Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-01-07
THE PArRoI STATION.
Its Removal to testers Stable Denounced
as Outrageous.


sloner Jester in removing the police
patrol station from Its present location
to the stables of Jester & Mcdaniel on
| West Front street, Several well-known
and highly respected members of the
party wearing the same political stripe
as the two commissioners denounce the
removal Of the station as outrageous.
Not single person was found in favor
OF the patrol station being removed.
Even the police officers in charge of the
patrol stables, with the possible excep-
ton of Patrol Driver III. Brown, who is
q deyout worshlpper of Commissioner
Jester, are against the station being
located where it is, They said Fri
day that the old location was undoubt-
eddy the best place, and that time would
show that this was actually the case.
Many of the officers gave their rca-
sons for opposing the stable Of Commits
sioner Jester as the LOCATION of the police
patrol stables. They said the stables
were tried once and found unsuitable.
The men claim that the stables are TO-
Gated in such o manner as to make it
inconyenient to harness their horses and
respond with alacrity to call. The
horses are stabbed in the extreme end of
the long stables, and in order to get the
patrol wagon out the men state that they
are forced to walk behind about 80
horses. All the officers spoken to agree
that this was one of the reasons for re-
moving the wagon from Jester g.
McDaniel's stables before. Another rea-
son was, the officers OF the city hall
complained of the stable being SO far
away from the police station and
desired the police committee of City
Council to place 1t nearer to the city
hall.
Many desire to know how the ma
| jority members Of the Board of Police
Commissioners could have given the
stables to Jester & Mcdaniel under the
circumstances, even If they did adver-
tise for bids. After these bids were ad-
vertised for no new bid was received
from Jester & Mcpaniel, who were
awarded the contract at the rate of $55
per month, and not $50 per month as
stated in the Mounting Ne,os. This being
o fact, the question is raised whether or
not the missioners-Mayor Wiley
and Commissioner Jester-had legal
| right to award the contract to Jester g.
Mcdaniel, new bid not having been
sent in by the latter after proposals
were advertised for. Besides, the COM
missioners did not award the contract
to the lowest bidder. but to the highest
Blouth's bid was $54 per month and
John w. Batiks, Fifth and jefferson
streets, $48 per month, while Jester s.
Mcdaniel bid $55 per month.
Francis T. Sawdon, butcher in
| Second street market, who was chairman
Of the police committee of City Council
when the patrol stable was removed
from Jester & McDaniel's stables before,
was seen on Saturday with reference to
the removal of the station. He said {:
1.-The. patrol station was removed from
Jester & McDaniei's stable by the police
committee Of Council of which | was
chairman, because the officers and Chief
Of Police swiggett complained of the
unsuitable location of the stable. They
held thatit should be nearer to the city
hall and for that reason our committee
decided to remove 1t to the stable of
John A. Wilson, funeral director, whose
stable is on East Seventh street between
King and French. From there the
stable was removed to the rear of the
Grand Union Hotel It was also stated,
as point In favHf of the removal Of the
patrol station!from Jester g. McDaniel's
Stables to point east of Market street,
that a majority of the arrests occurred
on the east side of town and desire was
expressed by the officers to have the
patrol stable east of Market street."
"What about the presumption of
Mayor Wiley that the patrol station
was taken away from Jester 6
McDaniePs stables originally upon po-
litical grounds?n
"Thatjis untrae. The reasons for re-
moving the station were those have
given you, and politics never entered
into the matter. ! positively deny that
the stable was removed for political
reas5ns.n
Police Officer Alexander Burleirh.
who was an officer on ex-Mayor Har-
rington's force and who was reappointed
last June BY the Board of Police Com
missioners, but disqualification account
OF his failure to pass the examination
required, was an officer at the patrol
station. When asked which stable was
the most suitable for patrol station he
said:
There could not have been q better
location for the patrol stables than at
Front and French streets. 1t was as
good as three e4tra policemen on the
'coas.. The,preseiice of the patrol Off
GERS there serfed to keep better order
than ever before, and recently people
have noticed what changelhas come
over the locality. There could not have
been a better location in the city for the
patrol wagon than where it was.n
Ex-Polioe Officer Thomas Burrows,
another ex-member Of ex-Mayor Har.
rlngton's force, said. "Front and French
streets was the place for the patrol
stable. A more suitable place could not
be found. Besides, most of the arrests
OCCUR east of Market street, and the
stables being located where they were
was very convenient for the policemen
Ex-Patrolman Ferd Chairs, who was
q good officer under ex-Mayor Earring-
ton, but who was not reappointed
because Commissioner Jester accused
HIM Of being instrumental in having the
patrol stable removed from his (Mr.
Jester's) stables, said Saturday morning:
You can say that the stable was re.
moved because the officers and Chief
of Police Swiggett objected to its re-
naming at Jester & McDaniel's stables,
owing to the unsuitable location of
tne stapie. Inc horses were Kept
away back behind all the other
horses in the stable, and sometimes
when the stable was blocked with horses
and wagons, we had difficulty in getting
out. Besides, we had to walk behind |
about thirty head of horses before we
could reach the patrol wagon and horse.
The wagon was not removed for politi-
cal reasons at all. / must have had |
pretty strong political pull with the |
police committee of Council il the |
stable was removed for political reasons. |
| complained about the stables to a