The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-08-16
POLICEMEN ON TRIAL.
THE USU1L BATCH OF OFFENDERS
BEFORE THE BOARD.


of Duty.
The Police Commissioners held
sngthy meeting yesterday. They began
at four O'Clock, and did not adjourn till
after seven.
A number of policemen were "hauled
over the coals' for neglect of duty and
other equivalent charges. Two charges
were preferred against Patrolman
Whelan, of the First precinct. He pleaded
guilty to being off his post on July 2, and
for failing to report the death of boy
who was killed by locomotive on July
%. For the first offence he was fined
three days pay, and for the second two
days pay.
PAtrolman Quinn, of the same precinct,
pleaded guilty to being off his post on
July 29. The case was laid over. For
violation Of the rules on the 31st he was
fined three days pay.
For failing to obey Sergeant FarrelPs
order in driving crowd off a pile of lum-
Der during the burning of Dodge & Oh
colts chemical factory at Washington
and MORGAN streets, on July 60 Patrol
man Breune was fined three days pay.
Breune claimed that he could not reach
the top of the pile without a ladder The
sergeant accused Breune of saying:-"I
won't go up there" Aud the patrolman
accused the sergeant of saying:-- it,
get up therel' The sergeant claimed that
he was never known to use the word rep
resented by, and he would not
take as much back water as the captain
OF the "Pinafore."
OFF HIS POST.
Patrolman Gassman, of the Third pre-
cinct. was docked two days pay for being
found off his post. Sergeant Wade told q
Str nh nf hnxU hp anuprp6
Gassman's post, and pounded his club on
the pavement in making signal calls so
many times that President Feeney was
led to ask:-"Is that club still fit for uses'
Gassman brought forward several wit
nesses to prove that he was not off his
post; but that the noise of the cars pass
ing over the railroads in that section pre-
vented his hearing the signals. 1t was
proved that he and Patrolman Richards.
of the Fourth precinct, were holding
lengthy confab upon one of the railroad
bridges, and he was fined two days
pay.
Patrolman Thomas Sutton was next
brought up for neglect of duty. He was
found off his post on the night of July 20.
He claimed that ne was obliged, in COM
pany with Patrolman Valentine, to watch
the disorderly conduct of a crowd in the
"Castle, at the corner of Central
and Laidlaw avenues He was fined five
days pay, and the Chief was instructed
to make further investigation.
Patrolman Reddy, of the Third pre-
cinct, oversight himself ON the night Of
July 30 He did not report on time, and
was fined one days pay.
Patrolman McDevitt, of the Sixth pre-
cinct, was fined two days pay for refus-
ing to report and attend funeral of a
brother officer, from the Third precinct
McDevitt said he was obliged to walk O
great deal in his precinct, and was chafed
and otherwise in no condition to attend q
funeral at a distance.
President Feeney remarked:-"We'd
like to get horses for you fellows in the
Sixth, but the appropriations won't allow
it,"
Patrolman Patrick Reilly was found
guilty of entering saloon He pleaded
guilty of the charge technically and was
obliged to shell out one days pay.
DID sTURGIs NEED A COAT?
The most important decision was made
in reference to Patrolman Sturgis' case.
Sturgis some time ago had been ordered
by Inspector Smith to get new coat. He
thought his coat good enough and ap-
who was then in the Board, and who, he
says, told him that he need not get the
coat till he told him to.
Chief Murphy said the spirit displayed
by Sturgis was in opposition to the rules
of the Department. He wanted the mat
Ter S6Glleu. IL was Ollc 1uSpcCtOI pldC6
to order the men to get new coats. In
spector Smith, while making the inspec-
tion, found two holes i'll Sturgis' coat
where the number ought to be- He said:-
"Put Sturgis down for new coat"
Sturgis said the holes were made by
acid, otherwise the coat was good enough.
He appealed to Chief Murphy. The Chief
told him he'd see about it, or words to
that effect. The Chief said the coat was
good enough for night work only.
Sturgis was found guilty of disobedience
of orders and was fined two days pay.
Communications from the Board of
Finance notified the Commissioners that
an appropriation of $14 900 had been made
for street lighting purposes in addition to
the appropriations already made for the
use Of the Police Board. The amount
would be raised by issuing four and a
half per cent. temporary loan bonds,
which should not be sold at less than par,
said bonds to be placed in the next county
levy.
Special police privileges were conferred
upon Night Watchman John Koehler, of
the Boston One Price Clothing Store.
Michael Kilcauley, who served on the
force from 1858 to 1866, and was then re-
moved for political reasons, was rein
stated as detective, at patrolman's salary,
in the place of William Burns, who was
retired on half-pay Chanceman Leonard
was transferred from the Second to the
First precinct.
PLANS FOR THE NEW BUILDINGS.
The Street and Water Commissioners
will be requested to adopt the plans al
ready published for the new City Hall
and First Precinct Station House at its
next meeting, and Commissioners Kelly
and Benson, with President Feeney as an
ex-officio member, were appointed COM
mittee to select site for the new Fourth
Precinct Station House.
The Corporation Counsel will be asked
his opinion as to the legality of filing up
the sunken lots within the city's limits.
The Board was notified that jackson
avenue had been opened, curbed and
tagged from Grant to Fulton avenues,
but no lamps had been provided The
matter was referred to the Committee on
Streets and Lamps.
Warden Osbornis monthly report of the
City Hospital was submitted and ac-
cepted 1t included receipts, $1,000; ex-
penses, $l15.
A communication was received from
State Factory Inspector S. A. Fell, re-
questing the Board to assist him in en-
forcing the State law concerning school
compulsory education by instructing one
officer from each precinct to make regis
try of all children between the ages of
seven and fifteen from the census returns
supplied by the Board of Education, and
compare them with the enrOllments of
the various schools in order to locate the
absentees The communication was laid
upon the table.
BROTHERHOOD OF BRAKEMEN.