The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-04-16
REPUBLICAN, GREED.
Police Commissioners Make
Appointments When
There Are No
Vacancies.
LIST OF THE F%oRTUNATEs
In His Zeal General Abernethy
0ysrsfeps Himself-A Re-
ward Of Crime.
LIST OF THE F~ORTUNATES

The Board of Police Commissioners met
yesterday and the majority, President
Abernethy and Commissioner West, made
a number of appointments and promo
tions-of Republicans. Commissioner
| Teeney did not concur in the appoints
menls, in fact he questioned the tight of
the Board to make one of them. He
made his objections known in open meet
ing. thereby arousing the ire of President
| Abernethy. Quite a heated discussion re-
suited.
The fun began when communications
| were being considered. Clerk Robinson
started to read a communication when
| President Abernethy stopped him and
| said he did not want 1t read. This made
| Commissioners Feeney curious and he
took the communication and read It. then
| handed it back to the clerk and insisted
that it be read aloud. President Aber-
nethy finally instructed Colonel Robinson
| to read ii. 1t proved to be a letter from
| the Bergen Republican Club. recommend
ing Patrolman Thomas Williams for APP
pointment as a detective and reciting his
many good qualities.
Shortly after this the Clerk read a
resolution offered by President Abernethy
D1Ot1QIS15 LII liz LIS CttS
| Tsoundsman A. E. Fry, to be detectives,
| Patrolman William Prescott and Frank
Bennett; to be roundsmen. Patrolman
Thomas Ramsay and Andrew Booth; to be
patrolnan, Chancemen C. A. Servis. H.
X. Snifin, ". E. Robinson. Henry Eliot,
A.. Britton. Charles Graft, David Nobler,
| Frederick Blackshaw and Robert Bum
sted; to be chancemen, Joel B. Pangborn,
= ~ 1l-.-ta w. Cror CaarUn pnt1
Edward Coughlin and Walter B. Foley;
| to be docrnan of Second precinct, Peter
MCGOWAN.
AS soon as the resolution was read
| Commissioners Feeney declared himself
| opposed to it. He said he did not believe
| that the Board had any authority to
make the appointments, as in some cases
no vacancies existed. He particularly
| questioned the appointment of two de-
t~eetives. declaring that so far as he was
aware there was but one vacancy in the
detective staff. President Abernethy re-
minded him that the Police Department
is entitled to thirteen detectives while at
present there are but. eleven. A detective,
he said, was needed in the Sixth precinct
as well as one at headquarters to take
the place of Colville Smith, retired. Com
missioner Feeney persisted in his objec-
ton, saying
at seems to me that we nave pretty
nearly enough detectives without Great
ing any more; for that reason I am OPP
posed to the appointment"
"If l remember rightly" sale President
Abernethy, 1.-THE Commissioner once in
troduced a resolution to promote twenty
five men all at once
THAT was perfectly proper, for / did
not appoint them where vacancies did not
| exist"
Il object" replied President Abernethy,
ito you accusing the Board Of doing
wrong"
you are making all the accusations
yourself said Commissioner Feeney.
Commissioner Feeney voted no on the
resolution.
After the meeting adjourned some one
inquired when the resolution went into
effect. ION May l." said COMMISSIONS
| West.
Sat once said President A~bernethy.
Never" said COMMISSIONS Feeney,
"as you forgot to put that little item in
your resolution
'eWe'H soon fix that" declared Presi-
dent Abernetny. Ihe Board Will come
to order"
"Oh, no, you don't, said COMMISSIONS
Feeney; sit is on the record that we have
adjourned to April q. You can't go back
on the record
President Abernethy grew excited, and
Me-Too West wanted to know what could
be done. When he had enjoyed the
misery of the other Commissioners fol-
several moments COMMISSIONS Feeney
said
Whats the matter with you fellows
anyway? You can easily fix 1t at the
next meeting. can't you?"
1t was finally decided that that was the
only thing to do.