The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-04-04

general powers of the Police Board :-sine
Police Commissioners provided for ana
authorized by this act shall have power,
in addition to all other powers nefeHl
granted, to reorganize, in whole or IN
part, the Police Department OF any sucn
city by the appointment from tlme 70
time. in their discretion, all such num-
bers of officers and men, or clerks oI
other persons as are now authorized py
law for the Police Department, IN any
capacity whatever connected therein or
heretofore appointed by the Ponce COM
missioners of any city to take the place
of and act instead of and to be supsu-
tuted for any and all such Officers ana
patrolmen or other persons as are now now
serving in any capacity IN connection
with any such department., but snail not
increase the number of the force peyohu
the number authorized by law IN every
city, nor the pay of members, Deyonu the
pay so authorized, except in the case OF
police surgeon, whose salary the Board
may fix; provided that nothing herein
violate any. law now existing III regard
to the dismissal of any person from ths
Police Department.
My further contention IS that II the
Board reorganiZed the force the law gave
the Commissioners a that time power to
say who was and who was not a menl-
Der of the Police Department. Under the
law of 1887, when the department was re-
organized, the Police Commissioners des-
ignated to Watson the position of a police
officer, and in accordance with the act
of 1889 it devolves upon the Commission
ers to retire him on half pay.
81 am here tonight to ask that the law
be complied with. l am sure that, il the
Board of Finance recognizes the leganty
Of such action, which it does, in the of
fer to appropriate an amount sufficient 70
pay the pension this Board should do its
part and retire Watson. Next year, IL the
new Board of Finance refuses to appreci-
ate the amount ii will be time for Wat
son to take action against the city. Wat
son was appointed Prison Keeper but he
has performed every branch OF ponce du7
executed warrants. The bill introduced
before the Legislature to cover Watson S
charter was broad enough TO cover the
case
Commissioner Abernethy declared that
he would be only too pleased to retire
Watson on half pay, but he believed that
such action would be illegal.
Lawyer Mulvaney told MIN that II ne
would adjourn the case until this morn
ing at nine o'clock an opinion from tne
Corporation Counsel would be submitted.
After this argument DR.. Neyin was
called as a witness. He declared that IN
his opinion Watson was better able to ap-
pear than he would be month nence,
He was suffering from paralysis due TO
spinal trouble and was in his opinion per-
manently disabled.
My examination, said Or. NeNln,
was supertiuous at first. Watson was
not in condition to walk around. Today
L put him through tests. Watson himseif
partially verified my opinion that ne IS
permanently QlSdDleQ I1S NOlSC loNe'S
than when he reported sick His disease
is progressive and will in time result in
complete loss of memory. He failed to
remember DR.. Dunkers name yesterday
morning.
City Physician Everett was next sworn.
when l first examined him. he said,
81 found him suffering from paralysis OF
the lower limbs. / don't think he will
ever be able to perform active duty
again.
DR.. Rector in answer to questions by
President Abernethy said:-
Il examined the patient today and found
him suffering from degeneration of the
spinal cord beginning at the extremity
and resulting in constipation, reaction OF
the occular organs and closing of the pupil
of the eye. loss of memory and strong
prominence of degeneration of the muscles
of the lower limbs. He also has num-
Der of minor complaints. He may yet
live for twenty or thirty years, but he
will never be able to again perform heavy
work He will never be able to depend
on his lower limbs again"
The case will be continued Friday even
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