File:Paid $500 To Schmittberger in The New York Times on October 12, 1894, part 1.png

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• https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1894/10/12/106837307.html?pageNumber=1
• https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1894/10/12/106837307.html?pageNumber=2

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Paid $500 To Schmittberger. Forget Says This Tribute Went To The Police Captain. The Agent Of The French Line Tells The Lexow Committee Of The Money Transaction. Complete Exposure Of The Policy Business In This City. A List Of 600 Places Where The Gambling Was Conducted. Only One Precinct Free From The Evil. All doubt as to whether Police Captain Schmittberger, while In command of the steamboat squad, received $500 from the French Line Steamship Company was dispelled yesterday by Augustin F. Forget. the company's agent, who, after thinking the matter over for two days, frankly told the Lexow committee that he himself paid the money to Capt. Schmittberger in the presence of a ward man, and, furthermore. that the money was paid to the Captain In response to a request for it. Mr. Forget also acknowledged that as. peals had been made to him to save Capt. Schmittberger from disgrace. Gustav A. Wolfe, a friend of both Mr. Forget and Capt. Schmittberger, told of a per-sonal appeal the Captain had made to him to auk Mr. Forget to shield him if called upon by the Lexow committee to tell about the money transaction, Policeman Reilly a the steamboat souadi declared that Capt. Schmittberger demand-ed all of the extra money he received from the Cunard Steamship Company for watching Its dock, and that he was transferred to the East River because he refused to comply with the demand. Reilly said it was a custom to divide with the Captain, and that he had always given half of his perquisites to Capt. Gastlini when he was in command of the steamboat squad. In addition to the testimony affecting Capt. Schmittberger, a complete exposure of the policy business was made by Lawrence Carney, who gave the committee list of over 800 policy shops in this city. He told how the drawings are made In Covington, Kentucky, and how the winning numbers are sent in cipher by telegraph to a man known as "P. J. Conlon," in Jersey City, who transmits them to the various backers here and in Brooklyn. "Conlon" is the only man in this vicinity who understands the policy cipher. and he controls the territory to Albany. An. other man. In Albany, controls the agency, for the rest of the State. Protection to Policy Shops. Carney corroborated the testimony of Vincent Majewski, given the previous day. as to the impossibility of opening a policy shop is this city without the sanction of the police, and said that Capts. Slavin, O'Connor, Siebert, and Martens, as well as every other Police Captain, receives money, from the backers for permission to run Fancy shops In the various precincts. The behavior of Policeman Callahan of the Leonard Street station on Sept. Z. while drunk, and the efforts of his friends to shield him, were described by Seth B. Robinson, a lawyer. The naturalization question was also touched upon. It was shown that certain Judges rely on clerks for Information respecting the fitness of would-be citizens, and that many applicants are illegally rejected. An important fact brought out during the hearing yesterday afternoon was that persons who wish to let their stores for poll. Mg booths on election day have beep compelled to pay about $13 each to the Police Captains. The revenue thus derived by the Captains 'each year has averaged $11,000. Augustin F. Forget, the agent of the French Steamship Line, whose memory on Tuesday regarding the disposition of $500 for " wharf surveillance had proved so defective, was the first witness of the day. " Since your examination on Tuesday, Mr. Forget," asked Mr. Goff, " have you looked over your memoranda and notes relating to the item of $50) which was the subject of our inquiry?" "Yes, Sir." " And have you made inquiries concerning it?" " You have testified that your cashier ran away and left the bootie of the company in a muddled condition? Yes, Sir" And from your own examination of the books and inquiries you have been able to get definite information as to the meaning of that Item of $500? "What became of the $500?" Money Paid to Shmittberger. " The money was paid to Capt. Schmittberger." Mr. Forger's hesitancy had entirely die. appeared, and he spoke quite loudly.

• Q. (By Mr. Gain—DOyou ,remember how the money earns to be paid to tap, Schmittberger? man who said was from the ,apttt came ys"! "s a'mde shieldc o Vol icaesmLi h'De ca=. 'who anaahneenCrent'orve% from our pier. I might contribute the money direct to the Captain. This was in December. 1000.
• Q.—The company had dieontinued. tuhe..pay-meat of the ale a week after De a n re-moval? A.—yes. ii.—Witat did you say? A.—I told him I would consider the matter a fortnight, and on Dec. M.. the date of theentry of the item of 5500, Capt. Schmittberger and the same matt came to the of-fice and asked me if fi I had decided to give a yearly allowance. I gured that there were fifty-two weeks in the year. but that tuna week4 should be deducted. leaving OM ...eke at $I carweek. or 5500. and I gave the money to him. I think I gave the money in bills to Capt. Schmittberger himself. Both thee in civn-Ian's deem I do not know. the second. man name. but I could identify him. That was the last saw of them.
• Q,—your sympathies have been touched by appeals to you to save the Captain and his faro-. to tram disgrace?
• Q.—What did you say? A.—I told him I would consider the matter a fortnight, and on Dec. 31. the date of the entry of the Item of $500, Cain. Schmittberger and the same man came to the of-fice and asked me It 1 had decided to give a yearly allowance. I figured that there were fifty.two weeks In th year, but that two weeks should be deducted, leaving fifty weeks at $10 per week, or POO. and I gave the money to him. 1 think I gave the money in bills to Capt. Schmittberger himself. Both men were In civil-ian's dress. I do not know the second man's name, but I could identity him. That was the last I eat of them.
• Q.—your sympathies have been touched by appeals to you to save the Captain and his fain-tly from disgrace? A.—Yes, Q.—But you now recognize it as a public duty that you should come here and tell all the facts In the cane? As.
• Q.—And yoU also recognize that it is for the interest of the company to be on good terms with the pollee? A.—At that time, yes.
• Q.—And you recognize the fact that this committee does not want to embarrass you or your company, but simply wants to get at the facts? A.—Yea. Sir.
  

Policeman Matthew C. Reilly of the steamboat squad, who wears five stripes on his sleeves, was next called. He said he had served twenty-els years on the force. but had never received promotion. He declared he was a poor man. Mr. Goff questioned him as to whether it was necessary to pay cash for promotion in the Police Department, and Reilly said he had heard rumors to that effect. He knew that political influence was an important factor in obtaining promotion and desirable beats, and that young men were promoted over the head', of others who had served longer terms. Shared with the Captains. The policeman testified that he had been for fifteen years connected with the steam-boat squad, and for five years had been de. tailed for duty at the Cunard Line dock. While there he frequently served overtime and rendered assistance to the company, for which he received $10 a. week from the line.

• Q. (By Mr. Goff) — Were you obliged to give up a part of that $10? A. — Yes, Sir.
• Q. — To whom? A. — The ward man.
• Q. — Was that customary? A. — Yes, Sir.
• Q. — For how many years has it been customary? A. — For as long as I can remember. It was the custom when I first went on duty on the steamboat squad.
• Q. — What Captain immigurated it? A.—I don't know. But t-Nipts. Gasciln and Scbutittberger en. forced the rule.
• Q. — How did you pay it? A. — I paid it once a month to the ward man.
• Q. — Was there any demand after Schmittberger.

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