The Sun

INSPECTOR CORTRIGHT OUT

"A MODEL FOR THE FORCE," BINGHAM CALLS HIM.

He Served 42 Years With an Unmarred Record and Was Known as Mose the Honest Cop—Policemen Get the News In a Regretful General Order.

In every station house in New York last night the 8 o'clock outgoing platoons standing at attention listened to the desk lieutenants read General Order No. 7—the first of its kind ever issued from Mulberry Street. The order will be repeated to-day until it has been announced officially to every man in the department. It reads:

The Police Commissioner announces to the police force with regret the retirement from active service to-day upon his own request of the chief inspector of the force, Moses W. Cortright.

The chief inspector has completed a long and honorable career. He enlisted just than 21 years old, for service in the Union army during the civil war and was promoted through all army grades to that of First Lieutenant. From surgeon's certificate of disability he left the army by resignation in 1864.

He became a member of the New York police force in January, 1867, and has risen through all grades to that of deputy chief of police of Greater New York, which grade he held from 1896 to 1901, when that grade was abolished by statute. He then became chief inspector, which rank he has held until now—a position corresponding in our city to that of chief of police in other cities.

The chief inspector through all the vicissitudes and changes of his police service had always had the respect of the community and of his associates, a respect based on his integrity, honesty, capacity and resourcefulness in command; he has always been equal to every occasion.

Of commanding presence and modest demeanor, of pleasant and quiet address, not concealing, however, his force of character, he may well be held up to the younger members of the force as a model police officer.

Theo. A. Bingham, Police Commissioner.

Two hours before, at 6 o'clock, Cortright's resignation took effect. He got out after serving forty-two years without a black mark on his record and with the knowledge that he is conceded to have been the best policeman the force ever had. Twenty days ago yesterday Inspector Cortright went on his vacation, and it was rumored that he would not return to duty. He had tried to resign a dozen times before, but the Commissioner prevailed upon him to remain in the department until yesterday. Along about noon old Mose, the honest cop, as he is known, appeared at Police Headquarters and handed his resignation to Gen. Bingham. They talked together in the Commissioner's office for a long time. When the reporters saw Bingham later he said:

"I am heartily sorry to have to let him go, but I have no alternative. He has had his mind made up for a long time and I have feared the inevitable. And let me tell you he's the finest character I have ever met, honest as the day is long, perfectly fearless and straight as a die. And what's more, if ever there was a man who deserved a general order it's Mose Cortright. You'll get the order before 6 o'clock—my official tribute to as fine a policeman as ever lived."

Cortright was born in Wantage, Sussex county, N. J., on December 29, 1839. He learned the trade of tanner and worked at it until the outbreak of the civil war, when he enlisted in the Fifty-sixth New York Volunteers. He saw service in eastern Virginia and North Carolina. Later he transferred to the First New York Mounted Infantry, caught a fever while with his regiment in 1864 and was discharged. He was commissioned a First Lieutenant in the mounted infantry and was retired from the army with that rank. In 1867 he joined the old Metropolitan Police Department and seven years later was promoted to the rank of roundsman.

He was made a sergeant a year later, a captain in 1884, an inspector in 1896 and deputy chief that same year. Commissioner Bingham made him Chief Inspector of the department three years ago.

Cortright's name was a byword throughout the department for honesty. During the days of the Lexow and Mazet inquisitions, when scores of his associates were accused of grafting, there was no word of suspicion against him.

The retired chief will visit southern California soon. He will continue to live in New York. It is believed that Inspector Max Schmittberger, who is acting chief inspector, will succeed him.