The daily morning journal and courier., 1897-03-31
DERELICT IN THEIR DUTY
P4TROLMEN HOPE AND BELLMAN
 SUSPENDED FRQM THE FORCE.

The DlNwell avenue OThcer Iiedus ouii'S
 and Tells Straight story-Slckness of
 Self and Family-Pacllli Says Beilman
 Wanted to Warm His Hands-The Ohi-
 cer Often Visited the Barber Shop.
 Patrolmen John H. Hope of the Dix we'll avenue precinct and Joseph Bell man of the Grand avenue station were on trial last evening before the police commissioners for gross neglect of duty. Officer Hope was charged with being asleep while on duty on the morn ing of the 17th of March and with fail ing to report to the officer in charge of the station at the proper time. The accused patrolman pleaded guilty to the charge.
 Sergeant McGann testified that he had found Hope at his home, No. 1912 Chapel street, on the morning of the 17th about 5:30 o'clock, and that he told him to report immediately to the office.
 Sergeant Bissell corroborated the evil dence of Sergeant McGann as to the time when the officer reported. Both sergeants testified to Officer Hopes effi- ciency as a patrolman, and explained that he had obtained leave of absence several times during the past three months because of illness of himself and family.
 In his own behalf the patrolman said that for several days before he fell Nc a4 bod c1o enough to sustain him during his hours of duty; that he had on the night pre- vious to his misconduct asked the ser geant to transfer him from the beat he regularly patrolled, so that he could pass his home and go in occasionally to see how his mother was getting along, as she had been i'll for some time and had been taken worse during the day.
 The request was granted, and, ac- cording to his testimony. the officer was in at his home three times during the evening; that he went out on his beat, and when at the corner of Day and Chapel streets he noticed that he had fifteen minutes to spare so he sat down on a step, being very tired. He fell asleep, and when he awoke 1t was long past the time for him to report, and he immediately returned to his home, where Sergeant Mclean found him.
 The officer placed in evidence a letter from Dr. Vishno to the effect that Hopes family had been ill for several months, and that the officer had been ill himself.
 In executive session the board voted | tr,e e Jo@ from the time of his suspension by the superintendent, on March IS.
 Patrolman Bellman was charged with being off his beat while on duty on the morning of February 25 and not reporting the same to his superior off cers.
 Bellman pleaded not guilty The first witness called by the board was Captain O'Keefe of the Grand avenue precinct. He said that on the morning of the 25th of February he re- ceived a telephone call to send an off, cer to 96 Grand avenue, that there had been something unusual found at Pa cilli's barber shop. The captain said the message was of such character that the captain thought he would go to Pacilli's place of business himself.
 Pacilli told him that he had allowed Patrolman Bellman to take the lock which was on the door at the rear of his shop, at Bellman's request, so that the latter could have a key fitted to it. The patrolman wished to go in the shop to warm his feet and hands Bellman had had the lock fitted, as agreed, and had been using the barber shop ever since.
 Captain O'Keefe reported the circum- stances to the superintendent and on last Friday he was ordered to notify Bellman of his suspension and to ask him for the key.
 Captain O'Keefe said last evening l that Rellman told him when he asked for the key that he had thrown it away.
 Pacilli was called next. He testified | that about the middle of last December Bellman approached him while he was attending a ball in Odd Fellows hall, | Fair Haven, and after making inquiry about how he kept his fire alive during | the night, asked how many keys he had for his shop. The patrolman was told that there were but two keys to the front door. One was carried by him. self (PacillD and the other by his hired man.
 Bellman then said: How about the
 back door?" To which the witness re- piled; "I keep that bolted, as I have
 no key to the lock" Bellman's reply to
 this was If you will take the lock off
 I will get two keys for you and keep
 one myself" Witness said the patrol
 man came to his shop the next day and | took the lock away with him. | The next time witness saw Bellman | he was attending fair at Odd Fellows hall, and the officer gave him the lock
 and one key. He put the lock on his | door the next day and tried the key on
 the knob of the lock. It was allowed to stay there the string being long enough to admit of it's being used to 1 lock the door. The key was always taken out of the lock at night. Pacilli said that he never saw Be1Iman in the l shop. His man had told him that he had seen evidences of his being there l On one occasion the officer left his to-
 bacco and came and got it the next i night before the shop closed. Pacilli said that he had never seen any signs of anything being disturbed | until the morning in question. He had not been accustomed to open the shop
 until a few days prior to this time,
 when he missed several cigars and mo- I