Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-09-01
POLICE RUM RING
PROBE TOCONT|NUE
Philadelphia Judge Threatens
Extraordinary Methods"
to End Crime.

BY the Associated Press.
! PHILADELPHIA, September 1.-The
finding of grand jury that police are
on the payrolls of bootleggers and have
received hundreds of thousands perhaps
millions of dollars In bribes caused a
stir today.
The iury's report says also that liquor
interests have been protected for years
by an alliance of police and misguided"
politicians and that the menace of gun
men and gangsters threatens to make
this city second Chicago, with target
practice held in the streets and human
beings the targets.
The grand Jury was called two weeks
ago to investigate gang murders, boot
logging and other underworld activities.
Judge Edwin o. Lewis. after reading
the report granted the iury's request
to continue it's investigation.
Threatens Extraordinary Methods.
Rum rings must be broken up, he
said in addressing the jurors. and their
trail of murder and corruption must
is not pureed. he said, by the proper
city officials and the Civil Service Com
mission, he will appoint a commission
under the city charter that will have
power to subpoena any witness, no
matter what his station, TO testify.
Il will do this" Judge Lewis said,
IF 1t takes the commission years to
complete the task and If 1t neceSsitates
the use of the most extraordinary
methods ever evolved to combat crime
here.
II have information that gunmen
have been hired In the business world
of our city. They have been brought
here to carry on trade rivalry--the
blowing up of business houses, the as
sassination of business rivals. They do
ii In Chicago and ST. Louis, now they
are trying to do Ii here, but we are not
going TO let them.
Says Commission Has Power.
THE Civil Service Commission has
the power to find out how many motor
cars every policeman has, how many
diamond rings, the lavish scale he lives
on, the money he has and to find out
II he is taking graft"
District Attorney John Monaghan
revealed that graft payment OF Sio.-
900 had been paid by the rum ring to
a person indicated on account books In
his possession. along with other data
showing that records we're kept of pay
ments TO police ranging from $500 a
month and upward and downward
The disclosures, he said, were only
"a scratc.i on the surface" OF what
further Investigation of the seized books
OF Marks, Weinberg & Co, public ac-
countants, would reveal Thus far his
information concerned single Phila-
delphia alcohol plant,
1T would appear from this record,
he said that these people, over
period of five months paid $29,4 to
persons designated cops
Chief Cop Got $4,000.
individual entries we're there also.
One sum of $4,000 was charged this
way Chief Cop $4,000 Under TINS
was the full name of high police ofii-
cial After this was another, $500 per
month. then others,
II am not ready to reveal names OF
police who have taken bribeS. IhaJ
viii be done later and arrests made"
The. grand jury. which will recess
over Labor day, reported that the in-
formation 1t had gathered from 40 wit
nesses was amazing In Its character
and almost unbelievable In Its sig
nificance,"
1T shows clearly the report con-
tinued. that there has existed IN Phil
adelphla during the last several years
Il group of lawiess men who have Nlo-
lated the law on a wholesale scale who
have Haunted the law with the corrupt.
eonnivance of police officials high and
low, resulting in the enrichment OF Its
members to the extent OF millions OF
dollars
'As q regularly conducted part OF this
unlawful scheme, notorious criminals,
gunmen and thugs have been put upon
The streets of Philadelphia with deadly
weapons who have not hesitated to In
duIge In bloodshed and wanton brutality.
These men, without apparent fear
of apprehension, have committed bri-
berry, robbery, assault. murder, IN fact,
have run the whole gamut of crime
oneniy and braxenly"