Bridgeton pioneer., 1895-12-26
OFFICER CAMPBELL DISMISSED.
After at Interesting Trial, Eight Council
men Vote Him Guilty, and by a
Lea. - Vote of Ten to Two He is
Dismissed From the
Police Force.


After being in session Thursday until
nearly one o'clock, Council sustained the
charges made against Policemen Camp
bell and dismissed him from the force.
All the members were in their places
promptly, and it was half an hour after
midnight before the case had closed, and
Council had adjourned.
AS on Tuesday night there was great
crowd present and everyone seemed to
take great interest in the proceedings.
City Solicitor Trenchard presented the
case against the officer and in manner
that gave him great credit as lawyer
The defense was conducted by Messrs
Hampton q Fithian, and they stubborn
ly contested every inch of ground for
Mr.. Campbell, giving him the benefit of
every technicality known to the profess
sion. That MIR. Campbell was stripped
of his buttons is not the failure of any
duty on the part of his able attorneys.
The complaint of Mayor Appelgate
charged misconduct in that the officer
absented himself from his beat and the
streets without permission and justifable
cause. The charges were fully sustained.
There were quite number of interest
ing episodes in the case, which greatly in
terested the crowd, and some Of the re-
marks brought out applause, especially
those made by Councilman higgins late
in the evening.
There was quite legal scrap before the
case came up on it's merits. Mr.. Hamp-
ton, for the defendant, objected to the
proceedings upon the ground that the
charges were vague and not tspecfic. Moth
ing was shown as to what constituted
beat; neither do they define any particu-
lar time of the dereliction of duty.
Mr.. Trenchard seemed to see no merit
in the objection. He claimed that it was
the business of the officer to be upon the
streets. There was no beat marked out.
AS to the question of hours, the charges
were specific. He is legally bound be-
tween 6 o'clock a. m. and 6 p. m. and at
6p. m. to 6 a. M, except at lunch time.
AS to where the officer went the charges
did not necessarily set forth.
He called attention to the decisions of
the Supreme Court in supporting his
contentious.
After some further legal squabbling Mr..
Matthews moved that Council proceed,
and the motion prevailed, with Mr.. John
son voting no.
Mr.. Trenchard did not think it neces-
sary to make any elaborate opening in
this case. 1t was unnecessary to call at
tention of Council to the act under which
this trial was proceeding, as itswas still
fresh in the minds owing to the case of
last Tuesday night. The charges pro-
vided that in five different cases Officer
Campbell absented himself from his
beat, and he expected to prove that vari-
GUS complaints came to the Mayor that
Campbell was absenting himself from
duty, and as result of these complaints
the Mayor began an investigation, and
the result of the investigation led up to
the making of the charges.
During his opening the officers attor-
ney objected to the manner of opening,
but the Solicitor continued, and when he
had finished called Rex Donnelly to be
sworn. AS Mr.. Donnelly walked to
President Robbins, Mr.. Hampton said
he had been carefully examining the
authorities and could find nothing which
empowered the President of Council to
administer oath in trials of causes.
Therefore he objected to the swearing of
the witnesses by any other than one COM
petent under the law.
Mr.. Trenchard held that the statute
provided all powers of trials with the
municipal body, and had no doubt that
the President had authority. The oath
was administered as usual and Mr.. DON
nelly testified to serving copy of the
charges upon the officer and the charges
were filed.
The Chief Executive of the city, Mayor
Applegate, was then called, and began
the important testimony against the Off
Ger. AS he was testifying he sat almost
touching the charged officer. The Mayor
stated that he made the charges upon in
formation furnished by more than one
person. Complaint had been made about
Mr.. Campbell absenting himself from
duty.
The Mayor then set forth the dates that
Mr.. Campbell was on night turn, as far
as they had any connection with these
complaints. The general duties of the
police were to be on the streets all night
excepting a short time for lunch. He
was to come on duty at six o'clock at night
and remain on until six o'clock the next
morning. These rules have never been
printed the lunch hour had been
fixed by permission of the Mayor. Dur
ing the nights specified in the complaint,
Mr.. Parvin was on duty with Campbell.
9th. No permission was given to Camp
bell to absent himself from duty, and if
ne did so he did it on his own response
hility. On the night of Oct. 5th, officer
Parvin informed the Mayor that Camp
bell was not on duty all night, and Con-
stable Ayars had informed the Mayor