The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-09-21
CAPT. LANCE SUMMONED
An Endeayor 70 Fix the
Responsibility of the Sal
VatiOniStS Arrest.
SUIT. SMITHS CAUsrlC LETTER.
Fears Of Pulpit Politicians, He
SAYS, Should Not Deter the
Police From Doing Their
Duty.

Inscriptions and schemin9 politicians
have, since the police arrested the Salvas
iionists and charged them with being
disorderly persons, been resorting to
mean devices to make political capital
ont of the occurrence. The matter has
heen carried so far that President John
p. Feeney Of the Board Of Police Conn
~missioners, who never takes a mean adj
vantage of any one. has determined to
lind out the true causes which led to the
arrest OF the Salvattonists and has sum
moned Captain Lsngs of the Seventh
precinct. under whose Instructions the
arrests were made, To appear before the
Board to explain.
TO PLACE THE RESPONSIBILITY.
President Feeney is determined to
place the blame where 1t belongs. II the
police are in the fault then punishment
will be- dealt out TO the offenders, but il
on the other hand tt is shown. AS the
Sup %rintendent declares, that the Saliva
tiouists are maintaining II nuisance
aRatnst which property owners and resi-
dents complained, then the fault will be
cast from the police aud upon The
shoulders of those who shoull bear it.
The summoning of Captain Langs before
the Board for an investigation of the
case was decided upon &C u meeting OF
the Police Commissioners. held yester-
day Afternoon.
THEIR REQUEST GRANTED.
The Salvatiouists asked that such a
course be pursued. Inc request was
granted uuhesitatingly.
Superintendent Smith sent TO the Board
a communication which deals with the
arraGt af the SptWQtfnniqtv Qph 10 n fnli
ex explanation of tue action of the polics in
the matter. This Is the letter.
sUPT- SMITHS EXPLANATION.
Hon. Board of Police Commissioners
GENTLEs ES,-In compliance with a request
from the President of your honorable board for
Information concerning the recent arrest of
members of the Salvation Army by officers of
the Seventh precinct under instructions from
Captain Lange, l have the honor to report as
The first knowledge / had that any arrest had
been made or was contemplated was when
Captain Lange telephonsd to ms at head
quarters on Saturday nignt. tho ID inst, TO en-
quire IL Florence Deighlou. who was then under
arrest, could be- paroled. or il she should be
kept in custody until she furnished bail. l
instructed Captain LanRe to parole her.
/ was not aware that any other arrests were to
be made or had been made until 1 saw the
returns from tae Seventh precinct the following
Monday morning. Each commandant of q pre-
cinct is held responsible for the preservation of
peace and good order in his precinct. Since the
arrest of the Salvationist / have been informed
by Captain Lange that numerous complaints
had been made against Corps No, 8 of the Army
for maintaining a nuisance. l understand from
Captain LANCE that he mas ample evidence
to sustain such q charge. The maintenance
of a nuisance isAprohibited by law, and the law
makes no discrimination ia respect to the char
acter or calling of tie persons who violate it.
The fear that politicians in the pulpit or out OF
il might attempt to make political capital out
of an occurrence Of this kind, as appears to
have been done 10 this case. should not deter
the police from performing their duty. The
calling of the Salvation Army, while
commendable, does not, In my opinion,
give them the right to maintain
a nuisance. and when complaints are made, as
in this case, and it seems clear that the law is
being violated, it is the duty of the police to act.
So far as l can see from the facts laid before
me, the police erred only in the character of
the charge made against the persons arrested.
Very respectfully,
G. P. SMITH,
Superintendent of Police.
DATE OF TRIAL.
The Investigation will be held &C the
next meeting OF the Beard.