The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1885-11-09
THE POLICE FORCE.
Three Officers Removed by the
Mayor and Aldermen on Saturday.

CITY MARsHAL's OFFICE.
Nov. 5, 1886. !
Hon ,John w. Deeyi5Q Mdyor of Portland:
DEAR SIR-Enclosed herewith find my order of
4th inst to the Deputy Marshals and the officers
of the Department. This order was promulgated
after hearing the testimony OF officer "Luther A.
Sterling" in the Municipal Court yesterday morn
ing, in case of search and seizure against James
WEIGH, Daniel Welch and Patrick j. Hanrahan.
The facts are that James WEIGH, Daniel WEIGH
and Hanrahan have been running a liquor shop,
at A Centre street, ever since officer Sterling went
on the beat, June 18th, 1885, almost five (5)
months and yet officer Sterling is not able to test
fly under oath to any act of either of the parties
named, that connects them with the keeping or
sale of liquors there during the time stated If
officers Of this Department are not able to get
points enough against the keeper OF such places
as the Welch place. so called to convict them
of keeping the place for the sale of liquors in five
(5) months time, they are either incompetent to
they are not dischargng their duty faithfully
recommend to you that officer Sterlng's case
be carefully considered, and that such action be
taken by you in this case, as will warn the officers
of the Department that a higher standard of
knowledge is required from them of open violators
of law, upon their beats.
Very Respectfully Yours,
Benz. F. ANDREWS, City Marshal.
City MARsHAL's OFFICE.
To the Deputy lEayshals of Portland:
am aware of the difficulties attending the pros
ecution of violators of the liquor law, to success
full result. Conviction cen be had only by persist
ent and Iaborious work on the part of the Depart
ment. That the necessary work is not done by
some OF the officers is apparent 10 me by Tile teSIi-
mony upon the witness stand, from time to time
by them, where occasional deposits of liquor are
made and no shop or place OF sale is connected
Herewith, officers may satisfactorily and consist
entity fail to connect the keepers with the deposit;
where shop or place OF sale is continuously and
persistently maintained, day after day, week in
is incumbent upon him to know who is response
BILE for the keeping and sale OF liquors upon the
premises, and to give testimony upon the witness
stand, competent to connect the offenders with
the keeping sale of the liquors or of assisting in
such keeping or sale.
Rules is, So 23 and 81 of the Police Regula-
lions bear upon the subject in hand and if the let
ter and spirit are complied with any officer OF the
department will know who are maintaining diSor-
derby and unlawful places upon his beat, and when
called upon be able to give conclusive testimony
| In relation thereto
am satisfied by observation, and by expert
ence, that officer who is unable to state under
oath who are keeping. or assisting In keeping a
liquors unlawfully sold, is either incompetent
or unfaithful in the discharge Of his duty.
! shall govern myself in dealing with officers in
accordance with the standard of knowledge and
| duty herein indicated.
BENZ F. ANDREWS, City Marshal.
1t is understood that in addition to the
| letter from Marshal Andrews, evidence of a
| juryman who alleged that Mr.. Sterling could
| not give definite information in regard to the
rum shops and houses of ill-fame in Stat
| ford's block, was brought before the Alder
| men, and case where Sterling made a
| seizure on Centre street and failed to con-
| vict the parties running the place. while the
| sheriffs made seizure in the same place a
| few days later and secured conviction, was
| also instanced.
| The Board being unanimous in their opin-
| ion that there was sufficient cause for re-
| moval a meeting was Immediately held and
| the Mayor, with the consent of the Alder
| men, honorably discharged Officers Alexan-
| der Bell and Benjamin Burnham from the
| police force, they having arrived at the age
of sixty years. The authority for this ac-
ton is found in section one of an act regu-
lating the appointment of members of the
police force of the city of Portland. The
following is a portion of the section:
Sec l. When any policeman, patrolman,
Waterman or keeper shall have arrived at the
age of sixty years he shall be honorably dis
charged.
