The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-02-04
Greenville's Police Patrol
System Successfully
Tested Last Night.
PRESIDENT ABERNETHY's REPORT
Chief Murphy Says Crime Has
Decreased Here = Supper,
Speeches and Taffy.

thing went smoothly, not a single hitch
occurred.
This was particularly pleasing to Super
~lntendent Foley, who has borne all the
responsibility and a considerable portion
or the labor of connecting the system.
When he saw the snow last evening he
feared 1t might interfere with the sue
cessful working of the telephone and
electric call system. No wires fell. and
no grounding of the circuits occurred.
The latter event was forestalled by the
nigh poles which Mr.. Foley erected and
which the citizens of the section viewed
with such suspicion. 1t was the height
OF the wires which kept them clear of
those terrors to electric systems of all
kinds. wet trees.
Enough six of the eight boxes have
been in operation since last Saturday.
the complete system was inaugurated
with the turning out of the six O'Clock
squad last night. Patrolman Merrity
nad the distinction of sending in the
first call after that hour. From box
NO. ID he flashed in his report at GIG
P. M.
AT a few minutes after eight O'Clock
President Abernethy of the Police Com
missioners arrived at the Fifth precinct
station house and began the inspection.
1t consisted mainly in calling up the
different patrolmen as they reported over
the wire and putting to them some very
peculiar queries. Those who spoke over
the wire were President Abernethy, Police
commissioner P. W. M. West, thief
Murphy, President Reuben Simpson of
the Board of Aldermen, ex-Commissioner
Frederick N. Lockwood, Finance Com
missioner Jacob J. Detwiller, ex-Assem-
blyman Henry Holmes. Assessment Com
missioner Michael Schultz, Jr., Inspector
LANCE. Captain Nugent, Messrs. Henry
Lenbeck. Thomas Cogan, Edward Barr.
James Dodds, Theodore K. Wegman,
Charles L. Maulen, who REPRESENTED the
Gamewell Fire Alarm and Police Tele-
graph Company, and Superintendent
Foley. the man who is responsible for
the successful working of the system.
After the inspection the party adjourn
ed at Belvedere Hall, where the Commits
sioners had arranged for a bounteous
supper. After an exce2lently preparded
repast, to which full justice was done,
speeches were made.
President Abernethy complimented
Cnlef Murphy on the excellence of the
police. force IN this city. Chief Murphy
placed the praise with the COMMISSIONER
ana captain Nugent ~eulogized them both.
Both, president Abernethy and Chief
Murphy gave some interesting statistics
IN the course OF their remarks.
out the fact that tbese eight boxes added
to the other rs IN lne city make a total
of "a. From these rs boxes in one year,
calls or So per hour. OF these 139, 872 were
received at the station house of the First
precinct, l22,760 at the Second, 72.912 at
the Third, SO,O4 at the Fourth, 72,sl2 at
the Sixth and 49,S4S at the Seventh. Be
sides these there We're 1853 calls for the
patrol wagon and 10 Tor an ambulance.
lishment of. this system in Jersey City
placed her in a position superior to her
greater sister New York. He thought the
system in Greenville would tend to se-
cure it against crime of all forms. It
would reassure residents and obliteraIe
the feeling of insecurity which seemed
city. He thought the mere presence Of
the boxes will brighten away tramps and
other m~arauders. He then called upon
the citizens present at the inspection and
supper for opinions On the police system.
Mr.. F.. M. Lockwood was very humor-
Gus at the expense of the Fifth precinct
police. II hope said he, 1.-THE day has
gone by when the Greenville police re-
gard my residence as a lodging house.
In the early history of the force I could
go out on my back porch at any hour
of the night and call the roll of the pre-
cinct to a unanimous chorus of here"
Mr.. Henry Lembeck's principal inter
est in the system seemed to hinge on
what good times of the police it would
put a stop to. He, too, had a story to
tell of the old days, or rather nights of
the police force.
several times awakened myself and my
servants by barking an alarm. The
policeman told me not to mind that in
future, because they always had a keen
eye out for the safety OF my goods. l
did not worry about the barking of the
dogs after that until about a month
cider placed under the 'I porch had adfg been
emptied.' Mr.. Lembeck didn't say
whether it was the dogs or the police
who got away with the cider.
Thereupon zach person present ans
wered In turn to the call of President
A~bernethy.
the city's crime, which showed an i'm
proved condition of affairs in the past
two years. He thought extra men were
RFsi csnsa Gomu the force. AND md,, hoped sn,, the
him with the thirty-eight men necessary
TO raise the number of his force from
s saia e e z BE- one se IF fhe 1 begt gn sa1d, ne Cities as
in the United States. 1t has certainly
been peculiarly free from cases Of MUIR
aerf n nr1pss T T,aass y ana ne other other Inks like Vic bfg
burglaries OF former years. Houses were
stripped of their very. furniture in those
b bayis,s put n fgb oa ne days. he ar t 6f S nasf r fwo
years only three robberies occurred where
goods to the value of $500 was taken.
All others did not entail a loss of more
than $100.
ssCrime cannot be crushed out of exist
ence, but if it Is allowed to horish some
thing must be wrong. 1t has not flourish
ed in the past two years, a fact due to
the excellence Of the Police Commits
sion. A Chief m make the force If
the Commissioners are neglectful of duty.
So / claim that the present effective
Board and not myself are to be congratu-
lated for the excellent condition of the
force. / congratulate Superintendent
Foley on the successful completion of his
work in this city. Its effectiveness is in
every way g credit to him"
Brief speeches were made by Mr.. H. H.
Holmes and his genial partner Mr..
Cogan, Edward Barr. NJ. Schultz, J..
Dodds and A. A.. LANCER.
Keys to the boxes will be issued to such
citizens as Captain Nugent deems in
need of them. The situations of the new
boxes are as follows
No. /, Garfield venue and Fifty-third
street; No. 10, Sea View and Ocean ave-
snues; No. IA, Girard avenue and Boule-
ward; No. 15, McAdoo avenue and Bo1le-
ward; No. q, Ocean avenue, near Dwight
street; No. %, Arlington sand Claremont
avenues; No. %, Van Nostrand place near
Ocean avenue, and No. "a, West Side
and Culver avenues.
CANDIDATE FAY TOO SHORT.