The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-04-23
FIGHTING FINEST.
Police Commissioners Approve
Chief Murphy's Emergency
Battalion Plan.

The discussion of war measures and the
adoption of resolutions designed to place
the Police Department on a war roofing,
occupied most of the time at the ma
meeting of the old Police Board last night
The Commissioners recognize Bare pos
sibility of the war spreading and OF IN
vaders attacking the coast OF New Jer-
sey They also recognize the danger
which is to be feared in all seaport OF
commercial centres in times of war from
lawless mobs, and they are determined
that should any emergency arse, Gaining
for extraordinary action on the part OF
the police of Jersey City, they shall not
be found mapping.
Chief of Police Murphy, as told in 1.-THE
News" has mapped out feasible plan
for preparing the police. He formally
aresented the plan to the Commissioners
at the meeting yesterday in the form OF
a communication, as follows:-
Honorable Be trd of Police Commis-
sioners.
Gentie4nen-C Concerning the petition
of the officers and men of this force
offering their services, temporarily to !
meet any attack by the enemy upon
our shores, ] would respectfully say
that in consultation with the Captains
it was decided that | submit tt fol-
lowing proposition to your honorable
body and suggest its adoption: That
a battalion be formed of four COM
panies, a captain, two sergeants and
fifty men to each company; that would
leave three captains and about ninety
men. including twenty three sergeants,
to form a nucleus for force to take
care of the city in our absence, to-
gether with two hundred citizens that
/ would suggest you appoint as special
policemen to take our places should
we have to leave the city.
1t is hopeful that nothing will hap,
pen to cause us to be called to repel
an attack Of the enemy on our coast,
but if it should happen that we be
called for such duty the battalion Of
Jersey City police will make history
that our citizens will be proud Of. l
believe. gentlemen, that the best in
terests of peace and order requires
the arning of the force as suggested
as soon as it can possibly be done.
Your obedient servant,
BENJAMIN MURPHY,
Chief of Police.
The communication was received and
placed on file The petitions from the
men in all the precincts, asking that re-
ouisition for arms and equipments for
two hundred men be made upon the Gov
ernor at once, and that the men be per-
mitted to offer the Governor their ser
vices in case they are needed we're then
laid before the Commissioner. The PEI
tition and the signatures We're ordered
placed in full on the minutes The foi-
lowing resolutions were then adopted in
order to carry out the wishes OF the
men
Resolved, That in view of the petit
ton presented by the officers OF this
Department, this Board recognize the
patriotism and the intense loyalty that
inspired it, and do hereby grant leave
of absence to any member desiring to
enlist in the service of his country,
and to the end that their places may
be secured to and reserved for them
until they are honorably discharged
by reason ef the expiration of their
term Of service and not Incorporated
RESOLVED, That any officer of this de-
partmentt desiring to volunteer his SER
ia rcI, I,<a11f