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SEC. ONE
SEC ONE
Pages 1to10
Pages!
1 to 10
r 't
s X
f
VOLUME LXXXVll,
KAIEIGII, Ni C. UNDAT, MABCIT 28, 1909 - ;; M . t
. .M ICS .-
4
investigation
IHl
SECiffl)
While
Occupied
was Going on to Retfcti the Bottom of the Matter, the Books in the
Dy roiice Justice ana iniei 01 nonce were Mutuatea m me Daraess
Office
$2i
1 . ' Of 'Night so that the Entries arc Ilicglbie
MEIAPJ W PEB01 !
: 110 lOBill HB
Raleigh People Were Astounded and Outraged Yesterday to; Learn That a Crime
the I
Had . Been Committed That Prevents Fixing the Responsibility For
Discrepancy Between Fines of the Police Justice and the Sum Turned
to
Tlie moat dastanllx ovlrace ever xHnmlttel In tlie otice of mayor or po
Bce Justice la the e4ty of Raleigh Was pvrptHoatcd at a cmrly hoar yrtmav
Biorn in g during the dark when a vandal' hand destroyed or matllatod
the records of the cowl from December 1st, 1905, to the preseut time. It
Is moat sigul Scant that this crime an done directly after the books the
Judgment dockets of tlie police jastlie's court had been examined by a
: newspai'ier man, whose object was to ascertain tlie amount of nnes imposed
by this court during tlie past two years, the -amount of fines paid by the
Chief of Police to tlie County Treasurer to go to tlie school fund, and the
amount of such flnes uncollected during tlie same period. Tlie examina
tion of the books was made carefully Friday afternoon the entire after
noon being devoted by the reporter to this work and tlie books were -foi it
over tlie second time by him for the purpose of guarding against a pom4br?
errcr. AN APPARENT DISCREPANCY OF MOKE THAN l,70O WAS
FOOD TO EXIST IN THESE BOOKS.
THE CRIME DISCOVERED.
Yesterday morning at six o'clock Janitor EMridgc Smitlt. of Uic City
Hall, said lie entered, tlie administration building and found outside i!m door
of the" police court room and office of the Chief or IHlk-e a mall pocket re
ceipt book for sanitary licenses, wlikrli was tlie property of the Chlcr of
IMIIcc, kept by him for the convenience or pcrMMis wlio went to Ills office to
pay their sanitary licenses. Janitor Smith snM thai lie found Hie entrance
dooi; on tlie south side of tlie room opened rbonl one root. He dbx-uv-cred
nothing unusual In tlie appearance or the Interior of tlie room, save a
bowl of black water autl tlie wurranls which be said lie tliotiglit the Iollc
Justice bad destroyed. He stated that Ma supk-loii was hot aroused by
tliese circumstances.
Police Justice Uadgcr was tlie lirst to distxiver signs of tlie inLs
clUef ; for when, at court, he opened tlie judgment docket lie found black
ink blots covering the fines in many place. t After the coprt was over the
Chief of Police, according to Ids Ktateim-nt, Martcd to make hl eiilries, and
discovered that his record hook had been even more mutilated tlian the
judgment dockets. .Ttieii an cxamhiatlon beiug made tlic .ciWnt of Uic van
dar.4 work was learned. He. liad gone back in Uic records as far as De
ccmber first, ltOS. Sonic of the pages were cut or torn entirely out of the
books, pother pages were slaslied with a keen-edged Instrument. Portions
of Mmc pages had been, cut ont and hi sOnie Instances only tlie name of the
defendant, statement of his offense and amount of the fine imposed liad been
cut out. Most of the disfigurations In the Judgment dockets for tlie four
yiirn were made by spreading Ink over tlie amount of fine hnposed. Tho
record lHok of the Chief of Police liad been treated even with leus consld--rniii.
Tlie man who did the deed heed water on this book to expunge
from it the records. Some object, rougher, It seemed, than a i-ponge, satu
rated in water bad been robbed acrojs tlie pages, and many page were
sbulK-d with a knife or aome other shtrp edged tool.
- The warrants destroyed were for tlie past six months.
Chief of Police MuIIlns stated that he left thej nec Friday night at ojkj
c'cTcck. and tliat t'c door found open yesterday morning, was locked then..
It Is believed that a key was used. Tliose' known to possess keys, "as
stated in Ue police court room jesier.lay morning, are PoUcejustice Bailg'r,
Chh f of Police Mallins anil Janitor Smith, and one key Is kept in the Po
lite Station under tlie City Han. . ( t
' Wltoevcr c-ommlUed tlie crime was famluar with tlie system with which
tliese books were kept, and knew tlie books. They and the warrants cor
responded, and lfelthcr the warrants or the record book of the Chief of
I'olkc or I lie Judgment Dockets I tad not been tout lied tlie deviltry done
would have been incomplete.
