The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-06-15

the signal box for three successive hours
Coffin hunted all over the precinct fol-
Gray but could not find him.. Coffin did
not report the matter to Roundsman
Scott, who was doing desk duty at the
station house,
Sergeant Coffin. in explaining the mat
ter to the Board, said:-"I was on my
way to signal box No. 81, which is To-
Gated at the corner of South street aflo
Summit avenue. when ! met three
strange men, who asked me 10 assist
them in finding a hotel where they could
spend the night. l directed them to Ho-
boken. They did not know the way to
Central averue. where i told them they
could get a car to Hoboken.
Il ~voluntered to show them the way,
and l forgot to send in my report"
Sergeant Coffin was fined five days pay
for his forgetfulness. President McGll
in imposing the penalty said
.sSergeants should not get excited over
their work. They should ave their wits
about them at all times, particularly
about the essential points of the duty
imposed in them. AS you have only been
before the Board twice in the past y
years of your service to the city, the
Board has decided to be extremely lenieiit
with you"
Roundsman William u. Scott was
called. He had to answer three charges.
All were in connection with the Gray
case. He was found guilty on all three
counts and reduced to the ranks.
In his defence Roundsman Scott testi-
fed as follows:- y
Il went out of the precinct house to
look for Gray. I went down the steps
leading to Hobolaen, and not finding
Gray there I decided to ascend the steps
again and wait for him at that point. AT
ter a short wait 1 went to the box and re-
ported the fact that 1 could not find
Gray. AS to making a false entry on the
books, 1 am not guilty. The bell at the
station rang up. and l answered she tele-
phone. A whistle such as we are accus-
toned to receive from the sergeant OF
duty answered me. l then entered the
report on the books that Sergeant Ccf-
fin had sent in the call. If it was moi ne
it sounded very much like the whistle
usually heard over the wire.
This statement that the superior Of
icers while out on patrol did not hold a
verbal conversation with the man ON the
desk duty at the precinct house caused
no little Sergeant Miller who
has only been a Sergeant for a Few
months, was called to the witness char
He was asked by Chief of Police Murphy
if the whistling habit was in practice
with the officers connected with the sixth
precinct. Sergeant Miller said not to MS
knowledge.
Chief Murphy told Sergeant Miller to
report to his. office after the trials in or
der thai he might find out more about the
whistling habit. It is not unlikely that
several charges on this score will be
made at the next meeting of the Board.
Nothing more of Importance was dis
covered against Scott. President McG4il
said the excellent record borne by the
roundsmen during the past eighteen years
was the only thing that warranted his re-
tention on the force.
Police Curry of the Sixth precinct was
the next officer called. He had been
found by Inspector Archibald. on one Of
his midnight crusades in citizens clothes
talking to several persons for a pc iod It
fully fifteen minutes. Curry was found
guilty of the charge. He was let OH win
a reprimand by Chief Murphy.
Policeman Thomas Toner, who has been
before the Board fourteen times since he
has been on the force, was accused last
night by Sergeant Miller of sitting on the
wall of the Paterson plank road in the
morning of June 5, with his night stick
across his lap. Toner was found guilty OF
he charge and was fined three days
pay.
Policeman AberneEhy, i brather OF Tor
yaer COMMISSIONS Abe.nsffV, was ac-
used of being two hours late in answer
the roll call on the morning of May 81.
He plead guilty. Abernethy was let OH
with a reorimand this belng his first Of
tense.