Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1893-11-23
PAY FOR SPECIAL OFFICERS
ABillThat Took City Councils
Time for Two Hours.
FORWATCHINGT HEOLD ACADEMY
An Outcome of the Contest
for Its Possession.
The Public Buildings Committee Hired
Two Special Oilleers to Guard the
Building, and When the Mn Came Cp
in City Council, Thursday Night, a Long
Talk Followed.

committee occupied inc attention Ot
Council for nearly two hours Thursday
evening and for q time it looked as If
there would DO continuous session.
The members evidently tried to Guido
the United States Senate In their memoir
able debate on the passage of the repeal
Of the obnoxious Sherman Silver act,
and If that was their intention they sue
ceeded admirably. 1t oil happened in
this way:
The chairman of the public building
committee sent batch of bills TO the
clerks desk to be read, and among them
were two bills presented by James +.
Hershock and Joseph II, Massey,
amounting to 500, for doing guard duty
at the Old Academy in the Ninth ward.
These two bills were read by the clerk
and then Mr.. Donohoe called halt. He
asked for an explanation in regard to
the bills presented by the officers and
was informed that the building COM
mittee had employed the watchmen at a
salary of SO per day.
This brought Mr.. Meany to his feet.
| He had always commended that a man
was worthy of his hire, but as men,
Der of the public building committee he
certainly objected to this manner of
contracting bills. He said that So per
day for 80 days was expensive for
Waterman, and he desired to know the
reason why man had been placed on
guard at the Old Academy.
Mr.. Tyre volunteered the information
that City Council had given a kinder
| garten permission to occupy the build
ing, but the latter had found the place
in the hands of other parties and so re-
| ported to the committee. He said the
enemy were locked in the building and
1t was with the greatest difficulty they
could be gotten out. He said the watch.
men were employed 10 keep the in
truders out after they had been ousted
and who had no legal right there.
Special Officer Massey performed guard
duty 80 nights and his bill was $50;
while Hershock's vigils lasted three
nights and his claim was SO.
| Mr.. McNulty stated that he was still
in the dark. He did not see why special
watchmen had to be employed. Where
were the police officers Where was the
sheriff? Why is it necessary to employ
special officers TO protect the cty's prop
erty when there is such an efficient
| police force and plenty of other sworn
officers Of the law, Unless some better
| explanation be offered for the action of
the building committee he could not see
his way clear to vote for the bill.
This brought Mr.. Stats to the floor,
and before he sat down the members of
City Council had begun to think con-
tinuous session was in sight. The men,
Der from the Eighth ward seemed boil
ing over with his subject ana it is
/ Ful Of
could out-talk the member with NO re-
straint coming from the chair. Mr..
Stats began his speech by telling how
the present City Council had granted
the use of the building for kinder.
garten and before he had finished his
peroration he had reviewed every bit of
history connected with the Old Acad-
envy and its mysterious occupants. He
said that for thirteen years the building
had been occupied by the club and until
a few months ago this organization had
held indisputed sway. When Council
granted the use Of the building to the
kindergarten month or so ago, he
stated that the Martin Club was still in
possession of the rooms and refused to
give them up. The members of the
club, Mr.. Stats said, formed themselves
into the Brandywine Library Associa-
ton.
Mr.. Stats then went on to tell how
the building committee of Council, of
which he is chairman, went out TO the
Old Academy to dispossess the holding
over tenants, and were informed by the
latter that the club was in lawful pos
session of the building; how the COM
mittee was ridiculed by police officer
who happened to be present and who
told the committee they acted like school
boys; and all the incidents connected
with the attempt to dislodge the occu-
pants were told by Mr.. Stats. Finally
the committee summoned the patrol
wagon, and when the members of the
Library Association saw the "hurry-up"
wagon coming they took their departure,
and in This manner the committee got
possession. A Waterman was then
placed on guard to prevent the club
from returning again.
Mr.. McNulty said that it was the first
time that he had been officially informed
Of the difficulty at the Old Academy.
He said it looked as if lot of hood
lums had taken possession of the build
ing, but he couldn't for the life of him
see why tho matter was not put in the
hands of the police. He said the mem
beers Of the club were not gentlemen or
they would not have ill-treated the
members of the building committee. He
did not altogether approve of the manner
in which the committee had taken pos
session of the building. He said the
proper way would have been for Coun-
Gil to have given the club 80 days notice
and upon their refusal to go, had them
arrested for trespass.
Mr.. O'Neil took this view of the
matter, as did also Mr.. Smith, both
stating that they would vote for the
passage of the bill, provided the special
watchmen were discharged Immediately
Council decided to employ a watchman
no longer than this week. The bill was
then passed.
City Solicitor Elliott sent communi.
cation to Council, in which he stated
that the bill, amounting TO $s3.53, pre-.
scented by Frank A. McCloskey Of the
Board of Election Commissioners was
perfectly proper and should be allowed
The bill was referred to the city solicitor
by Council for an opinion, City Auditor
Billany having refused to audit it, The
bill was passed by Council.
In regard to the payment of the salary
OF Officer Dl Mare, Mr.. Elliott held that
the police force, according to the acI
creating the body, is entitled to employ
a specified number of men, and Di Mare
being outside this number could not ex.
pect remuneration from Council.
Charged With Non-support.
Jacob g. Hess, was arraigned before
Justice of the Peace Frank Il. Smith
last Thursday charged with failure To