The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-12-18
POLICEMEN MUST KEEP MUM.
THEY MUST NOT IdPART INFORMA-
TION OF ORDERS To CITIZENS.

MIR. A. n. O'Keefe With Him to
Take Part in the Raid on "A House
in York street Lane-Mr. O'Keefe
Makes "A Statement of His Partici-
patton in the ARpir-MayOr Myers
Declines to Receive the Charges
Made by Him Against Policemen
Farrell and McCOOI.
Policemen are not allowed to commu-
nicate the orders received by them to pri-
vate citizens. Policeman Ryals had this
impressed upon his mind last night by a
IS fine from Mayor Myers.
The case grew out of a case in the police
court the day before in which Mr.. A. N.
O'Keefe was given an unpleasant promi-
nence and about which there has been
considerable talk since. Ryals' offense
! consisted in telling Mr.. O'Keefe that
certain house in York street lane was to
be pulled at II o'clock Saturday night,
and in taking Mr.. O'Keefe with him to
assist in the raid. Rule 80 of the police
regulations prohibits policemen from Civ
ing information to private citizens of or
ders issued to them.
According to the statement made by Po-
liceman Ryals Mr.. O'Keefe had given in
formation against the disorderly house
and had volunteered to assist in bringing
about the arrest of the parties. This was
why he told Mr.. O'Keefe that the place
was to be raided, he said and his object
in carrying him there was that he might
help in bringing about the arrest.
Lieut.. Reilly and Sergt. Baughn made
statements to the effect that Ryals had in
formed them Of the complaints made
against the house in York street lane by
Mr.. O'Keefe. He was instructed by Lieut..
Reilly to take Policeman Jernigan and
raid the house Friday night, which for
some reason was not done, and squad
was ordered from the barracks Saturday
night to raid the place.
While the evidence showed that Ryals
had been innocent of any intention of
violating any rule of the department,
Mayor Myers was of the opinion that he
should have known the rules better, and
should have had more Judgment than to
make his orders known to an outsider.
he accordingly imposed a fine of S.
Mr.. Okeefe was present, having been
summoned as a witness against Ryals His
testimony showed that he had called the
attention of Policeman Ryals to the house
ana had volunteered to assist him in MAX
ing the arrest by attrac ting the attention
OF the inmates until the officers could OBJ
tain an entrance to the house. This was
which resulted in giving him considerable
unpleasant notoriety. Mr.. O'Keefe was
so Jealous In his efforts to secure the ar
rest or the parties that when the women
attempted to escape at the approach or
the officers he seized hold of two of them
and attempted to hold them. This was
the state of affairs when the policeman
entered the door, and was the foundation
for Policeman FarrelPs statement in the
ponce court Monday morning that when
ne went to the house he found Mr.. O'Keefe
there.
Farrell and the other officers of the squad
from the barracks did not know then that
Mr.. o eefe had gone to the house to as
sist Ryals in making the arrests. The
foundation for Mr.. O'keefe's grievance
is that his presence was thoroughly ex-
plalned and understood by all of the party
before the squad returned to the barracks
ana that, consequently, the unqualified
statement by Farrell in the police court
was malicious.
AS a result. Mr.. O'Keefe requested that
charges be preferred against Policeman
Farrell of testifying falsely in the police
court and against Policeman McCool for
1nsugating the statement by Farrell both
OF which charges are explained by Mr.
o keefe in his statement to the Morning
News. Mayor Myers declined to allow
these charges to be entered on the docket
so he informed Morning News reporter
considering that they We're of too friv-
olous a character and without foundation
Mr.. O'Keefe seemed very much surprised.
however, when informed of this and as
serted positively that the mayor had as
n
Vestigatton of the charges later on He
said he did not push the charges last night
because he had not had an opportunity
OF summoning his witnesses.
After leaving the barracks, Mr. O'Keefe
made a statement Of his connection with
this business.
II was requested by the police he said.
Ito aid them in breaking up a house of
designation on York street lane to which
youths were nightly cajoled. The black
women who conducted the house in which
white cOlOFpd females M a
boys by solic'tation was so Carefully
guarded from the police that / as a com
mon citizen felt constrained to aid the Of
ncers in the raid on the place. BY pre-
concerted arrangement with a SQUAD Of
police. directed by the chief to make the
raid, 1 went ahead and held the propr.e-
tress, until the force arrived and arrested
her.
Policemen Jernigan and Ryals request
ed me TO aid them in their raid and as |
was aware of the existence of the house
l did what 1 considered to be nv dutv
When the case was called against the wo-
man in the recorders court PoIiceroan
Farrell after he had made his statement
and had retired from the witness stand
was urged by Policeman McCool to return
and interject a remark that he found me
IN the house when the raid was made in
tending to infer by implication, that 1
was a visitor, and not there in the capac-
ity of an assistant to the officers.
Judge Wilson, who knows the work
in which l am engaged. very Indignantly
called upon Officers Farrell and McCool
Tor an eXplana ton, which they We're re-
luctant to give, but which was volun-
tarily offered by Officer Jernigan. who
could not stand by and see an injustice
done me. McCool bears me no good will
as / published a statement that he was
drinking in a saloon after midnight When
] went TO eXpostulate with Chief Nc
DermOtt about the matter and have Nc
Cool put on the docket, the chief became
Infatuated at what he considered my in
reference i'm a police matter and at first
prOfessed ignora nee of any assistance I
N IN f1,la1
which caused the reflection on me. He
afterwards recoll ected the affair, and re-
membered that l was a party acting I'M
der the policemen My whole connection
with the affair was my zeal and earnest
ness to aid the policemen in breaking
up an infamous h ouse."
Baby's First Toys.