Satan's Invisible World Displayed or, Despairing Democracy

en in command of the Nineteenth Precinct. The police of New York were four thousand strong, divided for purposes of administration-and of plunder-into thirty-eight Precincts. Schmittberger

n, it is to be remembered that the facts were already known, and the only chance he had of saving himself w

he places himself under the protection of this Committee, to serve it, to aid it in the ascertainment of those questions that the State Senate has imposed upon us, we shall consider it not only our obligation and our duty under the circumstances as Senators, indiv

er was deposed on oath by an officer supposed to be responsible for the enforcement of the law. When he had closed

u feel justified in coming forward and stating all you know for the benefit of the people of this city and of this State? The Captain replied: "I feel

extually from his own words, giving the reference in all imp

nce of Captain

oner. I was married when I was admitted to the force. The Civil Service rules were not in operation then, neither ha

his influence with the Police Commissioners and the chief police authorities, could generally make the sergeant his mouthpiece, and induce him to give preference and show favours to patrolmen who were friends and support

nnor interru

the department as now conducted, apart from

hmittberge

It is either politics or

than anything else" (p. 5,316). The mischief of the political pull was increased when candidates had t

McClave's secretary, was very well known. These purchase-officers made poor policemen, and they felt they had a right to more protection than the others. When they were rebuked for offences by their officers they would often defy

I belonged to the Commissioner's club. Several police captains belonged to it, and the tickets for the club outings, at five dollars apiece, were forced upon storekeepers

under protection because they paid money for protection directly to the police captain of the precinct. This was necessary, because without his protection the officers would have closed the house. If they had interfered with a protected house, they would have been removed to another beat. Even if outrages occurred they knew they were not to interfer

h women used to stand out in front of the railing in front of their houses and pull every man in as he went through the street. When citizens complained, they got no satisfaction. On one occasion a citizen who complained w

twice; I got the medal of honour from the department, and also the gold and diamond medal from the citizens of the precinct for raidi

even years, when I was made captain. I had passed at the head of the Civil Service list,

from the ship companies and dock occupants or lessees, and that my predecessors always received half. I told him I did not care about a thing of that kind. Vail replied, "You're a damned fool if

r of common understanding among the captains of the various precincts, that they were to take advanta

as a poor district, and so I was not expected to send any of my share up to the inspector. He told me himself that he hardly expected anything, as there wasn't anything in the precinct. That was true,

ade. We found there was nothing, only the policy shops, of which there were abou

d saw me, and told me how many shops he had in the precinct; that was all. He was introduced to Gannon, and Gannon did the rest (p. 5,341). He fixed the old price that had been u

a month. He used to put the money in an envelope, and give it to an officer, who would give it to the sergeant in Inspector Williams's office. I did not ta

because it was in Williams's power to send men up there to raid those policy shops over my head; I had to prevent him

was in the precinct three months, during which time I duly reported to headquarters concerning disorderly houses, gambling houses, &c., in my precinct, but I was very caref

ntinued, as a matter of course. Besides the usual 20 per cent. to the collector, I had to pay two hundred dollars per month to Inspector Williams. During the nine months I was in the precinct I handed him directly eighteen hundred dollars. He made no remark, and I would merely say, "Here is something fo

President of the Liquor Dealers threatened the officers to have them transferred if they made real arrests, and he was as good as his word. I also was transferred for the same cause. The liquor dealers pulled the

two pool-rooms, which yielded four hundred dollars a month, of which I gave fifty dollars to

remained there from May to December. Here I first struck disorderly houses. They paid-some ten, others twenty-five, and others again as much as fifty dollars a month. Th

to make inquiries. Mrs. West said, "Commissioner Martin is a friend of mine, and don't you do anything until you hear from him." Next day Commissioner Martin, who was at the head of the Police Board, ordered me to send the officer back to apologise and

ouse was his pull with Sheehan-the Superintendent's orders were strict. So I told Sheehan, whom I met at the Pequod Club. Sheehan told me that there was a Spanish Club in that house, and I had no right to interfere with it; "if they played cards among themselves without play

us circumstance I remember about him. The Inspector is a very religious man, and he had conscientious scruples. He asked me one time if some of the money I gave him

id come from disorderly houses, but he wished to be told it did not. I rep

if I did I should burn my fingers. I was informed that certain public officials were in the habit of visiting Georgiana Hastings's house-some officials that graced the Bench, and some officials that held commissions in the City of New York. One night, when a Bench warrant was sent ther

g money in payment for promotion. I acted as go-between in the case of Martens. I took 1,600 dols. of his to Captain Williams, and he got him made sergeant. Martens afterwards told me it would cost him 14,000 dols. to

mmission to the collectors, and the proportion

of Stay. Sour

th. Col

o

ent. Ins

e. T

e

eip

ackmail on ships

icy shops at

deale

y shops at $20

-rooms

-rooms at $2

shops, $20 70

f ill-fa

nd $50

of ill-fame,

3 3,200

ses of a single precinct by the police would seem to b

Committee

much as they could, either by granting monopolies of a special kind of crime to individuals, or imposing upon certain individuals who had knowledge of a particular class of crime the obligation of collecting for them, thus collecting monthly from all licensed vice and crime, and paying over their collections to the captain, deducting fo

WELL THE STRANGERS

Bridge from a r