Kansas City daily journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1892-1897, 1895-11-04
A RESTRICTIVE MEASURE.
COMMISSIONERS FORBID THE POLICE
JOINING SECRET SOCIETIES.
The Board VIII Meet To-day and Put an
End to the suspense OF the Members
of the Force-Wil Decide
SCanlon's Case.

At a meeting of the board of police COM
mssioners held last Saturday a resolution
was adopted prohibiting any police officer.
under penalty of dismissal from the force
from proselyting for any secret political
or religious organization" among the oth-
er members OF the police force. The reso-
luton ia sweeping in its character and the
commissioners are emphatic in the asser-
ton that 1t will be enforced to the letter.
Here IS the resolution in full:
ORDER NO. 4;
"Ofice of Chief OF Police,
ITO the Officers and Members of the Net
ropolitan Police Force Of Kansas city.
AT meeting of The honorable board of
police commissioners, all members pres
luton was unanimously adopted:
=" Resolved, That 1t VIII be considered
any other member of the force to join or
become member of any secret political or
religious organization of whatever charac-
THE enforcement of the foregoing reso-
luton being in the hands of the chief of
police. it is hereby emphatically announced
that any infringement of its letter or spirit
will be promptly ana effectively punished
"L. y. IRWIN, chief of Police"
1t Is the claim of members Of the board
that the police force should be clear and
ltics ana that this order is but a step to-
ward the fulhllment Of that object.
A.tlOlSN llt blAtI WIS d4bplth Shlul-
day it was not given publicity until last
night, when it was read AT roll call at the
four precinct stations. 1t came as sur
prise to the officers and created something
Of u sensation.
1t was rumored at Central police station
last night that a secret meeting OF tho
board Of police commissioners was held in
The ohice, Of Commissioner Fyke last night:
once H'', early in the evening and spent some
time there 1t Is not known whether May
Sf y D@ys %q5 oaed @ at "tsn Gn
tral station and asked where the board was
ssn raassta5 S 10 be present ' AZ the ' meet
ing. He could learn nothing of the where
abouts of the members at the station, and
pear at the station last night, as he usually
does, and Il is believed that he was also
The exact significance Of the meeting
last night will probably be unfolded at to-
many aS poiicemSn iiS viii be dccliSd at the e meet
ing Of the board OF police commissioners,
draws near the anxiety OF the men who
walk the, streets arrayed In blue and brass
and clothed with the authority OF law
At o'clock this morning the case, Of Pa
trolInan Patrick Scanlon, accused of sleep
ing on duty, will be taken up for consider
alton. The statement that Sranlon Is under
duty is erroneous, There seem" TO have
been eNtenuaung circumstances in the case
d % sbY SSgr cf6re thu hoard m wSan Ei
he is arraigned for trial, so his friends
say, hut VIII offer in eNtenuation the fact
that he was on duty all night and was q
witness IN the criminal. court the following
day. lie was kept in the court room
throughout the day and reported for duty
the night of tire alleged ofense without
having had any sleep within twenty-four
hours. He ate his lunch that night and
atterward lighted a cigar to smoke when
he dropped off to sleep, The roundsman
came along while he was slumberng and
marked him up for failing to make his
schedule point, lie tod the lieutenant il!
charge OF his precinct the circumstances OF
the case. To-day he viii relate the same
story 10 the commissioners.
Just now when an OnIcer working M
night is called as a witness in the criminal
court he Is forced TO get along with what
few hours sleep ne can catch after he has
been excused from court and the time SET
for his reporting for duty This hardship
II is claimed. IS due TO the fact that thers
are not enough patrOlmen to walk the beats
and furnish men for duty on beats whose
officers have been summoned to appear I'M
court. II Is also claimed that If the COM
miss!oners cut off fifteen or twenty men
as IL is popularity supposed they will do at
to-day's meeting In order TO bring expenses
within the apportionment, a greater hard
ship than ever will be worked on the pa
trolmen.