The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-05-24
AFTER THE JUNK DEALERS.
Two Committeeman Who Got the Sauce
They Wanted to Give Others.

Two Committeeman Who Got the Sauce
They Wanted to Give Others.
There is weeping and gnashing of teeth
among the junkmen, and the cause there
of has proved also a boomerang 20 the
Junk Dealers Association. This cru
dite body some weeks ago held an indig-
NATION meeting and bewailed che influx
of ignorant Italian junkmen whose schol-
arly attainments had not reached the
point that enabled them to translate the
ordinances affecting the high
and noble calling. Peter McElroy
| and James Devlin, two of the Oldest and
most prominent oracles wearing the fea-
thered ermine, were appointed a commit
| tee to wait upon Chief of Police Murphy
and complain of lack of police vigilance
| in the enforcement of the ordinance re-
quiring all junk dealers to carry book
into which all purchases should be re-
corded The oratorical flights of this
committee as it stood at the rail ana de-
| manded the enforcement OF the ordi-
nance, threatening to report the Chief to
| the Commissioners for neglect of duty, is
said to have been sublime.
1.-THE matter shall be looked into imme.
diately," replied the affable chief, and
the committee left in happy spirits.
The ordinance was passed some years
| ago, in order to facilitate the detectives
work in tracing up stolen goods. In 1887
the Junk Dealers Association had the
ordinance repealed, because 1t was driv-
ing nine-tenths of their illiterate drivers
out OF the business. But so many stolen
articles were disposed of by thieves in
this manner that the police found it nee
essary to have the ordinance re-enacted.
AS soon as the committee took its de-
parture, Chief Murphy issued orders to
his various captains to have every junk
man found conducting his business upon
the streets of the city investigated. As a
result one-half dozen or more were ar
raigned before Justice Stilsing and fined
$40 for not keeping record of their pur-
chases. None OF them could read or
write.
On Thursday Patrolman Flannelly. of
the Second Police precinct, was over
hauling an Italian offender when Junk
man Devlin, of police committee fame,
logged up in his little cart aud held on to
his jingling cow bells while he yelled to
the policeman
That's right, policeman, jerk 'em all
in. Dey got no beesness on de street wild
Let me see your book, Devlin, = said
the policeman.
Devlin's face suddenly assumed pale
ness discernible through a dirty strag-
Cling growth Of beard.
I'LL an, q, b blazesF' 2.s.a feeling the empty
heven't leeft it home Pm an Arish
Dootchman. brings 1t around to de
statshun.n
You'll go along with me-" said Elan
nelly. And Devlin was fined $40 next
morning along with the others.
Patrolman White brought another
Dago to Headquarters yesterday.
white, go out and see If you can't find
McElroy, the other committeeman, said
the Chief. White departed and in fifteen
minutes returned with the other boss
oracle of the Junk Dealers Association.
"Got your books" asked the Chief.
s'It's all wrong, Chafe. It's all wrong y
replied McElroy. ''The ordinance hez
been repaledn
We'll, We'll see about that, . replied
the chief. "You can't report me for ne
glect of duty in this instance, at least.'
This morning McElrov declared in
thatcourt the policeman couldn't tsprove he
purchased the articles found in his pos
session, but unfortunately for him he had
previously admitted he did purchase
them. His case was laid over till Tues
day.
VAN HourESs cocoA-Pure Soluble, Econom-