, and these records were
brought to my office and submitted to
the Grand jury. If all of those records
have not been produced then some
body at Police Headquarters is guilty
Of contempt Of court
'Sworn testimony of the clerical and
uniformed force Of the Police Depart
ment who were called before the
grand jury indicates there is no foun-
dation for the report said to have been
made to-day by Mr.. Hirshfield, and is
at direct variance with the statements
do htr ha ,ia- IL