The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-05-07
MURPHY'S JUBILEE
Chief ofPolice Celebrates His
TWenty-ffth Anniver-
sary on the Force.
A SOLDIER FIRST OF ALL
Unsurpassed War Record in
the Eighth New Jersey
Infantry.
ENTHUSIASTIC FIGHTER OF CRIME
His Career in the Public Ser
vice Has Always Been
Marked BY Fidelity
and Progress.
ENTHUSIASTIC FIGHTER OF CRIME

faithful sevIce in the Jersey City Police
Department.
In the twenty-five years there have been
ny changes for the better in the depart
many changes for the better in the depart
ment. most of which have been made al
his suggestion. To-day, under his man
eme the Police Department OF Jersey
City, ranks second to no other depart
ment in any city having an equal popuia-
tion. AS for Chief Murphy no man stands
higher in his chosen profession than he,
and no Chief of Police is oftener con-
suited by other authorities. Criminals
fear him and every man on the police
force respects him, and looks upon him
as his friend.
He probably has more friends than any
other man in the city. He is known far
and wide for his many acts of kindness.
Many a man with a family TO support
owes his job to the kind offices of the
Chief of Police. His office is a regular
employment bureau. Scarcely a day
passes that some man in hard luck does
not apply to him for a recommendation
or for advice. as TO where to look for
work.
In politics Chief Murphy is a launch
IkGDuRttld4t. D4l llC AiCNSA -
terfere with his duty as a police officer.
The chief will celebrate his twenty-hfth
anniversary this evening, in a quiet man
ner at the Hotel Washington when he will
give a dinner to his staff and the heads
of the various divisions of the Police. De-
partment. The invitations read as follows:
Chief Benjamin Murphy
requests the pleasure of your
presence ct the
TWenty-ifth Anniversary
of his connection with the
Jersey City Police Department.
at the
Hotel Washington. Jersey City,
May seventh
eighteen hundred and nienty-eight,
Seven T. N.
Informal.
The Invitations nave been limited to
those connected with the Police Depart
ment.
Benjamin Murphy was born in Ireland
on january 25. 1S45, and came to this
country when a child. When but sixteen
years old he enlisted in the Eighth New
Jersey Infantry, which formed a part OF
the famous Second Brigade. When he
had been in the regiment about q year
he was appointed corporal and assigned TO
the color guard, where he remained until
the battle of Gettysburg, when he was
made a sergeant. At the battle of Cham
cellorsville he with another guard were all
that came off the field, the seven other
members of the color guard having been
either killed or wounded IN the battle. He
and his comrade were wounded, but did
not leave the field until the regiment re-
tired. At Gettysburg Murphy was wound
ed three times but non of his Wounds
was serious. Before the Wilderness cam
paign he was made first sergeant and as
such commanded his ompany through
the wilderness and Spctsyiyania and up
to Petersburg, when he was promoted
first lieutenant. He became captain in
May. 1866. He is one of less than twenty
men of his regiment who served with II
continuously from dts organization until
its muster out without having been alb
sent during its entire three years and
eleven months spent at the front. Dur
ing that time the regiment took part IN
thIyfy-eight general engagements and lost
nearly nine hundred men, in killed and
wounded.
At the close of the war. Murphy secured
empsoyment in the Post Office in this city
and remained there until he was appoint
ed to the police force. His thorough
military training has been of great service
tn him in all he has undertaken. After
leaving the army he assisted in the organ
jzation of Company C. Fourth Regiment,
National Guards of New jersey, which
he named Hooks Rifles. He was Captain
Of the Company until he Joined the police
force. when. under the rules. he was
forced to resign. 1t was in the spring Of
1873 that James H. Love and other friends
of Captain Murphy suggested to him the
ACCESSIBILITY of going into the Police De-
partment. The service at that time was
controlled by politics and any officer could
be dismissed at any time without the
Formally of a charge. g simple resolution
being all that was required to get a man
off the force. AS a result. there was but
little interest taken by any of the mem
bers of the force in the business of the
Department. They knew that they held
their places only while their party was
in power.
As Captain Murphy was a military man
1T was thought by his friends that he
would make a good Inspector. They sue
ceeded in getting him appointed to that
position on May Z, 1873. He started right
in to master every detail of the police
business. He studied such criminal law
as he thought a police officer should be
familiar with: he made himself acquaint-
ed with the provisions of the city ordi-
nances; he learned patrol duty by patrol
ing. visiting the men on their posts by day
and night; he xecuted warrants and did
all kinds Of police duty so as to make up
q necessary knowledge, which could
otherwise be learned only by long, service
- = :. &I~o ~ A ffnr carxrip0 fn11r xn re