The removal of Officer Sterling was made
under the provisions of section four of the
same act, authorizing the removal of officers
by the Mayor with the approval of the AL
dermen.
Benjamin Burnham was the oldest member
of the police force both in years and length
of service. He was born at Westbrook,
of steam fire engines Officer Burnham ran
with the machine" as a member of No T."
| Captain Wilcox. He has been in tho police
service twenty-three years. First appointed
in 1861. he resigned April, 1869, and was re-
appointed March, 1870 Mr.. Burnham has
| ever administered the duties of his office
| honorably and well.
| Alexander Bell is 6S years of age, having
| been born Oct, 30th, 1871, He is native Of
hic life hare On Nav 5th 1871 ha anlict
| in the service of the United States as a
member of the list Maine Regiment of Vol
| unteers where he held the rank of third
lieutenant that office being in existence un-
promoted to second lieutenant and rendered
| good service in the field. He was especially
useful as a recruiting officer and performed
most satisfactorily the duties of quartermaS-
ter. He is one Of the charter members of
Bosworth Post: Mr.. Bell was appointed a
| policeman by Hon. George P. Wescott, join
ing the force on the 18th of March, 1874.
Two years ago he succeeded "Uncle Oliver"
as night turnkey. His record is an honora-
BILE one, he having been efficient, faithful
and manly in the discharge of his various
duties. His removal is to be regretted
Marshal Andrews issued the following no
LITIGATION of the removal of the officers to his
deputies which was read when the men re-
ported at six o'clock.
CITY MARsHAL's OFFICE,
November 18th, 1885.
| TO the Deputy Mdrshdls of Portland
hand to you herewith a copy of the record of
| the action OF the Board of Mayor and Aldermen
had this day. with reference to this department.
You will promulgate the same to officers of the
force for their information:
Officers Benz. Burnham and Alexander Bell have
been honorably discharged, in accordance with
the special statute regulating the tenure of police
men, which requires the Mayor and Aldermen to
give an honorable discharge to officers who have
arrived at the age Of sixty years; ,o,,,ooa sor
inefficiency in discharging his duty.
The three vacancies in the department thus
created you will cause to be filled temporarily as
Special officer Adam W. Barbour is assigned to
duty as night turnkey. Special officer Cornelius
Special officer George Fl. Williams is assigned to
day duty on beat No. 8. Officer Charles w. Han
son is transferred from day beat No. 8 to day beat
Assignments and transfers to take effect this
day, by order of the Mayor.
BENZ. f. ANDREWS, City Marshal.
Mr.. Luther A. Sterling stated last night
that he was appointed to the police by Mayor
Kingsbury in 1873. In regard to the Stafford
block case, he said that he had frequently
visited the places contained in the building,
and had found men and girls sitting and
talking in the rooms. Reason taught him to
believe that there were houses of i'll fame
there, but he could find no positive proof,
and so when the case came up in court he
could not swear positively to the existence of
such places
On the 10Th day of last June, Mr. Sterling
stated that he was transferred to the Centre
street beat, and had worked hard in perform
ing his duties. On the morning of Sunday,
Octobert IL, he saw number of drunken
men come out of the place on Centre street
at the corner of Pleasant. Officer Slower,
who was on the beat with Mr.. Sterling, came
along, and Sterling said that they were SELL
ing in this place. They started to cross the
street to enter the place, when the boy on
the lookout signalled the occupants and the
officers found the door barred. Mr.. Sterling
went to the window in the shop, and kneel-
ing down attempted to see what was going
on within, the curtain being somewhat
raised. 1t was so dark inside that he could
see nothing, but he could hear beer being
spilled The officers then smashed in the
window with their billies and jumped into
the room, which they found empty, the oecu-
pants escaping through door opening into
a passage leading to Pleasant street. In the
sink was quantity of beer, of which Ster-
ling dipped up about two tumblerfuls.
Shortly after the boy and Daniel Welch