Now it happened that in the Department at that time there was a nephew or cousin of his, Jerry D. Sullivan.  I found that Jerry was an uncommonly good man, a conscientious, capable officer, and I promoted him.  I do not know whether Jerry or Jerry’s cousin (Senator Sullivan) was more astonished.  The Senator called upon me to express what I am sure was a very genuine feeling of appreciation.  Poor Jerry died, I think of consumption, a year or two after I left the Department.  He was promoted again after I left, and he then showed that he possessed the very rare quality of gratitude, for he sent me a telegram dated January 15, 1898, running as follows:  “Was made sergeant to-day.  I thank you for all in my first advancement.”  And in a letter written to me he said:  “In the future, as in the past, I will endeavor at all times to perform my duty honestly and fearlessly, and never cause you to feel that you were mistaken in me, so that you will be justly proud of my record.”  The Senator, though politically opposed to me, always kept a feeling of friendship for me after this incident.  He served in Congress while I was President.

The police can be used to help all kinds of good purposes.  When I was Police Commissioner much difficulty had been encountered in locating illegal and fraudulent practitioners of medicine.  Dr. Maurice Lewi called on me, with a letter from James Russell Parsons, the Secretary of the Board of Regents at Albany, and asked me if I could not help.  After questioning him I found that the local authorities were eager to prosecute these men, but could not locate them; and I made up my mind I would try my hand at it.  Accordingly, a sealed order was sent to the commanding officer of each police precinct in New York, not to be opened until just before the morning roll call, previous to the police squad going on duty.  This order required that, immediately upon reaching post, each patrolman should go over his beat and enter upon a sheet of paper, provided for that purpose, the full name and address of every doctor sign there appearing.  Immediately upon securing this information, the patrolman was instructed to return the sheet to the officer in charge of the precinct.  The latter in turn was instructed to collect and place in one large envelope and to return to Police Headquarters all the data thus received.  As a result of this procedure, within two hours the prosecuting officials of the city of New York were in possession of the name and address of every person in New York who announced himself as a physician; and scores of pretended physicians were brought to book or driven from the city.

One of the perennially serious and difficult problems, and one of the chief reasons for police blackmail and corruption, is to be found in the excise situation in New York.  When I was Police Commissioner, New York was a city with twelve or fifteen thousand saloons, with a State law which said they should be closed on Sundays, and with a local sentiment which put a premium on violating the law by making Sunday the most profitable day in the week to the saloon-keeper who was willing to take chances.  It was this willingness to take chances that furnished to the corrupt politician and the corrupt police officer their opportunities.