IMYRD OF .VLDERMEN MEET.
As soon as Mayor Joiuison heard of- the atrocious outrange he caried a
special meeting of the Hoard or 'Aldmiien. He stated thrn someone, bad
- entered the room during the night and; destrorcd the .records ot tlie Police
' Justice rnd Cliief of Police. Ho wanted the board to offer a reward for
i- tlie' apprehenbion of the guilty party as be lias authority to offer a reward
only In cses of false fire alarms. - : ; . ;.
- ,i Statements were made during the meeting about the investigation of 'Hi?
Judgment DockeW by Mr. Edward JL Conn. on Friday," and Mr. Conn stated
tlt frrfht the copy of tndlVJnal fine Vbr tho past twov years Which be
bad taken from the Dockets and preserved the ' fines " obliterated on the
v Dockets for the past two years could be replaced..1' . ' '
7Mr. J. W. Dalley bad been ; notified of the' crime, and upon his arrival
- at the, meeting 'stated that as a "cltlaea fie' depkTed it as an abominable,
' thing and would oln with the board In presecutlnc the culprit to the foil
m extent of the a.:"i;:;;"' -r-'-l' "'-"' 'V
On motion of Alderman Williams the board offered: reward of $20
for the apprehension of the party or parties,' who mutilated jiad tfeatroyed
the records. The rules were suspended to make the reward available at
-ce." v,:':;"--.j-,fVi";i7;-r4-';1;-r-- . .,",' ", ".; ' " v . . :
!JeTnumjrpchurch said tfcst t-.s Clfjr ' Clerk ho"r? 1 attenj.lmeil.
Traciirpr hv fhr fhipf
ateiy it tlie matter and have the notice of the reward published direttly.
Then I lie meeting adjourned.
THE CRIME ASTOUNDS THE CITY.
The propk? of Raleigh were astounded jotertiay niorning to learn tliat
city records which contain accounts of fines and penalties iiii)OM.d, and of
tlie parment or remksku of these, sliould be suddenly in the midst of tlie in
vcxUgatlon, mutilaled and destroyetl. with police warrants torn so as to pre
vent a eomnartsoa light in the office .of the Police Justice and the Cliief
of Police.
Tlie office on the second floor of tlie Chy Hall building was not In use
Friday night for any meeting and if the officers wlio left It performed tlielr
duty as usual. It was locked. It Is usually locked early In the night, and
on the doors are spring locks, with an unusual design of key. . Tlie evi
dence Is that entry to tlie room was made through one of the two doors,
as the dawt on the. ledge of tlie transom which could he opened above one
door is absolutely undisturbed, an examination of it being mad by Mr.
Edward E. Uritton. of Tlie News and Observer and Mr. A. Is Fletclier, of
The Raleigh Evening Times. i
IXXJK PICKKI OR KEY VSED?
Tin -re are four keys known to be carried to tlie doors, one by Police
Justice Uadger. one by Chief of Police Muffin, one by Janitor Kid rid e
Smith, and one Is kept in tlie Police Kluliim In tlie basement oT the build
ing. None of I lie men who liokl tliese keys have said tliat lucy were out
of tlielr ioMMsion last night. Was a kick picked or Imw was entrance ob
tained to I lie room? Tlie kicks ami tin; doors were examined by the Chair- '
man of tlie l"ollcu Cunimltxion. Mr. Lynn Wilder, and ami Mr. Edward K.
Itritton. ami tliere was not a sign of forcible means liaving been used to c!Tct
au cninwict.
INTERFERENCE OF A POLICEMAN.
Tlie mutilated, watered, torn, cut and inked books are hi evidence, and
ilie torn warrants are In a garbage can. Having made an investigation of
tlie books on Friday, Mr. Edward Ij. Conn, of THE SEWS AND OB
SERVER, was on the scene -esierlay lnTtisat!ng Ihs matter of Uic destruc
tion of (lie reccmls. and whlk Ik- was nt thin work. Mr. Edward VZ. Hrlttou. of
THE NEWS AND OBSERVER. ntKiitxl tlie room. While lie was Uiere he
found that Mr. Conn, In tlie course of ids Investigation, yta bring Interro
gated and questioned and cwtechlwl as to wlnu lie was doing by PoUceman
Alston, who was not on ctaty and wlio liad notliiug to do with tlie matter.
Mr. BriUon Joined Mr. Ooon and the two insisted tliat tlie Policemau
quit interfering, wliich be did, and later lie went te'Mesws. BriUon and
Conn ami stated that he regretted hvhig had anyUihig to do with the
matter, whh-h did not concern him. , .
