The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-05-14


manner said:--
"The Board of Police Commissioners of
Jersey City will please come to order and
the clerk will proceed with the roll call. "
Colonel Robinson politely refused this
request, and, on motion Of Mr.. Kelly,
tBrother" Benson was appointed secre-
1.-The secretary will please read the min
utes of the previous meeting" directed
Mr. Feeney, but as Colonel Robinson had
the minutes Benson couldn't read them,
and he said so. While this was going on
the look of blank astonishment, mingled
with unmitigated disgust, which spread
over the faces of the old Board, was
sight for gods and men.
Commissioner Roberts was the first to
recover, and he Indignantly enquired If
men could come in there and break up a
meeting
Mr.. Feeney vigorously raped for order,
and in his forcible, if not ornate manner,
addressed Mr.. Nugent ct ais. as follows
''If you men want to stay here you must
keep order"
MR. KERN WANTED TO BE PUT OUT.
Then Mr.. William Kern, President of
the Board of Works and proprietor of the
Fourth district arose, and, after declaring
that he was taxpayer, wanted to know
which body was the Board of Police
Commissioners.
All the consideration his enquiry re-
ceived was stern order from Mr.. Feeney
to take his seat.
"I'll take my seat when get ready"
yelled back the mighty man from the
Fourth district.
out" said Mr.. Feeney.
81 want to be put out" retorted Mr..
Kern, now waxing warm and emphaslZ-
ing his remarks with eXtravagant ges-
lures, 81 want to be taken out, SO can
find out which is the Board of Police
Commissioners"
Mr.. Feeney then turned to the Chief,
and ordered him to keep Mr.. Kern quiet.
The Chief rose, and folding his arms after
the manner of the Little Corporal survey
ing the field, merely cast his eye on the
ex-Chief of the Big Four. That look was
enough for "Billy" Kern, and he quickly
subsided.
All this time there was great din going
on in the room. Mr.. Feeney was making
| his gavel extremely tired by the energetic
manner in which he was pounding the
desk with it, and several people Were try
| ing to talk simultaneously.
Finally Commissioner Nugent, of the
old Board managed to make himself
heard, and, addressing President Davis,
! said he thought the other fellows would
wait until the old Board had got through.
| Still the din went on. Mr.. Feeney kept
| rapping for order, and calling on the clerk
! lOf uH6 llUltteS uudU never Cdlllc
| Commissioner O'Donnell managed to
make himself heard and moved that the
| chief be directed to remove from the room
| all persons disturbing the meeting.
THE CHIEF is DEFINITE,
| Then the chief declared himself He
| said that inasmuch as the last Legislature
| had passed a law and he had received Of
| fetal notice of appointments under that
law, as long as that law remained he
! would have to honor it,
| This declaration brought the irrepres-
| sible Kern to his feet again with some ut
terances hardly fit for publication, when
| Mr.. Feeney said:-"Now, behave yourself,
and be kind enough to sit down. If you
want to fight this thing, go fight it in the
| courts.n
1--WE fight in a more decent manner
| than you do,o was the parting shot OF Mr.
Kern, as he took himself from the room.
| THE NEW BOARDS DECLARATION.
| Mr.. Feeney and his colleagues then
| passed preamble and set Of resolutions,
| which set forth that, whereas, the Chief
| Justice has declined to designate the OIL
GERS who shall sit until the charter ques-
| ton is settled, and that their Board was
| duly appointed under the law, their
| bonds accepted, and the Board organized,
and whereas certain Obligations" per-
sons, in defiance of the law. pretend to
exercise the duties of Police Commission
ers to the detriment of the public veal,
| the Chief be directed to prevent trespass
who shall come upon the property of this
city now under control of this Board, for
the purpose of holding meetings and
| transacting alleged business as such Po-
| lice Commissioners, and that the Chief,
| captains and other officers and employees
of the Department be strictly enJoined to
pay no heed to the orders of any Police
| Commissioners except those duly quail
under the act passed by the last Legls-
| lat11ra and accented nv the DeODle.
| Also that Benjamin Murphy, Chief of
| Police, shall issue all orders to the officers
and members of the force, and that he be
| directed to summarily suspend any officer
who shall obey any order emanating from
any other source than the Board through
| its Chief.
Then Mr.. Feeney and his colleagues
sailed out looking as though they, heard
band somewhere playing 'See the Con-
quering Heroes Come"
THEN THEY WENT FOR MURPHY.
When they had departed the old Board
missioner Roberts offered a resolution
which in lengthy preamble minutely
set forth the Chiefs refusal to obey their
orders, and had resolution appended
which directed that charges be preferred
against him and he be cited to appear be-
fore the meeting of the Board to be held
May 81.
Having thus practically suspended the
Chief, the Board waited while Commits
sioner Smith went down stairs and tele
phoned to each captain to report immedi-
ately to headquarters.
AS soon as he left the instrument In
spector Smith sent another message to the
captains telling them to remain at their
posts until otherwise ordered by the
Chief
While this was going on President
Davis and Clerk Robinson sent word to
their homes that they would probably be
out late. After waiting some time and
none of the captains appearing, President
Davis went down to the telephone and re-
peated Commissioner Smiths message to
the captains. The Inspector repeated his
message as before, and while he was thus
engaged Mr.. Feeney came in and ordered
the Inspector to allow no one to use the
telephone.
''if these men get into trouble, Mr..
Feeney, they can blame your people for
it, said Mr.. Davis
"All right" replied Mr.. Feeney and
Judge Davis went back to his colleagues.
CLERK ROBINSoN'S PERPEEXITY.
Soon after this Detective Hutton called
Clerk Robinson down to the Chiefs office.
There he found the Chief and Messrs.
Kelly and Feeney. Mr.. Kelly read to him
q resolution which he said the Board had
lust passed, which declared that any
officer of the department who refused to
obey the orders of the Chief should have
charges preferred against him at once
which the Board would forthwith pro-
ceed to try. Mr.. Kelly asked the Colonel
| L ~. IL. NINz( I1xH%