The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-07-16
IN THE HANDS OF SHARKS
Commissioners Take Steps
to Save Policemen From
Money Lenders
MANY DELIHQUENTs ON TRIAL
Is uthe Gang" Trying to Get
Square With Patrolman
Frank Kelly.

Eight policemen were on trial BEFORE
the Board of Police Commissioners yes
terdav afternoon. Patrolman Eieazer
Losev of the Gregory station was charged
with striking Patrolman Coughlin en- the
head with his club during an altercatloh
In the SQUAD room in the police station
on the morning of June o. g
was charged with conduct unbecoming
an officer Patrolman William Luyster OF
the same station and Sergeant Batters-
by of the -Communipaw avenue station
were charged with transferring their pay
warrants. Chanceman George conklin OF
the same station was charged with fail
ing to report from signal box for two
hours.
Patrolman Frank Kelly of the same
station was up on two charges, one not
reporting for duty and the other having
left his post, entering the pool room OF
Charles Farmer. on Grand street, on the
night Of June %, and taking off his coat
and hat and playing pool.
Patrolman Louis Bettiger of the Com
munipaw avenue station was charged
with not reporting from signal box at
proper time, and Patrolman John Downs,
also of the same station, was charged
with being off his post.
In the case of Losey it was alleged
that he twitted Coughlin in the station
house about being in the company OF a
young woman. Coughlin did not take his
remarks kindly and they got into a quar-
rel. which resulted in Coughlin receiv-
ing a blow on the head with a club, cut
ting a cash. Coughlin charged Losey
with inficting the blow, but the latter
insisted that Coughlin was struck by his
own club, he having raised his club
threateningly towards Losey when the
latter, thinking he intended to strike
him raised his own club to ward off the
blow. the W clubs coming in contact.
The preponderanee of evidence given by
witnesses of the occurrence supported
this plea and the charge against Losey
was dismissed, with a warning from
Commissioner West that boisterous con-
duct among policemen in the squad
rooms must cease.
About the only thing brought out in the
cases of Patrolman Luyster and Sergeant
Battersby were that they had for some
time been victims of money lenders, who
had been fleeing them to the tune OF five
FER cent. a month or sixty per cent. a
year. and although they had not paia the
full amount of the loans they were
clAmoring for more. Tt was also revealed
that some of the Captains had been in the
fhabit of delivering mems warrants to
those holding power of attorneys to col
lect them. and themselves signing the
stubs. City Clerk O'Donnell, who was
called as a witness in the case of Luyster.
gave notice to the Commissioners that
hereafter the warrant books will not be
cent to Police Headquarters but will be
kept in the office of the City Clerk, and
that officer will disburse the warrants to
the Captains of each precinct, and then
he could keep track of the power of at
torney.
President Abernethy said he did not
know about that. Mr.. O'Donnell said that
he did, and as he was the custodian of
the city warrants he should adopt that
rule. Both of these cases were discussed
with a warning that hereafter the selling
of pay warrants would not be tolerated.
Chanceman Conklin pleaded guilty to
the charge against him, claiming that he
arrived at his box two minutes before
the time for sending in his report, and
while waiting he was called to stop a dis
turbance on a trolley car forgetting after
that he had not pulled his box, but he
could not seem to remember why he did
not report the ensuing hour. He was
fined five days pay, President A~bernethy
telling him that If he could afford to give
five days for two hours time the Board
could easily stand it.
The case of Patrolman Frank Kelly
was the most important, and Counselor
Alexander Simpson was on han to defend
him. To the first charge of not reporting.
at roll call, he pleaded guilty. The ex-
cuse he gave was that he was awakened
late and did not arrive at the station I'M
til his post had been filed. To the
second charge of being in a poolroom and
playing pool, he pleaded not guilty. This
charge was based upon an affidavit of
Michael Fitzpatrick, who says that Kelly
was in the poolroom. had his hat and
coat off and was playing pool. Michael
Fitzpatrick did not appear, but his son
Edwar did. and testified that he saw
Kelly in the saloon with two women, that
he had his coat and hatseff, but he did not
see him playing pool. He also saw him
when he came out and heard him say he
would arrest anyone who hung around
that corner. Or cross-examination Fitz-
patrick admitted tina Kelly had arrested
his brother that same night.
Peter Flannelly was called as a witness
when one of his companions answered.: