The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-08-25
A HOBOKEN OUTRAGE
Woman Dragged to Jail by
a Constable Who Had
a Writ for
Another.
THE RECORDERS BRUTALITY
O'Grady Should Be Indicted and
McDonough Impeached by
the Legislature.

A case of astounding and revolving
brutality on the part of a public official
was revealed in the Hoboken Recorders
court this morning.
Mrs. Katherine Burns, a respectable
married woman. was dragged to court by
Constable Edward OrGrady, formerly a
constable in Jersey City, but now hold
ing his commission from Weehawken,
and a charge of interfering with an officer
was preferred against her because Grady
mistook her for another woman on whom
he wished 10 serve a civiEwrit. Mrs.
Burns was Obliged to give bail in 5000,
but she asked again and again for a
warrant for O'Grady's arrest. She charged
him with assault and using violent and
indecent Language. If her story is true,
and there is every reason to believe it,
OGrady is unfit to be an officer.
Thursday last, O,Grady, armed with a
writ of some kind, went to No. 615 Grand
street, Hoboken, where Mrs. Burns lives.
The writ O'Grady held was for a Mrs.
Holloway, who formerly lived at this adj
dress. O'Grady insisted that Mrs. Burns
was the woman he wanted, and when
she denied that she was Mrs. Holloway
he swore at her. He refused to show
his authority and finally. after much
rough behavior and violent language. ar
rested Mrs. Burns and charged her with
interfering with him in the discharge of
his duty.
This morning, when Mrs. Burns was
brought into court, she said she would
like to ask for a warrant for O'Grady on a
charge Of assault and battery. Mrs.
Burns is a respectable and refined look
ing woman. The Recorder refused to
give her a warrant and told her to keep
still. She burst into tears. The Re-
corder ordered her removed to a side
room until she was quiet. When the
papers were ready for signature she was
brought out again and again renewed
her plea for a warrant. The Recorder
again refused to near her and told her
she had better get out of her present
scrape before she got into another. Mrs.
Burns W. bail and when outside told
her story to a reporter.
She said, between sobs:-"Last Thurs
day / was home washing. went out
for a moment, leaving my little girl Kate
IN the room. A man knocked on the door
who I afterward found out was Constable
O'Grady. He said, Does Mrs. Holloway
live here?' The little girl said no; she
| used to live here but she moved. O'Grady
replied, You're a - liar. She does live
here. She's your mother, and l want
her.
Just then I came in and O'Grady seized
me by the shoulders and said, You're
Mrs. Holloway and I want you / said,
I'm not Mrs. Holloway; my name is
Burns Grady said, You're a - liar,
1 you - You're Mrs. Holloway and I'll
take you just as you are. I'll call the
police patrol wagon for you. i asked
him for his authority, but he refused to
| show it. He simply swore and cursed.
/ was frightened and did not know what
was the matter. finally he showed a
badge and said he would have me arrest
ed. 1 have been worried to death ever
since. l have been unable to sleep. !
am going to get a warrant for O'Grady.
/ won't stand it. I never was in court
before and I am not the woman he want
ed anyway. I have done nothing and ]
don't understand this way of treating
people,"
Mrs. Burns had a woman friend with
her, and together they went back before
the Recorder to make a last appeal for
justice against O'Grady. She remover her
request. but the Recorder told her to &c
to the Five Corners for her warrant. She
left the court in despair.
O'Grady, it appears, was formerly a con-
stable in Jersey City. At the last cleo
ton he was defeated. Lately he was
quietly appointed constable from Wee
hawken.