The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-05-16
THE NEW BOARDATVORE
Mr. Feeney's Police Com
mission Fines De1in-
quents and Imposes
Penalties.
AN INTERESTING SESSION.

Queer Directions for a Man Who
Was Looking for the Salvation
Army.
Curiosity was the biggest feature of the
Police Department yesterday. Every
patrolman, roundsman, sergeant and
captain had an expression of
81 wonder what will happen?n
on his face. At Headquarters there were
not many politicians, but those who were
there are active ones. The busiest of
them all was Assemblyman Feeney, the
District Attorneys right hand detective
and president of the new charter Board.
He hobnobbed with everyone and laughed
at his own jokes until he succeeded in
getting himself in state of great serenity
and complacency. Saloonkeeper Kelly
and the ex-Rev. Con. Benson, the other,
two Commissioners, appeared extremely
fondof each other, and au hour before th @
meeting was held it could be seen that
nothing but love and harmony existed in
the breasts of these three gentlemen.
l
WANTED A SALVATION ARMY.
While President Feeney was waiting
for his colleagues to appear THE JERSEY
CITY NEWS reached Headquarters, and
from it President Feeney and all others
present learned the result of the meeting
of the old Board, held in Judge Seymour's
Office in the afternoon. While all,were
| anxiously listening to the reading of this
| account much whiskered man entered
! the hall and inquired of Mr.. Feeney
| where he could find the Salvation Army.
| 81 don't know much about salvation,n
was the reply; task the Inspectorin
| The query was put. but Inspector
| Smith appeared to be as far from saliva
ton as President Feeney, for he was COM
PEELED to ask Chief Murphy That official
! is always well posted, and is a sort of a
walking directory. He sang out from his
| private of1ice-
''You will find it in Judge Seymour's
Office in the Weldon Building"
| When the laugh at the expense of the
old Board was over, Mr.. Feeney called
Kelly and Benson into an inner room and
! a quiet and amicable caucus of half an
| hour was held.
THE DOORS WERE LOCKED.
The caucus over, the Board decided to
| go upstairs When it did so the members
| discovered that the doors were locked and
they could not get in until Chief Murphy
| unlocked them.
On the inside of each a policeman
| stood guard, and until the Chief said
"It's all right"
! not a person was admitted. Clerk
Robinson was the last to enter, and
| he looked as if he would like to
farm out the job, for the Colonel has
a lingering doubt as to which particular
I part of the city government he belongs to.
He has cast his fortunes with the new
Charter Board, but his eye looks with q
pathetic and lingering fondness on the old
one.
TRIALS ARE HELD.
By the time President Feeney an
! nounced that he was ready to proceed
with business a crowded courtroom was
on hand.
Policeman Landmesser, of the First
| precinct, was the first man to have the
honor ~ of being tried and convicted by
the new Board. He was charged with
| being asleep on post at four a. M, April
24 Sergeant Carroll testified that he
found him asleep on a stoop on Barrow
street and that he had to blow his whistle
twice while standing beside him. The
officer also lost his night stick. Later in
the meeting President Feeney announced
that he had been found guilty; that the
new Board on this occasion desired to be
lenient with all of the offenders, and then
sentenced him to the loss of ten days
pay.
Patrolman Harrigan, of the First pre-
cinct, was charged with having been of
post while on duty by Sergeant Carroll
The charge was dismissed. While the ex-
planation was taking place the Sergeant
said that when he found Harrigan he
asked where he had been that he could
| not be found.
"Doing my duty" was the answer, sdo
you want me to carry you around on my
back?n
| n,ha +h;rd oulnr;t xuoe rotroIrnoo Mo-
Mahon, of the Third precinct He pleaded
guilty to not being present at roll call at
seven O'Clock a. M, May II, and the Chief
was instructed to reprimand him. The
same punishment was given Chanceman
Leary, who left his post for a few mo-
ments while on duty.
Patrolman James Ryan, of the Second
precinct, also escaped with reprimand.
He said sudden illness forced him to enter
a liquor store.
cinct, was tifty-fve minutes late at roll
call May and he was fined three days
pay by President Feeney.
Policeman Scott, of the Fifth precinct,
was absent at roll call May s, but he
showed a certificate from Surgeon Nevins
that he was i'll and the charge was dis
missed.
John ]. Ernst, of the same precinct,
pleaded guilty to being off post. He ex-
planned that he had crossed the street to
look at q stable winch Lle owner wanted
him to watch and that was the only
offence committed. He was reprimanded
by the Chief
The Commissioners believed the story
of Patrolman McDevitt that he was too
i'll to report for duty April 80 and found
him not guilty.
THE OTHER BUSINESS
The Board then transformed itself from
trial committee into the Board proper
and Clerk Robinson read the minutes.
Mr.. Benson thought he could not vote for
them without careful and thoughtful
study, and on his motion they were laid
over until printed. Chief Murphy made
the city $500 richer by turning over that
amount collected from Barnum's circus as
license fee.
Mr. Benson believes in morality and
temperance, and for that reason he intro
duced a resolution, which was adopted,
that any member of the department con-
yicted of intoxication hereafter shall be
summarily dismissed. Saloonkeeper Kelly
WINGED at this, but he proved himself a
martyr and voted for it.
The Board also decided to grant the
Chief fifteen days vacation the captains
twelve, Inspector twelve, detectives and
roundsmen ten, and patrolmen eight days.
But one man in each platoon may take his
vacation at time. The Board adjourned
to meet at the call of the chair.