New-York tribune., 1921-02-01
because to do SO would, his client felt,
degrade end ;ncriminate him.


because to do SO would, his client fell,
degrade end ;ncriminate himi.
Judge Grain ruled that the questions
uauSt be answered because there was
nosAing In them 10 degrade Armstrong
snd he could not he incriminated be-
cause hs haS been granted iununity.
Sergeant Armstrong returned with
the jury To the grand jury room and
again refused TO answer the questions.
A recess was taken and OF o'clock he
was taken before Judge Grain. AT this
session he was represented by Thomas
I. Sheridan. Of 20 Broad Street.
Armstrong Had Hired Attorney
The first evidence Of the existence
OF "the system" then developed ARA
strong has ut no time been mentioned
as being connected with the inquiry.
Yet it was brought out that Mr.. Sheri-
dan had been engaged last Friday to
defend Armstrong, the day after the
indictment of Owens and Horan.
After considerable verbal sparring
Mr.. Sheridan announced that his client
would not answer the questions. Judge
Grain arose and asked Armstrong IL
he would persist in his refusal to obey
the courts order. He said he would.
You are therefore found to be in
contempt of court and sentence you
to the city prison (the Tombs) for
thirty days and TO pay a fine Of $3.50"
the judge announced.
it is known chat Ex-Governor Whit
man Is In possession of long state
naent made voluntarily by Armstrong
the day Owens and Horan were in
dicteds Armstrong sought the inter-
view IN which the statement was made.
He did not swear to the statement.
1t is also known that on Fr:Say night
armstrong attended the ball Of the
Anawands Club, Of which Tammany
trolling factor. His change Of heart
yesterday Is attributed to the confer
ence he had with several persons that
night. many of them policemen.
The Police in Fear OF System
eft happened exactly as expected
Mr.. Whitman said last night. aThe
police are more afraid of 'the system
than they are of the law. They will
go to jail rather than tell the truth,
although by telling the truth they will
get immunity from prosecution.
This officers defence for refusing
to answer the questions of the grand
jury is that it could easily be proved
if he told the truth that he himself
committed crime he added.
ssHe knows his testimony will inpli-
cate others and / know they are power
full enough to seal his lips even with
prison staring him in the face.
"Here we have an Illustration of a
member of the New York Police De-
partment, sworn to prevent and detect
crime, admitting that he cannot tell
the truth without it having tendency
10 prove that he himself is criminal"
The existence of the "graft room
at Police Headquarters developed dur
ing the investigation of the charges
which led TO the indictment of Ser
geants Hussey and Hemmerich.
Thousands Paid Indicted Men
Hussey appeared at the Criminal
Courts Building with Louis Fridiger,
his counsel, and surrendered. He was
held in $2,500 bail, which was supplied
by Harold Norris, representative of a
surety company. Hemmerich, who is
witness in the Nassau County stolen
automobile scandal, will surrender this
morning.
The testimony brought out indicated
that when reward" was to be paid
to policeman the man who was to
pay the money was asked to come to
Police Headquarters. There is an un-
marked room which is readily mistaken
for part of the Chief Inspectors office
and here the money was paid over, it
is said.
There, the evidence was, several
thousands of dollars were paid to the
men now under Indictment and to
others. All the money was paid in
cash, it was charged, and in violation
of the Police Department regulations
which provide that at least 40 per cent
of such rewards must go into the fund
maintained or the support Of the de.
pendents of policemen killed in the
performance of their duty.
Cars Stored in Orange Garage
In a formal statement issued regard
ing the Hussey indictment, Mr.. Whit
man saids
.on April s. 1920, Nathan Schwartz
of 563 Seventh Street, Brooklyn, lost
Hudson, 1917 model, touring car, OF
the value of $1,000.
"On the same day he reported his
loss to the detective bureau in hi:
district. Within ten days after tn,
loss of the machine q report was SEN
to the automobile squad at Police
Headquarters, and William J. Hussey
was assigned by John Fitzpatrick, il
charge of the squad, to take care O.
this case. The report of Hussey shows
that this ear was recovered May II
1920, in Eckert's garage, in Orange
Z
turned TO the owner until on or abou
the 9th day of September, 1920. Th
owner of this garage fEckert) wa
murdered on the morning of August q
in Staten Island.
SAT the time that this stolen car wa
found in Eckert's garage there were
a number of other stolen cars foun,
there. The automobile thieves mad
this garage one of the storage place
for machines stolen in the City Of New
York.
"The awner of the car did not re
ceiye his car until the first week ii
September, 1920.
aThe money was paid TO Hussey ol
or about the 9th day of September
1920.D
Mr.. Whitman is confident that h.
has only scratched the surface of ths
situation to date. He IL checking VI
on Westchester garage which is saie
TO have housed as many as ten cars
gtolen from Manhattan in one day
This man ia now being held in West
chester for minor offense, and prob
ably will be made the subject of /
searching investigation to-day.
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