The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-10-19
POLICE CONSPIRACY.
Formidable Secret Order to
Control Politics and
Run the Force.
THE CHIEF TO FIGHT IT
An Offshoot on an Anti-Parkhurst
Combination in New York
Its Strength.
THE CHIEF TO FIGHT IT

Chief of Police Murphy. in conjunction
with the Police Commissioners. is inves-
secret organization in process of forrna-
ton among the patrolmen. 1t is repre-
sented that the new organization has
benevolence for it's object but the Chief
is a scheme to build up powerful
political order. This suspicion is borne
out by the fac, that the order. to be
formed here. is to be "a branch OF
similar secret organization already form
ed in the New York police department.
The Jersey City branch IS not by any
means the only one in process of forma-
ton in this State. The scheme extends
to Newark. Paterson. Passaic. Trenton.
Elizabeth and all cities having a paid
department.
Chief Murphy learned of the proposed
local organization few days ago. and
he has already taken steps to prevent it's
consummation so far as the department
of this city Is concerned. Yesterday he
notified four patroFmen. whose names he
has heard connected with the scheme. to
appear at headquarters. He proposes
he says. as friend. advising them to
abandon the project. If they refuse. the
probability is about thirty men will go
before the Police Board on charges of
conspiracy.
INJURIOUS TO DISCIPLINE.
s'Secret organizations in a police de-
partment endanger discipline" the Chief
said yesterday ''and if I can break up
this one. propose doing so.''
The benevolent patrolmen's organiza-
tion of New York was organized with
only twenty members. 1t now has
membership of S,2Oo and it is said that
the organization alone raised S65,O00
to defeat the measure under which
the Police Department of that city was
to have been reorganzed. The New
York body is now said to have an en-
ergency fund of 100000. In the New
| York body only patrolmen are eligible to
membership. Roundsmen, Sergeants, de-
| tectives, Inspectors and Captains are ex-
| cluded. The reason is to prevent die
| tation and avoid squabbles with men
who hold higher positions on the force
| than patrolmen. When the New York
| men decided to extend the order to New
Jersey a committee was appointed to
meet committees from the New Jersey
police and point out the salient features
of such an organization.
THEIR BOAST.
1--WE can,' said the New York men.
when properly organized, elect man or
| defeat him. We have friends and we
will have money. We will be strong
| in numbers, and it will not be long be-
| fore both political parties will be ap-
| pealing to US for our assistance. Any
man prejudicial to our interests we can
| defeat. We can secure favorable. legis-
| lation and check that which is unfav-
| orable. Where organized we vote as one
man."
The New Workers painted such glow
| ing picture that the patrolmen of this
| city decided that it would be to their
| interests to get together at once, and
| they have done se In fact, the organiza-
| ton is so well advanced that the Chief
does not think he will be able to stamp
| it out. He will give the department
| shaking up that it has not had in years
|
patrolmen may be dismissed.
WANT MORE PAY.
| The patrolmen of this city were par
| ticularly anxious to effect an organiza-
| tion SO that they could this winter, with the.
| assistance of their brethren OF this State
| and New York make a fight Tor an in
| crease of pay and also knock out the
| power of the Police Commissioners to fine
| them for violations of the rules. About
| ITO patrolmen have signified their willing
| ness to join the order and it yet may be
| quietly organized and dabble in politics..
| "As a friend to patrolmen," said the
| Chief yesterday II advise them to stop.
Such organization will do them no good.
The men also want to remember that our
rules and those of New York are differ
ent. In nearly nine cases out of ten,
every man who Is dismissed by the New
York Police Board is reinstated by the
Courts. The decision of our Police Board
is final after a fair notice of trial and a
fair trial has been given. Our Board can
dismiss man for being ten feet off his
post and it would be hard lines for some
| of the men If the Commissioners exer-
cised their full power. We have an aver
| age of six men before the Board at
every trial meeting and in five cases out
of the six the Commissioners could dis
| miss if they felt so disposed. The patrol
men are well treated and they should be
careful what they do in this secret orr
! der business"
There is not patrolman in the city
| who will admit knowing anything about
! the proposed order simply because all
are pledged to secrecy. One. however.
told the whole scheme to the Chief and
the fight is on as result
The Chief does not expect the men to
submit gracefully, nor do they intend to.
They e!aim they have the right to form
an organization for their own projections
| as we'll as amy other men.
| CALLED DOWN.
This afternoon at two o'clock Patrol-
men Peter Cannon, James Coyne John
Nugent and Frank Kelly of the First
precinct and eight patrolmen from other
precincts were summoned before Chief OF
Police Murphy They were directed to
report in uniform. They are. the Chief
has been informed, prominently con-
nected with the new order, and have
been working industriously in its inter-
ests The Chiefs intention is to advise
and then warn the men of the danger