The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1894-12-30
TORPEYS Wet TOES
They Cost him Ton Days Pay and q
Seeding.
GAFFNEY TAKES A REST TOO
The Police Commission stand BY
the Chief In Furnishing OFF,
oers Whom He Found
OFF Their Beats.

to-day turned itself into Lexow invests
gazing committee TO inquire into tho
charges preferred against two OF The po-
licemen. Officers Torpcy and Giffncy
we're charged by Chief Of Police Leyden
with neglect Of duty, In being in n card
room at tho McDermott hotel when they
should have been paradina their beats.
Tnc commission merely acted rs q jury
in the matter. Il listened to tho slate
ment Of Chief Leyden and then listened
to the statements Of the officers and their
witnesses. There had been no indepen.
dent Investigation by any Of the commits.
sioners or by any ono aching for the com.
mission, to ferret out the truth In tho
case.
The chief stated at 5:l5 o'clock last
Sunday morning he entered tho Nc
Dermoit hotel aud found Officers Torpey
aud Gaffney In card room there sitting
~ table with deck Of cards in front Of
them. He could not tell whether they
had been playing cards or not. GAffney's
beat was OH Arizona street below Mercury,
while Torpcy's included the McDermott
corner. He Immediately suspended tho
men. pending an investigation.
Ofilcer Torpey, in defense, said that in
making his last round for the night he
had chased q man who looked like thief
and stepped into . cesspool. getting his
foot wet. II was very cold and he wanted
to get his foot dry. At tho McDermott
corner he met Officer Gaifney who asked
HIM 10 20 along to the Miner ofilco to get
. morning paper. Torpey asked Gaffney
tn ss.t shn hot n sh hr
might dry his foot. He went in and took
his shoe and stocking on. The bartender
and . commercial traveller were playing q
game Of cards and tho bartender told
them to wait until tho game was over aud
ell would have drink. So they sat down
aud had been there not moro than seven
minutes whom the chief came In.
Of1cer GaRney told q similar story. A
little after o'clock he left his beat to 20
up to the Miner office after paper, aud
met Torpsy with the result as told by Tor
pey.
The mayor asked him II he was not .
good ways on his beat to get paper, and
Gaifney admitted It.
Harry Adams, bartender at the McDer.
unpets stated that tho two officers had
drupped In while he was playing cards
with drummer, and had remained at his
invitation. and were only there . very
few minutes when the chief came IN.
The affidavit of Z. II. Radcliffe. the
commercial traveller. Was read confirming
the former testimony.
Commissioner Gailick moved that ON.
cer Torpey no reinstaled and cxoncratcd,
but the motion was not seconded aud was
WlthdrAWn.
Chairman Brophy said that whether or
not the mon were playing cards, they
were certainly OF their heats whom they
had no right to be. He did not think,
hewever, that the mon would have gone
into the McDermott were there not lax
ity OF discipline previous to that which
had led the men to bellevo they could 20
IN there with impunity. The officers
should bs given 10 understand that they
should not loave their boats under any
circumstances. II Torpey was wet he
was only block from tho McDermott.
Commissioner Maulo did not think the
thing looked just right. He coull not see
how Torpey could dry out sitting In q card
room ~ table. He should havo gone TO
q stove. HIS house was only block away
and the city hall even Q less distance.
BY vote Of three to one tho commits
sion suspended Torpey for 10 days with
out pay. the suspension to dalo from last
Sunday. Officer Gaifney was suspended
20 days. the marshall was instructed to
notify Gaffney that tho next time he
should bc found OF his beat without
proper reason he would be DISCHARGED.
Commissioner Gailick called attention
to letter received by the marshal to the
effect that Jack Lcyden, o special, had
been drunk, west OF tho Rulch. llo had
been suspended, and as he was not reg
ular officer the commission did nothing
In tho matter. The mayor thought police.
men were too ready to 60 into saloons and
drink; he thought II the privilege was 10
be abused tho mon should DO prohibited
entering saloons at all.
Commissioner Gallick suggested that
Officer Coulter be made court officer, in.
asmuch as his health was not good enough.
to permit HIM to do patrolman's duty.
The mayor did not think q cour, officer
necessary, and objected to place beng
made for q man merely because he was
sick. II was decided to got along withou,
q court officer ms before.
Several officers sent in requests for
their time to GO on during sickness. but
all were disallowed except that OF Officer
S.einborn who was sick three days. ON.
Ger Nichol. who shot himself in tho leg.
was allowed his timc up to Jan. !, but nc
longer.
An application for position on the
force was received from Edward =. Car.
roll.