Evening star., 1923-09-12
RUM BRIBE CHARGE
/. STIRS n. Y. POLICE
Captain Resigns When BIam-
ed for Not Exposing De-
i mand for Hush Money.
Special Dispatch to The stnr.

Special Dispatch 10 The Stnr.
NEW YORK, September 12.-An-
pther chapter in the charge that high
officers of the New York police de-
partment have been engaged in rum
running and general bootleg6ing has
been written in the voluntary retire
pent from the department of Capt.
Patrick j. Randles, acting head of
the detective bureau.
Capt Randles had told in court
that two of his detectives confessed
TO having demanded s2,500 each to
allow a load of liquor to pass, The
detectives never got the money. he
said, because they became frightened
when informed that the liquor was the
property of Police Inspectors O'Brien
and Thor and Capt. OConnor.
EnrIght Wakes Wroth.
a stormy interview with Police
Commissioner Enright followed. The
commissioner had ordered a special
inquiry into Capt. Handles conduct,
with especial reference as to why he
mad not taken summary action
against the confessiEg detectives,
William Lambert and David Morrison.
Capt. RandleS. in disgust. said he
was through and filled out his retire
menI papers. He said he had not
proceeded against Lambert and Nor
ri;On because if they were good
enough for the police commissioner
they We're good enough for him.
Meantime. Commissioner Enright be-
lieves in figting the devil with fire.
Against the charges of graft, eXtor-
tion and bootlegging which have
been leveled against his department
by Assemblyman CuViAier and Mag
iStrate Corrigan, he has made public
= Of laF
mending the police.
One of the letters is from C. c. Kat
tleman, lawyer of Omaha, Neb.. who
says he is sure the police, department
Of New York city is sound at heart,
because on the occasion of a recent
automobile tour through the east he
was not ''bawled out" once by traf-
tiC cop in the metropolis. Whenever
he inadvertently violated traffic rule,
be says, he was told of his mistake
i'll the kindliest terms and soon set
on the right track. Surely this should
convince New York that it's force is
all right.
Other letters testify to the bravery
of the New York bluecoats and to
their efficiency in recovering stolen
property. There never has been the
shadow of a doubt as to the personal
bravery of the New York cop. He is
ready at any time to sacrifice his life
in the performance of his duty. All
too many lives of these city guardians
have been snuffed out lately by the
ruffian young gunmeu. A good many
years ago a member of the police
force publicly was stripped of his
badge, his buttons and his other in
sigma for what was regarded as a
lack of courage. He was the excep-
tion, the one in a hundred thousand.
Bravery UnquestiOned.
The, record of the department for
daring and bravery needed none of
the letters of commendation made
public by Commissioner Bnright. Res
cues from fires in the tenement dis
tricts, from drownings along, the
.rowded water front. from traffic ac-
ridents in the jam of the city streets
are so numerous as to become almost
commonplace. The old picturesque in
.idents of a mounted policeman gal
oping madly ahead to stop a run
away horse and rescue the woman
driver or rider are missing now
adays, but the perils Of the streets
-e"~a6 many fold.
Despite their personal bravery in