Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1894-09-13
WAS HE RIGHT OR WRONG (?
House Sergeant England Un-
der Investigation.
FAILED TO RESPOND TO A CALL
He Claims He Was Right
Under the Police Rules.
They Require Three Men to he ut the sta
tion at All Times, and There Was No
One to Take His Place mt the Time--
Disposed of with Reprimand.


Police Commissioners, last Thursday, |
charges of neglect of duty were pre-
ferred against House Sergeant Isaac |
England, in failing TO respond to tele- |
phone call asking for the services of an
officer at No. T13 Shipley street, Satur.
day week. The call for police assistance
was sent in from A. II. Ainscow's res
taurant, No. III Shipley street, and the
Information received ut police head
quarters was that one of the inmates
was numbering another hahtue.
According to the evidence produced
at the hearing Thursday the message
was received at the police station about
$50 o'clock Saturday evening, and was
first transmitted over the long distance
phone in the chief of policies office.
Special Officer Doherty received the call
for assistance. He says he went I'M
mediately downstairs and notified House
Sergeant England, who was sitting at
his desk. Operator Kane was at his
machine taking the reports OF the
officers There was no one else in the
police station. Doherty says he went to
the house sergeGnt's desk. but England
did not get up from his chair. He was
writing at the time. Doherty then re-
traced his steps and going back upstairs
he said to Commissioner Pyle, who hap.
pened to be sitting in the Office of the
chief of police, reading paper: II
can't get anybody TO do anything down
stairs. This is a HI Of way to run IL
police station" Commissioner Pyle and
Special Officer Doherty then put on their
hats and started for the scene of the dis.
turbance.
Meantime, another messenger had
81 A. H.. Al.
police station downstairs, and when
Commissioner Pyle and Doherty passed
out Operator Kane was taking the mes
- sage over the phone. House Sergeant
England, knowing that it was about
time for the day squad to come off duty
instructed Operator Kane to call up
Kelly's saloon at Tenth and Shpley
streets, and ask them to stop Officer
Gum as he passed by on his way to the
City Hall, and tell him to come to the
phone. When the day squad came
along, Officer Gum was picked out of
the ranks and came to the telephone.
Operator Kane, acting on authority from
Sergeant England, commanded Gum to
go at once to the house where the trou-
BILE was in progress.
The day squad in charge of Sergeant
Massey, kept on down Tenth to Market
aud then down that thoroughfarc
towards the City Hall At Seventh and
Market streets Commissioner Pyle and
Officer Doherty met them. Commits.
sioner Pyle instructed Sergeant Massey
to take his men around to the Shipley
street house and quell the disturbance
and the sergeant followed his instruc.
tons. He found the front door looked
but forced an entrance by rear alley
way. About this time Captain KANE
arrived and forced an entrance through
the front door. The officers found that
the only trouble was that two inmates
had been battering each other with thcil
fists, and no murder was in progress
The officers got there before o'clock.
After the unwholcsome atmosphere
encircling the scene Of the dirturbanct
had blown away Commissioner Pylt
turned his attention to House Sergeant
England and preferred charges OF ne
glectof duty against England for failure
TO respond 10 the call. The case wa
heard on Thursday. Sergeant England
was called before the Police Commits
sioners and the evidence as stated abovi
was submitted.
Sergeant England defended his actor
in not leaving the police station by pro
ducing the book OF police orders, which
he seems to have thoroughly diEcsted
since his appointment, and which h
pointed out TO the board with clcarness
One of the rules read:
"The officer stationed at central sta
ton shall not leave his post of duty
without being relieved by one of tn
sergeants or some other officer desig
mated to act in his place by the captain
in charge"
Another rule reads:
"On and after March list, officers i
the station house will follow order 8
as near as possible, but must not lcav
their post of duty until their succcssu
arrives"
Captain Kane had been called ava
an hour before the message came i
about the fight.
Here is an order which the scrgean
regarded as important:
The officers who disregard order
issued by the chief of police need not b
surprised if they are suspended witAou
pay for three days"
Sergeant England further contende
that he had left his post for one huu
last winter and was severely rcpr
manded by the chief of police, who la
given orders that there must be thrC
officers at the police station 1T all time
namely, a house sergeant, operator an
turnkey. The chief had told him III
was in case an emergency should haI
pen, and the officers should be ut the
post.
Sergeant England claimed that /
had no one to send to the scene of Il
disturbance, as he would have disobeyt
orders to have gone himself; II wuu
have been against the rule to have SCI
the turnkey and the operator had Il
reports Of the patrolmen to receive, al
he could not leave his machine. Ask,
by Commissioner Lawson why he d
not send Special Officer Duaerty, Il
sergeant replied that he was upstai
with Mr. Pyle, who could have dctailt
him to 60, and besides the officer "
not quite sure whether lie had Il
authority to send Doherty lie w
asked what he would do in case Of
fight or murder within hearing OF Il
police station, and said that he would
himself if there was no one else to sen
but to go any distance, leaving no Of
at police headquarters was against Il
orders of the chief.
Chief Dolan contended that tho
being no officers on hand at the cent,
station when call comes in the hou
sergeant should go himself
The investigation narrowed itst
down to the question, did the hou
sergeant exercise his full duty after I
call came in? 1t is admitted that
might have been more diligrnt by g
ting up out of his char and seeing
there wnrp nny mora Dffipprz "a bput /