TERRORISED BY POLICE

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 176, 30 August 1909, Page 4

TERRORISED BY POLICE

XEW YORK IX REVOLT. DRASTIC ACTIOS. New York, July 1. The amazing tyranny of the New Yorkpolice has resulted in a remarkable crisis. Mayor MeClellnn this afternoon dismissed General Bingham, the Commissioner of Police for protesting aprnst the Mayor's action last night in dismissing Deputy-Commissioner Hanson and Mr. Slattery, who was General Bingham's private secretary. The Mayor has appointed DepulvCommissioner Baker as acting commi's--''Her, in place of General Bingham. ; This shake-up is the greatest in the iii-torv of the Xew York Justice Dcpartnunt. r:d is directly due to the revel*. Irnns of jrmss incompetency and auto-■iMt-i- methods made by Mr. Gayn'or, a Justice of the State Supreme Court. The police have long been persecuting a twenty-year-old youth named George Dully, who was repeatedly arrested without cause, and whose photograph and Bertillon measurements were placed in the rogues', gallery at police headquarters.

General Bingham refused to remove these records until last night, when peremptonly ordered to do so by Mr McClellan.

RUSSIAN METHODS. The primary reason for the Mayor's sudden and drastic move is that evidence has been forthcoming showing Hint the New York police arc gctth" completely out of hand and trying tS introduce Russian methods. Police Captain Kuhme is now undergoing thirty days' imprisonment for contempt of Court in refusing to ohev a writ of habeas corpus and for savin'" that such things did not concern 'the police. Another policeman was scmtenced this week to seven years' penal servitude for shooting a boy who protested against the policeman's conduct while drunk.

I'rcqnent, cases of violence perpetrated' by the po ice are reported, but the police do everything possible to Shield ea-di other. I,i the shooting case mention. .(1 above a detective made a, stab with a knife at the coat of the accused policeman while the latter was being trie.}, n order to prove that the accused shot the boy in self-defence while the bov was trying to stab him. J

FALSE ARRESTS. Justice (",'aynor, who precipitated Hip present crisis, may be elected Mavor in consequence of his revelations. ' Mr Gaynor say* : -"n,is i< <„,],, lll( , ~ h j; rims of (he restoration .if free .-overiinient to New York. We have be?,, ~,,>• ed and subjected to outrages by low ignorant, and corrupt poliee officials for so long that we were beginning to forget our individual rights. Things were done by the police in New York which would create, a revolution if tried •!, Lngland. Tens of thousands of ~niuft I'l'rests and cases of false imprlsonui -vt have occurred in New York yearly Tt hasi boon the usual routine for citizens to be locked up overnighl and dischar-.d next morning, because the police were "liable to advance a shred of evidence against them. The rank and file of the police force is not s o much to blame . corrnptionists, incompetents, and ■ -is who rule over the department. \\ about stopping to lliink. T can name live police rulers who have retired a-« millionaires within the past twenty years. _ How can the poliee force be otherwise than demoralised?"