The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-04-08
WON'T RETIRE WATSON.
Gar Abernethy Refuses to
Take McDermott's.
Opinion.

The Board of Police Commissioners, or
rather the Republican majority of the
Board, failed to keep the promise made
to Counsellor Mulvaney, at its meeting,
to consider an opinion from Corporation
Counsel Allan L. McDermott on the re-
tirement of Prison-keeper aAleck Watson
on half pay. The Republican members
of the Board, although taking no definite
action in the matter, practically ignored
the opinion submitted by Mr.. McDermott,
which was as follows =
Jersey City, April 5, 1899.
To the Honorable Board of Police Com
missioners of Jersey City,
/ Gentlemen-Answering your communi-
cation of the 4th inst, am Of the opln-
ion that Mr.. Alexander Watson is mem
Der of the police force of Jersey City and
within the provisions of an act providing:
"The pensioning of public officers in GER
tain cities of this State and regulating
the method by which the same may be
accepted and become operated in said
cities,'' approved March 81 1851 and the
supplement approved April 10, 1889. (See
Laws of 1887, page 81, and OF 1889 page
245) Ii therefore Mr.. Watson has been
permanently disabled by reason of ac-
cident incurred at any time in the service
he is by reason of disease contracted dur
ing such service permanently disabled, it
is your duty to. retire him upon half pay.
He is, of course, entitled t. be heard
upon the question of whethe he is per-
manently disabled
Yours respectfully,
ALLAN L. McDERMOTT,
Corporation Counsel.
The points set forth in Mr.. MeDermott's
opinion evidently did not meet with the
approval of "Czar'' Abernethy, who has
made up his mind that the only course
resorted to is the unceremonious dismis-
sal of the veteran police officer, without
even one penny to fall back on in his
declining days. The greed of Abernathy
and West, in their erldeavors to place
their man has met with the dssapproyal
of the entire community, Representative
citizens, of their own party, have
denounced the proceedings of the previous
meetings, when Watson was bounced.
After the Corporation Counsels opinion
had heen read, President Abernethy who
will himself be relegated to private life,
April 24, innocently inquired of Counselor
Mulvaney whether or not, he, as the rep
resentative of Watson, admitted that his
client was unable to appear for trial, as
had been declared at the last meeting by
DR.. Dunlsel,s the attending physician, or
whether .he only asked for Watson's re-
tiremert on half pay, instead of dismissal.
Counselor. Mulvaney having the city
charter and the laws governing the police
department as his authority, replied
1.-THE retirement of Watson in con-
fcrmance with the law, upon half pay
would cover his contention and would
President Abernefhy then meekly, and
as though he did not want to say what
propriety and humanity compelled him to,
reiterated the statement made at the last
meeting, that the Board had the greatest
sympathy for Watson, but duty demand-
ed just action. The Gar added that he
paid authorities of the city, and found
the opinions differed from that of Cor
poration Counsel McDermott. Continuing
President Abernethy said:
n NOT hali IA hQ