Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1894-01-18
DETECTIVES VS.. POLICE.
A Lively Row over the Arrest of
Some Chicken Thieves.

Chief Doian Complained of Undue Credit
Having Been Given the Detectives, and
Detective Mcyey Resented the Impu-
tation-Then Heavy Jaw Battle En-
sued.
AT the meeting of the Board of Police
Commissioners, last Monday, it was re-
ported that Officer Lane, while shooting
dog on Market street, had broken a
pane of glass in the store of the Will
mington Candy Company. The board
adopted the following resolution:
Resolved, That the board disapprove OF
the actions of officer Lane, on Monday
last, when he shot a dog on a crowded
street, more particularly as the dog was
not rabid and further that the chief of
| police be instructed to say to the force that
better Judgment should be used while
handling revolver and that the indis
criminate shooting OF dogs on the public
streets will not be tolerated
| Chief of Police Dolan, in regard to the
arrest of the chicken thieves ON Saturday
last, said the credit belonged to the police
department and not to the detectives. He
also stated that Officer Ward should be
| given the credit for working up the case.
There was breezy time in the rooms Of
| the Police Commissioners at 8 o'clock a.
M. Tuesday, which eliminated in lively
war of words between Chief of Police
Dolan and State Detective Bernard j.
| McVey. II caused commotion between
the officers and others gathered about the
stairs leading up to the rooms of the COM
missioners.
The affair occurred soon after municipal
court had convened. An officer who heard
the oral sparring between Chief Dolan
and Detective McVey told the following
| story:
AN article in a morning paper stating
| that the chief had complained because
some of the newspapers had given credit
to the State detectives instead of the police
for arresting a gang of chicken thieves,
Saturday morning, precipitated the row;
this morning the former asked for an ex-
PLANTATION. They withdrew to the office of
the chief, in company with Detective
Witsil where the trouble began. McVey
SAID the story furnished the morning
paper was 'lie,' and Chief Dolan finally
admitted that he was responsible for it,
but denied that 1t was untrue. Both men
were very much excited and for time il
seemed as though they would come to
blows. Chief Dolan, in return, accused
McVey of giving out the account of the
arrest of the chicken thieves which was
published in the Sunday Star, claiming
that it did injustice to the police depart
ment, in that the detectives received most
of the credit. Detective McVey denied
that he had given the information TO the
Sunday paper, and said that he was out Of
town Saturday night, which he after.
wards proved by representative of the
paper. :,
"There was a lively time about the hall
during the breezy exchange of words. and
it was difficult to learn which was talking
the loudest. The door of the room was
left open at first, but when 1t was learned
that the row was causing commotion in
the rear of the municipal court room
where the conversation was easily heard
some one slammed the door of the com
missioners' room, which closed with 9
bang. The vordy encounter must have
lasted fully five minutes"
When Chief Dolan was seen on Tues
day, after the storm had blown over, hi
said; 1.-THE matter is all settled now
There was just a little jealousy between
the officers over the arrest of the CHECKER
thieves, and what objected to was tina
credit was given the detectives for the ar
rest while the complaint was lodged a
police headquarters and the officers tool
part in the arrest of the thieves. Commits
sioner Monaghan complained last evening
that the board paid for hiring teams fo
the detectives. That is all there is to it,"
Detectives Witsil and McVey were jus
|
lorney-general when asked for their yer
sion of the difficulty. They stated tina
they had received word concerning tn,
Wholesale robberies of the hen roosts o
New Castle county, jointly with the police
a man in Second street market having toll,
McVey on Friday morning that there wa
a possibility Of the thieves bringing tn
stolen property to the market house TO
disposition. Whereupon the detective
went to the market house early Saturda,
morning, together with Officer White AMI
arrested several of the thieves red-hande,
, and took their plumber to the city hall
They then went out to. New Castle witt
Sergeant Evans and Captain Chamber
and arrested the remaining thieves, an,
secured from them confession.
Detective McVey stated that he coul
not be held responsible for the failure o
the newspapers to give as much credit d
: the police as to the State detectives. as tn
newspapers themselves were the bes
judges as far as their position is concerned