Show I The Lesson o of Becker There are over oyer ten thousand men on the police force in NewYork New New- York City A l large rge number dumber ar are e young ung men just starting in on a career of enforcing the law and pr protecting citizens fr from m the l lawbreakers law law- w- w breakers t I j. j The case of Lieutenant Charles Becker should prove an excellent ex excellent excellent ex- ex ex- ex object lesson to them However it is doubtful if e ever eer er the element of graft and wrongdoing willbe will be removed from an army so so o large as this Becker entered the department in the days when the 50 so called system flourished He saw captains with salaries of but a Ii n ye year r. r retiring as millionaires l es he observed ed plain sergeants drawing drawing drawing draw draw- ing 1800 leaving the force to collect rents from their tenements Probably he accepted this condition as the natural one The question questions arises as to how these policemen can accumulate such fortunes The answer is easy New York is a huge city It is the men who wish to tp violate the law that corrupt the police police- men This class is not alone confined to fo the saloon and dive keeper who profits by keeping open when the law says he should have his place shut not alone to the unspeakable promoter of the brothel Some of the families best in New York have corrupted policemen Corporations have filled the pockets of captains lieutenants lieutenants lieu lieu- tenants and even patrolmen to club and harass striking workmen Quite likely some of the very men who have contributed to vl Mr L Whitman's c campaign have haYe in times past perhaps s unwittingly salved the policeman's s palm with rith coin This h s is what Becker developed under He was was as a capable officer officer of- of in In many ways But Becker started wrong When an ordinary nary ilary patrolman he lie secured his promotion to the rank pf f rounds man man in an unfair way Becker was not only promoted but was was' decorated d with a medal for lor plunging into the icy water of the Hudson and rescuing a man It later developed that Becker paid the rescued to fall into the water on a stilly night night- and when no noone noone I Ilic one lic was looking The rescued afterwards testified that he had I fo to o really rescue the policeman It would seem that the r reformers formers who are so eager to better I the standard of the New York police department would do well to organize in an effort to make examples of some who have reasons reasons I for or aiding and abetting in th the corruption of the policeman I |