Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-01-07
LAWSON'S TEETH IN DANGER
A Threat to "Knock Them
Down His Throat"
JESTER GETS HIS LITTLE PLUM
The Patrol Station Will be in
His Own Stable.


There was breezy time at the meeting
OF the Board of Police Commissioners last
Thursday over the proposition to remove
the police patrol stables from their present
quarters to those of Jester Il Mcdaniel on
West Front street. The board met in
special session to consider the question
and before the meeting was over one of the
raciest meetings ever before witnessed on
an occasion of this kind was experienced.
The hour for the meeting to take place
was fixed at 7.30 o'clock. Promptly at that
hour Mayor Wiley was present as was
also Commissioner Jester and thereporters.
Mr.. Lawson was Just few minutes tardy.
"lf Mr.. Lawson is not here in five min
utes," said Mayor Wiley, .'we'll begin
business" At 7.43 o'clock Mr.. Lawson
entered the room.
Mayor Wiley stated that this was a
special session of the board called for the
purpose Of deciding the question concern
ing. the police patrol station. He said he
had spoken to City Solicitor Curtis about
an opinion in regard to the matter, but
as Mr.. Curtis had not yet delivered the
opinion on account of illness the board
would proceed to dispose of the question.
Mayor Willey-''I move that the trans
fer of the police patrol station be made
from, its present location [the Grand Union
AtOtVi hClb w blOuulis PAohp anu
French streets) to the place of Jester &
Mcdaniel on West Front street."
Mr.. Jester-'.Second the notion"
Mayor Willey--"I told the chief to adj
vertise for bids for furnishing the stable
and he has done so.n
Up to this time no other bids had been
read before the board and Mr.. Lawson
was thunderstruck at the motion made by
the president of the board even before the
others had been considered.
Chief of Police Blackburn before the
first motion was put was directed to read
whatever bids there were. He read the bid
received from Henry Blouth offering to
furnish the patrol station at the present
location at the rate of s54 per month.
Mayor Willey--"We have already re-
ceived one bid from MIR. Blouth.n
Mr.. Lawson-"Yes, but that was before
the bids were advertised for. l take it that
this bid antedates the first one
The next bid was that of John w. Bank
ofSixth and Jefferson streets, who offered
to furnish a patrol stable for period of
two years for the sum Of 81 ,152 or s4s per
month. No other bids were read.
After Secretary Blackburn had finished
reading the bids Mayor Wiley said he had
some remarks to make concerning the
transfer of the patrol station to the place
of Jester q Mcdaniel.
He said he had found upon investigation
that the stable had been removed from
Jester & McDaniel's stables to its present
location by the police committee of City
Council upon the flimsiest pretext and
presumably upon political grounds. He
had also found that the feed given the
horses at the present stables was reduced
in quantity and that they were kept in
poorly ventilated stalls. Mr.. Jester, he
claimed, would furnish the stables for $55
per month. Mr.. Wiley said the location of
thepresent station wasinthe rear of liquor
saloon, which was enough to condemn its
present location. He did not say, how
ever, that within few doors of Mr.. Jes-
ters stables there are two saloons, and that
five saloons exist in the same block. Mr..
Wiley concluded his written dissertation
by saying that hereafter discussions
brought up in this board must be CON
Quoted without resort to personalities, and
that all matters should be conducted in q
decent way Assuming a Speaker Reed
air he also declared: "No member of this
board has any legal or moral right to inn
pugn the motives which prompt or control
the action Of any other member; nor shall
it be done during the sessions of the board
while occupy the chair.
''At several meetings of this body you
mir. Lawsonl have impugned my truth
fulness and don't propose to permit il
any longer"
Mr.. Lawson without replying to the
mayors remarks at this time said the
Board of Police Commissioners was not
created for one of the members to make
money from his official connection with
it, He then asked Mr.. Wiley if Jester &
Mcdaniel were going to board the patrol
men. Mayor Wiley got mad and said he
wanted that kind of talk stopped. "Oh,
thought there was going to be a lunch
counter there,n rejoined Mr.. Lawson.
Mr.. Lawson, who until this time had
said very little. but who was quick ia
realize that the other members Of the board
had come prepared to remove the patrol
station whether or not, said:
"Mr. President, don't think it is worth
while for me to say anything concerning
the matter you have referred to. Our prr-
pose of cleeting here is to consider the
police patrol station. We have been need
ing for some time mode of rules to go by
in this commission. have been led to
suppose that when these rules were
adopted here, everything would be done
decently; and now as you are about to take
the patrol station to Jester & McDaniels
stable, who as you know are not the lowest
bidders, would like to know If in your
candid opinion the same benefit can be
gotten"
Mayor Wiley (angrily)-"Now Mr.. Law
son you are beginning again. My word
and honor is as good as yours
Mr.. Lawson docking surprised)-"Why,
what's the matter have said nothing"
Continuing again, Mr. Lawson said
II would like to know if Mr.. Porter or
Mr.. Febiger or Mr.. Pickles of the Water
Department would allow anything of this
kind to go on in that body. do you think
or would Mr.. Carpenter or Mr.. Gawthrop
or Mr.. Chambers Of the Street and Sewer
Department tolerate matter like this
patrol question for a moment. Do you
think they would allow a member of the
board to profit by his office in this
manner ?''-
Mayor Willey-"I don't know. be.
lieye nobody can get any plumbing but
Gawthrow & Brother Company
Mr.. Lawson-"Who's going to make
complaint when anything goes wrong II
the patrol stable is removed to Jester 4
McDaniels? The men at the patrol stables
wouldn't do it, because they would be
afraid of Mr.. Jester. If the horses are not
properly fed and attended to as they
should be, how are we going to know it ?
The men were not afraid to report any
thing. that went wrong at the stable
of Mr.. Blouth. But Mr.. Jester, you
must recolleet is a member of the Board
of Police Commissioners, and the men
would be afraid to report anything that
went wrong in the stables. About the
treatment of the horses you speak of,
don't propose to know mitch about that.
But do know that H. Brown, driver of
the patrol wagon, is particular friend of
Mr.. Jester, and he may have been partly
responsible for the horses not having
proper food at Blouths stables, for he did
the feeding. He also spends great deal
of his time about the stables of Jester &
Mcdaniel. In fact he spent his vacation
in working about the stables, perhaps
helping to fix them up for the patrol sta
tion."
Mr.. Jester-"He was hired by me and
preferred TO make some extra money in