The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-10-21
.CONSPIRAHORS F0ILED.
THE News " Exposure Creates
Panic Among the Police
Secret Order Men,.

A meeting of the patrolmen who ars ident-
ified with the so-called Secret Benevolent
Association has been called for this evening
in Frick's Hall, Essex street. 1t is probable
that the meeting will be slimly attended.
The exclusive disclosure of the proposed or
ganization and its objects in "The Jersey
City News" on Saturday has given the pro-
ject black eye. The patrolmen are in
bad state of mind and are looking for the
men, who, although pledged to secrecy,
gave the "snap away"
The arraignment of the ten prime NOV
ers iiAthe project before Chief Murphy, Sat
urday ysafternoon has frightened the other
patrolmen and they are losing no time in
trying to convince their superior officers
that they had no intention of joining the
secret order.
The ten patrolmen failed to explain to the
Chief why SO much secrecy was necessary in
the formation of benevolent order. They
said they were dissatisfied with the Police
Mutual Aid Society, because of its high ini-
tiation fee and excessive death benefit The
latter is $500, and the patrolmen say it is too
much for public organization to give The
initiation fee to the Police Mutual Aid Soci-
ETY. is $40 for men forty years of age and un-
der; SIS for men forty-five; and $40 for men
of fifty years. No one over fifty is admitted.
The dues are so cents a month, and beginning
on the first of January next sick benefit of
s6 per week will be allowed thirteen weeks
in the year.
FICTION AND FACT.
The local patrolmen explained that the
New York men had a benevolent order for
patrolmen exclusively. Benevolence, they
said, was its only object, but the Chief knows
well that the so-caled benevolent order
raised s65, 600 to defeat the New York police
force reorganization bill.
He gave them his permission to organize
benevolent ORDER with the understanding
that he shall see the bylaws. The bylaws
of the New York order are scattered about
promiscuouslv and there is nothing in them
to which exception can be taken.
ssIts all right to call it benevolent
order" said a patrolman who was asked to
join the local body, ''but the New York cop
pers are organized and prepared to dabble In
politics at will"
The patrolmep failed to tell the chief also
that on the last day of registration in New
York, patrolmen from New York and
Brooklyn were to have met a COMMITTEES
from this city and to have left copies of
their by laws here. It being registration
day, the visitors were unable to come.
THE ALLEGED OFFICERS.
- -. II
lam Keefe, of the First Precinct, for its
temporary chairman and John Quinn tenn
porary secretary. Some Of the patrolmen
today admit that as soon as the order was
formed, if its existence could have been kept
from the Chief and Commissioners, one of
the first moves to have been made was to
secure the passage Of an act increasing sal
aries. In Newark the patrolmeu get S3 per
day. The pay in this city is 2.9S for months
of twenty-eight days, s2.77 for thirty day
months and 50 60 for thirty-one day months.
1t was also said on good authority this morn
ing that the firemen were to have joined
with the police in getting salaries for both
departments increased.
When the true object of the order was
made known in The News" on Saturday
the patrolmen accused one of the leaders in
the movement of having disregarded his
pledge of secrecy. As matter of fact the
accused man was only one of a dozen who
have been discussing the project in saloons.
Chief Murphy knew of the scheme on We'd
nesday last but waited until Saturday to
warn the men for their own good toabandon
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