WHAT JANITOR EI.DHIDGE SMITII SAYjs.
InvcsUgatiou of tlie occurrence of tlie night brouglit out tlie fact tliat
Janitor Eldrtdge Smith said tliat when entering the building at about six
o'ckxdc Tteruay ntornlng. lie found nt tho south door of the room, in the
bail outside, a small stub book used In issuing sanitary licenses, and Uwt
he had found the door partly often. He says that from tlie writing lie
bought that tlie .book belonged to the Sanitary Department and offered
it to Assistant Sanitary Officer Brown, who declined II, saying it was. a
record kept by Chief of Police Mullin Thereupon fr. Smith states Uiat
be put the book on tlie desk of Chief of Police Mufilns.
Janitor Smith states that be found tla? torn police warrants on. a desk
back of tlie little lron-ralUng. He had at other times, by Uie direction of,
the. Police Justice, torn un old warrants no longer needed, and seeing
tliese warrants torn up, supposed Uiat itslmd been done , by tle loIk-e v
Justice and paid tio attention to them beyond j putting tlu-ui In tlie xhic
ash can and they were tlwre ycstxH-ilsty wliile tne mvesiigaiion vas going .
AT WORK-FOR HOURS. .
The boldness, tlie audacity aiiil Infamy of Uie liartics wbo Jes-
Stroved tliese lutnortntit records Is amazing. In dm olliec of the Police
Justke, with policemen in the building and on Uie street, evidently a light
hrhw buVim mk i lUnlr ntit nrrtaiA lt'tu uhkh It. oraa Imdrtil to destroy.
tour uw fll Inmrs must liave been consumed. and ns the building is
umhI for ail amusement place with an attraction going on until 11, o'clock,
mrtle. ktng ,lt after tliat houY, it is certain Uiat Uie work or destroy
ing Uie records did not begin UU after midnight.
, v- WHO DID IT AND WHY?
. Who did tbLs work of destroying records? i What was U? purpose?
How was enlrance obtained tQ Ue room?j These and other ' queslions
crowd thkk and fast one on the other. The criminal act committed right
within the doors of Uie Police Justice and of the Chief of Police, Uie citl
sens of Raleigh look for an Investigation Uiat
Messrs. Authorities of Raleigh! .. -,.-4
will investigate. . Get busy,
IVHV WAS EUCE
11B. IMEI'S Hi
rOUCE JUSTICE INTERVIEWED
WITH REFERENCE TO MATTER
OF HXES HE HANDLES NO
MONEY.
A reporter of the News and Ob
server called upcnir Police Justice Bad
ger and asked him If he desired to
make a statement. In reply Mr. Bad
ger said: j
'In regard to the fines, penalUcs
and forfeitures ttiey are collected by
the Oiler of Police and accounted lo
the iiroper officers under Uie charbir.
Wlien I lmiiose a fine if for any rea
son thereafter I reduce or cliange Or
remit tlie fine, . tlie record of UHs
change is not always pat on my judg
ment docket. The only complete rev
or of such change, would be on the
record kept by the ClMef of PoHw,
wlaise duty it Is to keep Uils record
and collect tho fines unless remitted
bv tlie loIlce JustR-e. "If the Chief
of Police 1ms reason to believe lie can
safely trnt a man lie sometimes, gives
him time to pay up the find Tlie rec
ord book of tlie CI Uef of IJofice wlncti
contains Uiese changes In fines, pen
attics end forfeitures Is tlie only com
plete record si lowing remission,
cliange or reduction of fines. Tlie da
strjictiou of tliat record makes It im
possible to ascertain ny changes un
less the Cliief of Police can supply it
from private memoranda. - I
The Chief of Police reports to me
that the amount of uncollected fines
la ir.i . I
Do you think," tho Police Justice
was asked, rthat yon - remitted fines
aggregating $1,700?" !
Mr. Badger replied: "I could not
tell at all. I keen no record of th.j.
I liave nothing at all to do wiUi the
collection of fines. All these accounts
are cheeked up monthly by Uie Audit
and Finance Committee. ,
.- "Wlifn I make my sentences, Jin
MuTllns writes down the. fine In pen
eiL as I sometimes change It, and the
person who used a wret rag wiped over
the pencil marked page and destroyed
this record."
NO STATEMENT BY CHIEF OF
POLICE MULXJ.NS.
Cliief of Police MuIIlns was sen
this afternoon and was asked if lM
bad any statement concerning Lho
matter of the books, ana he &atu iliui
be bad no statement to make concerns
lying the affair.
DESTROYED?
