New-York tribune., 1896-10-04
POLICEMEN on TRIAL.
QUEER EXCUSES GIVEN BY THOSE 81 VI
MONED TO ANSWER CHARGES


one day each week is police trial day at tne oe,i
,raI ONCE and "a Commissioner sits in inc DIE
room Oh the third floor of the building III Mu'o''''
ST from a. m. to any hour In the "i'I"o VI
evening listening to tho excuses or dehais vi Po
ucemer who have been summoned TO answer
charges Sometimes the list Of offenders Is so ions
that the Commissioner cannot get thro"eh wiz" 1t
IN one day and has 10 adjourn some cases at d
late hour at night. Most Of the cases are Trivial
the policemen being accused or beihE OH 'ne'' Po'
in hours of duty. lettering or spending TOO m"ch
time I'm convcrsa tion with people on their posts.
The great number Of complaints Is due 10 inc
fact that the roundsmen OF the force have to make
a showing" Of activity in order to retain 'helt Po
stions II they make no complaints they are Hapio
to be suspected Of shirking their duty ana 10 pe
remanded to patrol duty. with loss OF part o'
their annual salary There arc serious complaints
against policemen. but they usually are made by
tho captans or by citizens The charges made by
roundsmen frequently for such small ih't"c-
tions Of the rules that the Commissioners dismiss
the charges as they are hearu Such
charges however go 10 the credit of the roundSmen'
and there have been cases in which patrolmen nave
consnircd with the roundsmcn to have such trivial
complaints made
1t Is one of the hardest tasks IN the department
to prevent roundsmen from showing FAVOR 10
friendly policemen and "hounding their persoha
enemies among the patrolmen. long s!r'hs VI
complaints against a patrolman is bar to MS pro-
nation even IL he escapes loss of money by nnes
and patrolmer who have been called before 'ne
Commissioners frequently to answer charges have
declared that they being bounded by the
roundsmer account of private SrudGes
The mos: common complaint against patrolmeh Is
that they are absent from their posts without cause
In their hours OF patrol duty. ana the EXCUSES
which they offer when they are called before 'ne
Commissioners are plausible ana ingenious !"
many cases that the crcdulity OF the Commission
crs is overtaxed Policeman Gleason. OF S'e hihsS
{,
dav that he left his post and went into grocery
because he had q bitter taste In ms mouth an"
wanted remove IL with cracker. io''ce'''"
Brimmerhop. OF Dclancoy-st. admitted 'ha' .'"
roundsman had caught him in liquor store ou
said he only stepped in TO see II the proprietor vi
the store Ind ,xposed his liquor tax cerihcatr
Policeman Hood. of East Twenty-secono- 81. Wno I
cIared that he had been Obliged TO remove ms snoe
to extract pebble 1t Is astonishing 10 tht 80 oI y.
policemen when they are walking over their posts
and yet 10 GS % GT@na ,ne OF t seems
Too long conversations on posts are accounted ior
by the delinquent N a, Na.os sor
tons were oil necessary polio busihess, ,aIting
told the Conissioner last week that the men We're d
Italians and he trying to find out Whit ihey
wanted He Will send for an Interpreter next time
Another policemen sSh h S W. wa 6ad ss BEEN occd Of
talking fifteen minute N1 policeman n the mas silver ve
question ,.,o-.
Policeman Hanley. W Merccr-st.. was up before
a Commissioner the other day because he had over
turned an inkstand in signing his payfoll. Suci
carecssness cannot h" allowed 10 go unfinished
the commissioners say. Smoking In a dormitory NJ
the police station prohibited. Policeman b'en.
man. OF Mercer-st. denied that h" had violated
the rule. but ne said hc forgot TO take ms pipr
on, OF his mouth when he went To bId. hfter
smoking in the sitting room Policeman Dunn. OF
Oak-st WAS accused OF smoking "A cigar OIL post.
detective from the Central Once. who was a
stranger 10 tho policeman. asked Dunn for n lgh'.
and Durn gave II unsuspeciingly Then IN" man
I'm plain clothes told tho man IN uniform that h"
in fo' a complaint.
Policeman Conway. % tho "Tcndrrlon.' was &c
cuscd OF arraicninc tn" wrong prisoner ~ IN" JEFF
ferson Market Court lie had arrested julia Van
Houten. q vagrant. but h" took from III" pen q
woman calling herself Julia Mcclure. and the
wrong Julia 10 the workhouse Will" the
Van lioutcn woman Jet 20. He said he had
called ont Julia. com" here" and he did not know
the women apart when tho wrong Julia walked
out Of the prison pen. Policeman l.urkcr. of East
Thirty managed to excuse himself when
charged with falling To enforce corporation ordi.
nance the other day. hut he was rcprirnanded he
cause he had the t"mcrity TO chew gum In front of
the Commissioner.