The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-06-24
Who is The MAN?
One Policeman Vindicated
as Respects Josephine
Bakers Charge.
BUT SOMEONE is GUILTY
Police Authorities Occupy an
Odd Position Towards
the Wronged Girl.

The charge of criminal assault preferred
against Patrolman James Murray, of the
Oakland avenue station. by Josephine
Baker, of No. $40 Garfield avenue, was in
vestigated in the Second Criminal Court
this morning. 1t resulted in the honor
able discharge of the patrolman and a
rebuke for the girl by Police Justice Potts.
Murray was represented by Counsellor
William H. Speer. Chief of Police Murphy
represented the State.
Josephine Baker is twenty years old,
and is engaged to be married to Max
Kneer, of No. PAT Central avenue. The
testimony showed that Kneer and Miss
Baker had attended picnic at Baldwin
Park, Saturday night, June II. In COM
pany with John Cannon. of No. AZ Orch
ard street, and Carrie Cade, of No. 173
Palisade avenue, they left and wandered
down the slope of the Hill through Ho-
boken avenue, to near the foot of the
steps leading up to Christ Hospital. The
couples here separated. Kneer and his
affianced sat down on ledge of rock.
Then policeman appeared. kneer ran
away. He said in court he had been drink
ing, and could not otherwise account for
his running away Miss Kneer said the
policeman assaulted her and led her to
where Cannon and Miss Cade were sit
ting. All agree that this was about one
o'clock Sunday morning. After the po-
liceman left Josephine told her friends Of
the assault All three went to the Oak
land avenue station and reported the
matter. According to Roundsman Dris-
coll they reached the station house at
1:40 A. NJ. The party claimed they had
left the accused five minutes before. The
Sergeant found that the policeman on the
beat had reported at 1:22 and was there IN
the waiting room. He called him out and
asked the accusers if he was the man,
and they admitted he was not. All three
admitted having given fictitious names
and addresses in order to escape motor
|iety.
When a number of policemen stood
up" yesterday at the CommunipaW ave-
nue. station, Miss Baker picked out Mur-
ray as the man. She had failed to lden-
tify him five minutes after the assault Is
alleged to have been committed. Cannon
could not identify Murray in court this
morning. Kneer, who ran away from his
affianced on the approach of the police
man was somewhat fresh and was called
down by the Justice. He said the reason
he made no fuss was because he wished
to save his betrothed from notoriety.
1t was also brought out in the exami-
nation that Kneer, who IS standard
bearer of an association, attended ms as
soeiation's picnic at Baldwin Park on the
following night and led the grand march
with Miss Kneer. Cannon and Miss Cade
were also present. They saw Rounds
man Driscoll and detectives investigating
the story and did not make themselves
known Driscoll and the detectives took
other innocent parties to the station
house during the course of their investi-
CATION. These, of course, were 1mmedl-
ately discharged.
Patrolman Murray is fifty years old,
has been on the police force for fourteen
years and has a clean record He is mar
ried and is the father of three children.
He proved that he had reported at the
station house at 1:22 A. NJ, and produced
James <llian, of No. 50 Oakland avenue,
and other witnesses to prove that he was
doors and dispensing disorderly crowd,
showing positively that he could not have
been in the vicinity of the alleged assault
at the time Miss Baker alleges 1t was COM
mitted.
Justice Potts in honorably discharging
Murroy, called attention to the fact that
Miss Bakers testimony had been contra
dicted by her own witnesses and said he
did not propose to accept such testimony
as against that of reputable officer,
married, with three childrne and a splen-
did record of fourteen years on the force,
backed. by reputable witnesses as to his
performance of duty. No man on the
force was safe, he said If such testimony
was accepted as truth.
The Justice will, however, send the
papers to the Grand Jury, as he is bound
to do