Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-01-14
A POLICEMAN SUSPENDED.
officer Carpenter for Failing to
Make Prompt Reports.

OiHCcT ietefSOn ALSO tnuer FtrG, and n
Charge Against Officer Darrell Dis
missod--Meeting OF the Police Commits
sioners.
Aspecial meeting of the Board of Police
Commissioners was held Wednesday to
investigate the charges preferred against
Police Officers Darrell and Carpenter
The charge against Officer Darrell was
that of being drunk and raising dis
turbance in the saloon of Dennis Lucy,
Fifth and Tatnall streets, on New Years
afternoon. Chief Blackburn stated that
he had investigated the charges against
the officer, but found no one willing to
come forward and substantiate them
since the investigation began.
He said that the case was reported at
the police station by a colored man, but
this person was not willing now to make
formal charge against the officer. Mayor
Wiley said that hereafter he did not
think the board ought to take cogni.
zance Of charges preferred against off,
GERS unless they were made in writing
and qualified to.
Mr.. Lawson said that certain persons
had stated that the charges against the
officer were well-founded, but as they
had not como forward with the state
ments he supposed they had concluded
not to qualify to them. On motion of
Mr.. Jester the case was dismissed.
The case of Officer Carpenter was
then taken up. Secretary Blackburn
read two charges preferred against the
officer for failing to report from the
patrol booth at Eighteenth and Market
streets at 1855 o'clock on the morning
of January Sd, and atthe same hour on
January 4th. II was proven that Car
pcnter's failure to report on the morning
OF January 3D., was occasioned by his
having to take an intoxicated person to
his home in East Lake. 1t is customary
for the policemen to take man home
under The influence of liquor if he is not
disorderly and is willing TO go home
quietly. The first charge was then dis
missed. The specifications in each
charge were made by Captain Francis
and Sergeant Ingram in writing and
were signed by CHIEF Blackburn.
The board next took up the second
the specifications Of this charge had
been read by Secretary Blackburn, in
which the officer was accused of neglect
Of duty in not reporting from the booth
at Eighteenth and Market streets at
1885 on the morning Of January 4th,
Officer Carpenter was summoned before
the board. The charge was again read
by Secretary Blackburn.
"What have you to say to the charge
Mr.. Carpenter ?" said Mayor Wiley.
In reply to the mayors question Off
Ger Carpenter said he did make report
from the booth mentioned on the morn
ing OF January 4th, and received an an
swer. Il did not leave my district" he
continued, "although | believe was a
little late in reporting, probably a
minute or 50. My time for reporting is
11.55 a. M"
II. B. Wallace, operator at the police
station, was called and said he received
two reports from the booth at II. .55 d.
m, on January 4th. Officer Peterson
made one of the reports and Captain
Francis had made the other, he said.
The roll was produced and ono report
from the patrol box in question was
missing from the roll. Mr.. Wallace at
first took the report made by Captain
Francis as Carpenters report, but upon
the statement Of Francis that he turned
the report in, instead of Carpenter,
Operator Wallace erased this report
from the roll.
Sergeant Ingram stated that he was
with Captain Francis when the latter
made the report at l1.55 a. M, January
4th, the time Carpenter should have re-
ported, but he did not SEQ anything of
Carpenter When asked how he knew
what time it was when Captain Francis
reported from the, booth, Sergeant
Ingram said the former had told by xis
watch. Mr.. Lawson then asked Ser
geant Ingram ii he remembered where
lie was at 11.45 o'clock that morning,
and the latter said ne did not recollect.
He did not know whether he was on
the north side of the bridge at that time
or the south side, he said.
Captain Francis was called. He said
he made the report referred to at 11.55
O'Clock from the booth at Eighteenth
and Market streets. Sergeant Ingram
was with him. Ile said he was making
tour Of the western districts that night
and accidentally happened into the
Eighth district. After the report was
turned in, he and Sergeant Ingram
crossed the bridge and went to the
patrol booth at Eleventh and Church
streets. The first he saw of Officer Car
penter was at 2.55 o'clock, when the
latter came from the direction of the
Sixth district to report at tho patrol
booth. In reply to a question pro-
poundedby Mr. Lawson, Captain Francis
said that Officer Peterson, Carpenters
companion in the Eighth district, came
from the direction of the Sixth district
also. His admission led Mr.. Lawson to
inquire ii any charges had been made
against Officer Peterson for being in the
Sixth district and absent from the
Eighth that night. No charges had been
entered.
1.-The matter we are considering is not
in relation to Officer Pcterson,n said
Mayor Wiley. "NYe can take that up
afterwards"
"Yes but, Mr.. Mayor, we probably
wouldn't have heard OF this charge if it
had not been brought out Incidentally
CHATS all right" said Mayor Wiley.
The mayor then asked Captain
Francis what time he first saw Officer
Peterson that morning. Captain Francis
said it was about / o'clock. lie said he
left Peterson over in the Ninth ward on
his district ard then he and Sergeant
Ingram crossed the bridge and went to
the patrol box at Eleventh and Church
streets. The next they saw Of Peterson
he was coming from the direction of the
Sixth district and not from his own dis
trict.
MIR. Jester-"Is this the first time
Officer Carpenter has missed reporting?"
Captain Francis-"This is the first
time ever caught him.
At this point Officer Carpenter asked
Captain Francis: Didn't Officer Peter
son tell you he saw me on the district
that morning 2" ayes. he said il hadn't