The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-02-01
POLICE SHAKE UP.
Chief Murphy Sends Capt
Farrier to the pee
Wee" Precinct.
DETECTIVES IN DISGRACE
Court officers Must Don Their
Uniforms and other Changes
Are Coming.

Chief of Police Murphy has exercised
the, power given him by the Police Com
m~issioners at their last meeting and has
given the department such a shaking up
as it has not experienced since the fall
of 1894, when he returned to power. The
prevailing question at Police Head
quarters and throughout the department
this morning was:-
what precinct are you IMP and the
answer: Il don't know; haven't seen the
general orders yet"
Few of the police are entirely easy.
It is rumored that the extensive changes
but a f%orerunner of greater changes to fol-
low. 1t is said on good authority that
there is not a precinct in the city which
will not. undergo radical changes. Men
who have been Sinking then duty win
be placed where they will have to toe the
mark and where it will be impossible for
them to soldier"
Chief Murphy said this morning that
he intends to make good the promise he
made when the added powers were given
him, namely. while this important reso-
luton remains upon the records of this
department every man in the service will
be expected to hold his end up; shifting
the responsibility upon others will not
CO."
Captain Frederick Farrier of the Greg
ory street station is among the first to
feel the weight of the Chiefs displeas-
ure. This morning he removed his eff
fects to the pee wee station on Mont
gomery street, west of Bergen avenue,
and was succeeded in the command of
the most important precinct in the city
by Captain Charles Cox, who was sent
to the Montgomery street station six
months ago by the Police Commissioners
after a brief period of service as Captain
of the Gregory street station. Prior to
his promotion to a c%aptaincy. three years
ago, Captain Cox was for many years
a sergeant in the First precinct. He
distinguished himself in thai capacity by
his efficient work. He knows every nook
and Granny in the precinct and no other
person is better suited for the work he
has been assigned to.
Captain Cox promises hat new methods
b be -inaugurated and that while he
is in there Will be no Sinking
or shifting of responsibility. While it is
generally understood that Captain Farrier
has been emoyed because of his failure
10 CLOSE certain alleged QlSOrQ6flY houses
and gambling joints in the First precinct,
Chief Murphy is charitable to him. In
talking for publication about the change,
he said
THE First precinct is what we call a
day and a night precinct. 1t contains a
number of al1-night saloons and concert
halls, three ball rooms, two theatres and
a number of other places which keep a
certain class of people out atohourS when
the ordinary citizen is home and in bed.
In addition to this the great money in
terests represented in it make it the most
important precinct in the city. 1t re-
quires a young, strong, energetic and
hard working man to command such a
precinct. For some time Captain Farrier
has not been in good health and has
therefore been unable to properly patrol
his precinct. In the Seventh precinct his
duties wilh not be as arduous. Captain
Cox will. in obedience to my Instructions,
regularly inspect his precinct from one
end to the other, in person, at least two
nights a week after midnight. He must
see for himself what is going on and must
not depend solely upon his subor-
dinates report. He will be responsible for
any violations of law in his precinct"
Detectives Douglass and Bennett and
Patrolmen Chimney and Gallery, who,
with Captain Farrier, will be tried by
for failure to close the gambling house
OF Edward Greene, No. 24 Washington
street, have suffered punishment similar
TO that melted out to their Captain. De-
e|Ntf DoOSAdcS Will go Win fdTfl6T TO
the Montgomery street station. His place,
IN the First precinct will be filled by
Detective James Larkins, who was as
ISOLATED with Captain Cox on the
Heights. 1t was Larkins who secured
the evidence against Greene's place which
resulted in Chief Murphy's raid upon it
over the head of Captain Farrier. The
evidence was obtained by Larkins after
Bennett and Douglass had reported that
1t was impossible for them to discover
anything wrong at Greene's.
Acting Detective Bennett donned the
uniform again this morning and returned
to patrol duty. In regard to this trans
fer thief Murphy said:-"Bennett should
have closed that gambling house and the
three disorderly houses we raided. His
not doing SO was an i~nexcusable omis-
sion. What a number of citizens saw
and swore to in court should have been
apparent to the detective and patrolmen
on that post. l hav ordered Captain
Cox to remove the two men on that post
atsonce n assign them to other duty
Later Captain Cox announced that
Patrolmen John Bolen and Andrew Booth
1ngton and Plymouth streets, in place of
the officers who are in disgrace.
Patrolman Christopher Bruene will act
as officer of the First Criminal Court in
future and will do regular patrol duty
afternoons. The position of court officer
was formerly held by Detective Douglass.
VINO performed that duty in plain clothes.
Bruene will wear his uniform while in
-
Il believe" said Chief Murphy, this
morning, that everybody connected with
the police department whose duty ii is to
come in contact with the general public,
and especially a court officer, who is COM
PEELED to order them to sit down or stand
around, should be in uniform. The people
to whom he gives orders should be able
to see brass buttons so that there could
be no doubt in their minds as to his au-
thority. The more brass buttons he wears
the better The service will also gain by
the change, as Bruene, after serving in
the court in the morning will report for
patrol duty in the afternoon. 1t was
ridiculous that a detective should have
been made to serve as court officer. 1t
brought him in contact of every criminal
and habitue of the Criminal Court and
made him a marked man. destroying his
as a detective. Sergeant
Moriarity will succeed Detective
Henry Clay keenan, as officer of the Sec-
ond Criminal Court. during his present i'll
health.
WANTS WORK OBRTI0RARIED.