Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-09-03

btNtfoh A1iiss
At the meeting of the Board of Police
Commissioners on Thursday the case of
Officer Hershock, who was charged with
assaulting William Riley, was disposed
of. Chief of Police Blackburn was d.
rected to read the testimony which be
had taken at hearing in his office. The
testimony was to the effect that Riley
was using horses with sore shoulders,
and when the officer went to unharness
the horses and send them home Riley
came up to prevent him, when the officer
pushed him away. There the assault
seemed to end and the charge of drunk
enness was investigated, but all the
witnesses except Riley testified that the
officer was sober when he pushed Riley.
On motion of Mr.. Lawson the report
of the chief was accepted and the charge
against Hershock dismissed.
The course of Officer Hershock in
arresting Michael Riley, William Riley's
father, while quietly walking along the
street with his wife, was not endorsed
by the board. Chief Blackburn was in
structed TO notify Officer Hershock that
his action in arresting Michael Riley
and bringing him to the police station
did not. meet with the approval of the
board.
A new blank sheet to be used in send
ing feed bills to Council was adopted by
the board.
Among the bills approved at the meet
| ing were five of the Gamewell Fire
Alarm Telegraph Company, as follows !:
| For repairs to fire alarm boxes, 1888;
| for other repairs to boxes, S11.50; for
repairs to boxes broken recently, S11.50;
for repairs to indicator in the city hall,
$15.50; for adjusting indicator of the
Liberty Company, $3.50, for services
as an expert in fixing repeater, $17.95.
Mr.. Lawson asked the question
whether or not it was not understood at
previous meeting of the board, shortly
after it organized, that these expenses
were to be paid by the superintendent
Of the fire alarm system. He thought
that Mr.. Pierson ought to be expert
enough to fix his own indicators and
repeaters, and the board started out
with that impression. He continued:
"We are paying a man to attend to the
fire alarm system and now here are a
batch of bills for work done by an ex-
pert. 1t was the understanding of this
board that the superintendent was ex-
pert enough to attend to the system, and
il he is not we ought to get some one
else who is. ! am opposed to paying
two men for the same work. will
sign this bill of $3.50 for repairs to the
indicator, but I'll not approve any more
as far as | am concerned"
The other members of the board
maintained almost a profound silence
when the bills came up. Mayor Wiley
suggested, however, that hereafter the
superintendent would be expected to
pay his own expenses.
On motion of Mr.. Lawson all the
police officers were allowed week
vacation.
Mr. Wiley spoke of the condition Of
the cells at the city hall and thought the
present quarters entirely insufficient
He also spoke of a complaint made tc
him by Fred. ii. Hilbiber, barber at No
East Sixth street, the rear of whose
property is but short distance from the
city hall cells. Mr. Hilbiber complains
that when crazy people are placed ir
the upper cells Of the city hall, they
frighten his children, and the language
used by the prisoners, Mr.. Hilbibel
says, can be heard throughout his entire
house. The stencil from the cells, HI
says, is also nuisance. Mayor Wiley
in discussing the matter, said he knew il
was hardship for Mr.. Hilbiber, ant
Mr.. Lawson said he had been in the
barber shop and heard the rawlings Of
the prisoners which Mr.. Hilbiber speaks
of. Still the board did not see how the
evil could be remedied. The accommo
dation in the upper cells of the police
station was entirely inadequate. Mayo
Wiley said, for instance, young white
girl was arrested and placed in The
upper room on a suspicion of larceny Of
tried, but was only suspected. A raid
is made on disorderly house, white o.
colored, and these women are thrown il
with this young white girl, all in th'
same room, there being no other place
for them. Women accused of any crime
whatever were placed in the same cell
This, the mayor thought, was an evi
that should be remedied by an enlarge
ment of the city hall.
The advisability of allowing police
officers to go outside the city on polic'
duty, provided they were sworn in a
deputy sheriffs, was discussed, and tn,
board decided that when they went out
side to perform special duty as deputy
sheriffs, on an excursion or otherwise
they went at their own risk, and if in
jured they would be compelled to stanC
the consequences.
Police Surgeon Baird sent commu
nication to the board asking whether ol
not he was subject to the orders of the
city solicitor in making examinations
He said he recently examined the chile
whom Lewis Young is charged witt
indelicately handling, and the exami
nation was made on advice of the city
solicitor. The board decided that tn,
police surgeon was subject only to tn,
orders of the Board of Police Commits
sioners. If the city solicitor desired ar
examination made by the police surgeon
he must notify the chief Of police, who
will give orders to the police surgeon.
Councilman Kirby made complaint Of
nuisance In the shape of persons col
lecting about the corner of Sixteenth
and Claymont streets, in the Ninth
ward. Chief Blackburn was instructed
to investigate the matter.
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