The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-04-21
Police Department. t.

Police Department.
Jersey City, N. j., April TO- 1899
Honorable Board of Police Commls-
Gentlemen-We, the undersigned Off
GERS and members of the Jersey city
Police Department, offer our services
to the Governor Of this State, tenn
porarily, to help meet any emergency
that may arise in the State of New
Jersey, out Of the war with Spain
and we respectfully petition your hon
orable body for permission 10 leavS
the city on any such emergency cal
from the Governor for the purpose OF
repelling invasion or any such DEM
onstration by the enemies OF the
United States.
In order that we should become eff
ficient for such duty we respectfully
request your honorable body to ask
His Excelency the Governor of the
State, TO furnish this Department i'm.
mediately the necessary number OF
arms, equipments and ammunition to
properly equip US for such service.
The Board of Police Commissioners will
meet tomorrow and consider the petition
The Commissioners have already defined
their position in the matter by announce
ing that every man who enlists for SER
vice in the army or navy will have his
place when he returns and will be given
credit for the full time he is away. So
far as is known the Jersey City Depart
ment is the first one to volunteer its SER
vices to the State When interviewed
regarding his plans this morning Chief of
Police Murphy said:
Accompanying the petition to the Com
nlissioners will be communication from
me stating that should they favorably
consider the petition of the men offering
their services, would respectfully sug-
gest that the intention is to form a
of Toe icfi n
a captain, two sergeants and fifty men
each. 1t will be formed of the picked
men of the force. That would leave 125
men, three captains and twenty SER
geants, in charge of Inspector Lange as a
neuclus for a police force | will ask the
Commissioners to swear in 800 citizens IS
special policemen to take the places OF
the regular police should they be called
cut Such an emergency as 1 suggest is
something that is not very likely to oc-
cur, but it is something that in war may
occur at any minute. In case, for in7
stance, our coast and harbor defenderst
the auxiliary cruisers, should be called
away north and leave our waters u1l-
protected temporarily, it would be an easy
matter for a swift sailing craft from the
enemy's fleet to run into an inlet or a
bay and play great ndVoc.
'.In such an emergency our battalion
would be able to leave fully as quickly as
they could make up train to carry U.S..
Our men are thoroughly drilled, and the
only manual we would have to drill them
in would be loading and firing and car
rying a gun to a right shoulder. In a
week they would be thoroughly efficient
for any service that might be required of
them The other object in view in equip.
ping the men and forming the battalion
is this, and it is no dream either:-As
soon as the war breaks out there will be
an exodus of thieves and thugs from
Chicago and the western cities. They
will flock to New York, Boston and the
seacoast cities. Then there are lot of
idle people who have no interest in the
welfare of the United States In the
event of big naval battle Off our shores
thieves to start riot. In such an event
we would be prepared to meet the rioters
and do the work which the National
Guard would do if it were here; 1t IS to
prevent riots as much as to defend the
coast that we want rifles. Within twenty
four hours after we got them we would
the streets to let people riotously inclined
see what they need expect"
Chief Murphy has already begun the
work of picking his men for the bat
Almost every member of the Second pre-
cii1ct police have signed the petition.
These are Captain John f. Kelly, Ser
gearlts Harrington Finnie and O'Brien,
Detective Michael Clark Patrolmen
James Lennon, James Cox, John w. Muir
ply. Thomas Barry, Michael MeDermott.
John Donovan, William Wolfs, Peter f.
Murray. Patrick Reilly. Alonzo Tier John
Cronin. james Harris. Frank Monohan,
William Nolan, Walfred Cooper Michael.
Smith. Dennis r. Sullivan Thomas T.
Dunnegan, Thomas f. Burke. Patrick
Brady, Peter F. Lowery Thomas F. Col
Inns John T. Connell and James Feehan.