The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-02-21
POLICE BOARD MEETS.
Officer Knapp Charged With Deserving
Ills Beat on Monfay Night.
WITNESSES TESTIFY FOR AND AGAINST
Some say He Jumped From "a WIN
dow, While others Testify That He
WAS on Another Part OF His Beat
Officers Examined mud Appoint
ell on the Force.

The Board of Police Commissioners
met yesterday afternoon at 1850 p. IN. :; |
all members present, Mayor Petit pre-
siding.
The first business before the Board |
was the consideration OF charges pre-
ferred against Officer Knapp by Captain |
John Ladd. reported to him by Sergeant
Taylor. for being found in house OF
ill-fame while on duty.
Sergeant Taylor. the first witness,
testified that on Monday night. the nth
Inst. officer Knapp reported ut the sta
tion-housc in citizens clothes instead OF
in uniform: that he reported and went
on duty; that he (Sergtant Taylor) had
been Informed that officer Knapp was
visiting the house No, so Avon street,
ana feeling confident that lie would find
him there, lie notified Captain Lndd and
officer Williams to go with him; that
he and the Captain went to the rear of
me door and left officer Williams at
the front. He suddenly saw officer
Knapp come out of a window ut No So
Avon street; that he climbed out of the
window on the roof of IL water closet
The Sergeant called to him to stop: that
the officer asked him II he had n war
rant Tor his arrest. attempting to dis
guise his voice. The Sergeant stated
that he did not: that he did not need
any; that Knapp then answered. my
l ''"'''S - pSi My tIltl III TeDilSu, OitlCar
Knapp, am ashamed Of you: l have
warned you about this before and now
you have been caught"
Officer Williams corroborated Ser
geant Taylor as to the main points. and
also corroborated the Sergeunts testi-
mony TO the effect that he had heard
rumors that officer Knapp had been in
the habit of visiting houses of i'll fame
on his beat Nvon slrecU.
Oiftcer Sanderlin. who WAS on the
AVon-street beat on the night I'm oucs-
ton, testified that he saw Officer Knapp
enter the house No so the night I'm uucs-
ton, and upon being questioned by Ser
: iSennt Taylor as to whether or not he
had seen Officer Knapp. he could not
lie and reported TO him the fact that
, he had seen the officer enter the house.
officer Sandcrlin stated that Sergeant
Taylor pinned him down ana he reported
the officer. He would not have lied 10
him II il had been his brother
Commissioner Nerdier wanted to know
or officer SaEdcrlin why II was neces-
Sary for the Sergeant TO have to pin him
down, etc, etc. to get the information
anu If he did not know that It was his
duty tn report such dcreliction of duty
without being questioned about IT.
officer Snnderlin very pertlncntly re-
Piled that he was not aware that such
was his duty. He conceived ii to be
his duty to attend to the police duties
on his own beat al all times and attend
to his own affairs. and not attempt to
spy on or catch other officers. He
thought II was the Serge1nt'S duty to
learn how the officers fulfilled their
duties. etc, etc.
, officers Walker and Ludy testified
That they had been on the same beat
with officer Knapp Uhc Avon-street
: bcaD and while they had seen him enter
the houses when called by the women. 10
put people out, make arrests etc, they
could not say that they had ever known
MIN to go into them voluntarily.
officer Knapp. in his own behalf testi-
fled that he and an officer had received
permission from Chief King to keep on
their citizens clothes on the night I'm
question If they chose; that he did keep
on his citizens clothes: that he patrol
led his beat and reported Mt the usual
time at the station house where he was
greeted with the salutation from Ser
geant Taylor. IAN quiet on No 10, Mr.
lierkelcy?: that he asked him what he
! meant; that the Sergeant told him some
thing about seeing him upon the roof
OF q water closet In the rear OF No 20
| avon street and that he gave the name
or Berkley: that he HNnapp) replied that
MS name was Knapp, had always been
knapp. and would remain Knapp until
he died; that he, thercupon gave up his
club.
The officer denied having ever entered
any or the houses. except on duty. since
he has been on the force He declined
10 say anything in denial of officer san
derlin's direct testimony. that he had
known him 10 enter No. so
Mr.. DoZicr Waterman In the CITY mar
ket. testified to having seen Officer
Knapp pass through the market fire.
luently and he believed that ii was
about 1890 o'clock when he passed
through the market on the night i'm
question:; that the officer spoke To him
/ and told him that he had been detailed
TO duty at the Academy of Music rs tho
reason why he was in citizens clothes
at that time.
Mr.. Brown testified that between 10
o'clock and 2:30 on the night I'm uues-
ton. officer Knapp came through the
market; that he was in the habit Of
stopping by and talking to him every
night. Captain Ladd was absent and as
his testimony was not thought 10 be
necessary, the investigation was not de-
layed for him.
Mr.. Sykes was examined for q position
on the force and was found to be quail
fled with the exception OF the etluca ton
al qualification in which he was found
ineligible and was not accepted for that
reason only.
Mr. Kidd. Mr.. r. A. Hobbs and Mr.
j. w. Grimstead were examined for
positions on the force and found quail
fed.
Mr.. r. A. Hobbs and Mr. J. w. Grim
stead were accepted and appointed as
substitutes on the force Mr. Eidd's an