We taavnbt find ont to-dav who mntilatpd thefconk
in die bQce of the Chief of Police and Police Justice. '.,
' Two things we do taow:;'f
1, Somebody rautilatcd tbim who hnewiiow the war-;
rants anr records are Kept and tvtiS faniiliar with the
X 2. They would net hate be&i inttilated , If i THE
IIEWS AIIO OIEnVER man had not been ensued in
invc:J-'iUn2 the fines irrpesed and the Cnls ctllsct
cd t3 : t!:2 pztlii t!:2 tcttra facts, 'an 1 f f it h'ad net
' r - -v . v ' , - .
k. . v. . k... . . - . . .1 . r a . w U t I. . . .. ''-;
piiili
VOTE FOR UEGEflT
i:'ir'riT::-
IIJI.ILIJI.
nn irn
STATEMENT OF THE ' FACTS
Personally appeared before me, VicH C. Moore, a
Notary Public, this, the 27th day of March, ! 1909, Ed
ward L. Conn, who b(jlng duly sworn, says:'
On the morning of March 26th, I was assigned by
Mr. josephus Daniels, editor of The News and Obser
ver, to go to the City Hall and. maKe a thorough inves
tigaUon of all the fines imposed by thePolice Justice
daring the past two years, and to ascertain how much
money had been paid by-the Chief of Police! for such
fines to the County Treasurer for the schoolfond. In
oursnance of this assignment I went to the office of
the Police Justice and requested Justice Badger to fur
nish a statement of the fines imposed and collected. li e
turned over to me his Judgment DocKets, saying that
they contained the records of -the fines imposed , by
that court,: and gave an explanation' of several rec
trsaade in theu?5nKnt DocKetllhUt?'16tfd
Ret tne accurate information lrysoingoyei: these
docnets. I devoted the entire afternoon to eoma over
them case by case, putting c own on a pad which I have
retained every fine imposed that was recorded, ex
cept those where, the record showed the fine had ho"
remitted or where the defendant tooK an anpeal to
the Superior court. After finishing this wbrK, in or
der to be certain to get the record accurately, I
checked bacK over every item, and frequently asiled
Chief of Police Mallins, who Was present most of the
time, for information regarding certain cases. On the
previous day, by assignment of Mr. Daniels, I had been
to see County Treasurer Pegram and asKed him for a
statement by months for the past two years of the
fines from the Police Justice's court, which, byj law, the
Shief of Police must pay to the County Treasurer for
le school fund. Mr. Pegrm said it would taKe him a
little while to get up the information, but that he
would furnish it the next day. He sent on the follow
ing day the information desired. On the same day
(Thursday) in pursuance of my assignment, I went to
see the Chief of Police and asKed him for the fines im
posed and collected and the amounts uncollected for
the past two years. He replied that it would taKe two
days to compile the information. On the following
day (Friday) after getting the Judgment Dockets from
the Police Justice, I was informed by the Police Justice
that sometimes the fines were not promptly paid and
in some instances parties were given as much as six
months in which to pay the fines. It is, as 1 under
stood it, the duty of the Police Justice to Impose the
fine and the duty of the Chief of Police to collect the
fine. After ascertaining the amount of fines imposed
from the booKs furnished me by the Police Justice, I
uesirea to secure from the Chief , of Police a stats- , r
ment showing the amount of fines uncollected in the
fiscal years of 1907 and 1908. Mr. Muliins went over
his papers, each separately containing the name of
the person upon whom a fine, had been imposed and )
not paid and the amount, and called off the riame. of I
the party and the amount of the fine. I have in my
possession these names and fines. The finei asgreJ
gated $169.00. The Chief of Police also called oltjorj
me the various amounts by months paid by him to t:e
tounty Treasurer uuring the oast two yearsi. Uocn(v-
mj return to The News and Observer: office found
the statement from County Treasurer Pecfram and Mr
Daniels je'aVe me a statement furnished Win .by City
uertt Willson showing the costs collected in the Pol ice ;
fustices court during the same period. It was jmV Pur- '
jiose , on today to go over the ccsts forVhesame . ;
jieHci and compare the costs collected with the costs '
imposed to see if. they ;taUied. After carefully; adding
the figures and finding the sum of more thatt $1,700 . .
impssed as shown by the Judgment : Docllef s had i ndt
oren psia io me touuiy measurer, accorumjar a
statements cf both Treasurer and Chief of Police, and
:a js a . w mm k K a -r m . f
alter a conference witn nr. uameis, I wrote tne toiiow, .
ing article Cing the, result cf the: investigation: . v
In Winston-Salem which has a cebnlaticn about -
the iz
iteh cf that of nalei4- Czrizi the fiscal ycr "
K: ' 7 (Contlntied on IVra Two.) r : l: ' 'S--
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