Wilmington daily commercial., 1873-09-13
A-Othsr Ourrsss Upon A Stronger.

a
LICE oyF.oERs AND Is ELREcKp OUT OF @20.-{
TRAEsoENpENoY or DUTY TO ExroRr "Hush MON
RY.'
IL has been the custom with police officers in
this city, for long time, 20 pounee down upon
ignorant agents who are selling by sample, with
out license, and after they dealt with accord
ing 10 law, to extort from them sum for "huah
money, or, in other words, to hire them to aDan-
don the case. They dnd some slight justification /
for such action in the laws OF the state In rea.
ton to this subject but they invarsb tFanscend
their duty, and We are about to relate case OF
peculiar hardship, Of an unwarrapted exercise OF
authority and merciless persecution OF an unjust |
claim. -, ,>,,,-,,,
| officer James T. Wheelan, of the Police Force, |
| took into custody Mr. M. o. Bean, OF Gates
| d o., Nurserymen, Genevs,N. f.,who was SELL
/ ing trees without license. He was carried De-
/ fore ESQ ONiell, who turned him over 20 Attor-
/ ney-General Lore. The Attorney General re-
/ duired Mr.. Bean to either take out license or
| stop selling, and also to pay the costs in the
case This much the law requires, aud In bring
ing the prisoner to comply with the law, no
unwarrantable assumption OF duty was practiced.
But Mr. Bean was without mouey he had not
A sufficient sum with which to pay the costs,
with the 'hush money" demanded and at tine
| same time take out q license. 30 he WA msrch-
| ed TO police head quarters to undergo imprison-
ment until such time as the money could be oo-
| tanned, or give bail in $500 for Court He heu
sent for friend who was in the elty. and uy
| uniting their purses they could make up sum
| aufficient to either take out the license. or 10
| nav the costs aud the ''hush money" But
both were demanded, aud the policemen were
| inaTorable TO any promises on the part OF the
nrisoner or his friend. Night was gathering, and
| there was only the prospect of spending its long
hours in the cells. resking with stencil, and II
| Nigh. be among drunken and noisy men; Flh-
aly however the two policemen concluded TO
| reiease the prisoner for the night on bail and
n ina two men put into the hands of of the police
officers S22 9l as security for Mr.. Bean delivery
to them in the morning. This was tine Dali
n bond .. ~. Co.. 1919
.sWe the undersigned police of the city OF
!, wilmington do agree to take the sum or S22 VI
which is to me IN nsn9 pslo 10, oO
the 10th Sep. rs, and at any time between TINS
A. and tomorrow at Z O'Clock p Nj. should he
IN (Bean) wish to settle for offence we agree TO
q S'''i0 Signed JAMES T. wHEELAN
DANIEL 0NEIL
Sometime during the next day, "wednesday
mr. the matter was settled between the police ON
m cera and Bean by the payment OF S22.9O. The
II officers had each claimed TO be "informers, and
ne each demanded 80 (the sum usually exacted in
n such cases. and the legitimate costs IN the case
all we're 50 81, making:s fetal OF SZ5h put ou'
at OF the kindness OF their hearts Bean was re-
at Ieaaed from the payment OF one cent 1t wss
Il. however, further exacted by the officers tha
Mr. Bean should take out license. and on the
/
e. | Honae. where Bean boarded that he would set
at that the matter was done, Mr.. Bean was once
re more freed from their clutches
Dr. Such are the facts in this scandalous case
ie- We know them to be facts, for we have probe'
g. the matter to the bottom, Attorney-Genera
iv- Lore simply required Mr. Bean to take out Ii
my cense and to pay the legitimate costs In the cas-
nd for warrant and fees for arrest-in all ~ VI
he aid not direct that this $40 "hush money
ahould be paid. 1t was fee imposed by til
dy officers themselves, and to secure the psymen
raj | of which they compromised the positions wMc
ms they hold. That the obiainment 81 tnis 80 sul y
ty, from Mr.. Bean was the sole interest they had u
Ito the case is evident from what transplred, Ihe
es- held Mr.. Bean prisoner to their own caprlcel
US released him on bail in sum nxed upon .
nes themselves, which sum was the exactamount {
will tha coets in the case and the "hush money
demanded, and II Mr.. Bean had taken hls d'
parture in tho night their money would nav
been secured. while that OF the State. wnos
interest they have sworn to protect, would nav
Odd What right has q police officer to demand
receive bail from prisoner III his CUSTODY Ii
ms duty extends no further than the arrest a.
safe keeping of prisoner until the law whlt
hits ha has violated ir satisfied. But in tins lnstan
we find that these police officers take the ca
rket into their own hands, bail prisoner at WI
| and release him when they are secured In u
Me- amount which they demand. Thay had 40 sis
to mold Mr. Bean the Attorney General OF u
Odd state had directed that he take out license al
nav the costs in the caae upon the performan
lid ~ vvhioh he was no longer prisoner. IL q
oo,;oa of,icers we're determined to prosecute t
case in Court it wes their duty to resort to u
usual process, ,,,,
An | ar" in the case, and had Mr.. BoaA been pros
M | cuted in tho Court, but one OF the olhc'
and would have reGeNeu M i9lSS ~! u, u Iid 30
ii be informers aud each exsetea % ahG oI.anea deS
.,ical We have not the space at our disposal 70
iaIiv yiaw the case a. it deserves to be- and, the
"a f,aItF mt Of tla. ind
otor dent thiuking men of the community. The
Ich tom OF extorting "hush money from strang
, si1 has prevailed here among police oihcers Tor
who long time, and it is pernlclous haplt wh
tral should be broken up. We have already bho
PRO M one case and called the attention OF the M
II are or who is responsible for the acts OF his pol
thereto which resulted in the return OF
1Ol/ | money-a confession that the officer had
M | right to it. But the officer is still on
force only waiting for another opportun
,stor Wenow call the attention OF the Mayor
,ryice graver offense, wherein his subordnates ~
/ are | assumed to exercise his prerogatives.
will he do with it Z We await his action.
near officers are paid to perform their duty; the
ssb prehension of agents selling goods without
arsen cense, without extortlnB from them hush
: and ney is clearly duty, which they have swor
bbAth discharge and they are boand TO perform IT,
,hool they will not, why them put. better men IN
positions.
me ODESSA AND DRAwYERs' CHURCHES. The pa
~ a. of the NJ L. Church Of Odessa, J. Z. Bryan,
ces at i9 IAN a no Pssrpcas in that churoh or
'rrett II following Sabbath, on account of the Center
= nov now Celebration of the Drawers Presbyte
i1 nv Church, to be held near that town, and rec
'tou mCnded his congregation to attend the eeie
Iarket tion'
York, RESTORE T4E COLOR Of your hair or whiskeI
morn the use of Nattans Crystal Discovery, the be
srs are paraton for that purpose ~ the msfke.i ee
tir.ly harmless. We heartily recommend IT,
aching sale by Druggists.
veil, at ---..-
s''' at Fall Opening !