The daily morning journal and courier., 1896-07-01
|CARR0LL'S CHARGES HEARD
PATROLMAN AHERN NOT GUILTY OF
 NEGLIGENCE.

| N~AC~S 1 board of police commissioners last
 evening charging Patrolman Michael | Ahern with the careless performance of his duty on June z, 1896, between the hours of Il a. m. and 12 m. The com | plaint says that the officer twas loiter- ing in front of the store of R. A. Oneto, at the Junction of Congress avenue, | George and Church streets, reading,
 scanning and perusirg a newspaper to the neglect of his duty as police | man."
 Mr. Carroll who was the first witness | called, stated to the board in detail the occurrence upon which he based his
 charge against the patrolman. He said
 that on the day named in the complaint
 he was walking on Congress avenue | between the hours of Il and F, and | that he saw the officer standing in | front of the store named reading a | newspaper.
 Mir Carroll produced a diagram of | the streets, locating Oneto's fruit store, | the counter and benches standing upon the outside of the store and also the 1 position Patrolnlan Ahern was in while reading the paper.
 | The only witness MT. Carroll had to
 substantiate his statements was one | William Egan a horseshoer for John | son on Commerce street, and that gen. | tleman admitted that he was adverse
 to the chief witness in the prosecution 1 MT Egan testified that he came be- | fore the board only when compelled to l 1,r, ~ IA IA fAl1 Nf,. Go ,an so the day that he (CarrolD came to
 his place of business In reply Carroll
 said that he (Egan) should appear if
 the militia had to be called out. He | did not see the patrolman on the day
 named in the complaint until he (the
 patrolman) passed him.
 | Witness said that he was not in a po- stion to see the officer reading the pa-
 per, for he (witness) was standing with | his face toward Church street and with
 his back toward Congress avenue and l the counter at which the officer was
 said to be reading.
 | Patrolman Ahern called James Bren- nan to testify to certain conversation 1 that passed between him and Anthony Carroll, the officer wishing to show that 1 MT. Carroll was preferring this charge out of an ill-feeling of a long standing,
 arising out of a remark which he | (Ahern) was alleged to have made five
 years ago in reference to bid which was made upon certain property which
 Carroll was offering at auction 1 Brennan said that Carroll had said l that he had reported Ahern and did Ter | fer to the episode of five years ago. | Officer Ahearn took the stand in his own behalf and said: ''I left the corner of Congress avenue and Oak street at 1 11:45 a. m. I have just twelve minutes allowed me to reach the station from 1 this point I met MT. Carroll and MT. Flanagan in front of the latter's store. I walked on, and when at Oneto's fruit | store I noticed that the counter which stands in front of the store was moved out about 45 degrees and upon it was a pile of papers. I stopped and looked at the picture that was on the first page of one on the top of the pile" MT. Carroll questioned the patrolmen at length, after which he recalled MT
 Egan and inquired if that gentleman
 knew where Patrolman Ahern came from when he passed him. Egan an- SWETGu- l uO J1Ol hllOW Mdy pG from saloon" Then ensued long rambling talk between the witness and MT. Carroll, which was interrupted by Commissioner Ullman, who moved that the hearing close.
 Mir. Carroll claimed that he had not | finished, and he was allowed to con tinue the case.
 In executive session the board dis missed the charge against the patrol man, but instructed the superintendent to call the patrolmans attention to the rule concerning the conduct of officers
 while on duty, including the matter of reading.
 The board received a letter from the Booth Meat company commenting De- tective Toronto for his efficient work in detecting theft which was com mitted in their store. In the letter was enclosed $10, which, according to the rule, will be devoted to the pension fund.
 The board voted to empower the su- perintendent to fine without consulta- ton with the board any member of the police force guilty of neglect of duty from $1 to s10 at his discretion. The rule applies to sergeants as well as pa- trolmen.
 Superintendent Smith stated after the meeting that there was at that time no member against whom there was anything at present.
 According to the opinion submitted by the corporation counsel the board may not appoint to the supernumer ary list candidates who were duly qualified before January 1, 1896; also under the same decision, the police commissioners have no jurisdiction over the height or weight of the candi- date, the recent act of the general as- sembly governing both cases.
 Michael Donegan, who left the force on June Il in such mysterious man. ner and who has been heard from in Albany since that time, was dishonor- ably discharged.
 The superintendent in his report rec commended the efficiency of the patrol
 men who captured Orlando, the man who murdered his associate, Di Fran cesco.
 EIGHTH TARD.