Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1901-08-22
AND NOW THE CHIEF OF POLICE.

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This ONCE Has Also Been Tax Upon the
County Treasury, without Warrant IN
Law.
The power of custom continues to
occupy an exalted position in the an
nails Of New Castle county. BY custom,
the Levy Court. according to Its de-
tenders, drew an Insufficient numbers Of
Jurors for the May term of court and
that and the subsequent Efforts to Tin.
tangle tho tangled acts in that regard,
resulted IN an expense to the taxpaye rs
OF about $500. By custom, several
sheriffs OF New Castle county have re.
ceived thousands OF dollars for the
commitment and board of "vagrants''
az New CASTLE jail, when. under the
claim OF some. no warrant in law exists
for the method In vogue. By custom,
the mayor OF New Castle attempts to
collect large sums from the county for
his part in the matter Of the commit,
ment OF Migrants. And finally. by
custom, it is learned that the chief
OF police of Wilmington is paid by New
Castle county for the commitment OF
prisoners from this city to New Castle
jail. For years this latter custom has
been followed, despite the fact that a
law exists which limits the returns OF
the chief OF police to his salary.
At the meeting of the Levy court on
Tuesday of last week, when thousands
OF dollars were allowed for bills against
the county. including Sheriff Nc
Daniels bill of more than 81, 600, half a
dozen bills of Chief of Police Eugene
Massey were in the lot. There was one
bill for each month beginning with
February, and the amounts were as
follows:
February, s3s. 80; March, sT2. 80;
april, s6i. 20; May, 5000; June,
SAT; 20; July, s62. 40.
The total is 1859. 10.
1t is made up of charges for COM
mitments at the rate of so cents for
eaoh prisoner sentenced to New Castle
lail, 10 cents car fare for each prisoner
and 10 cents car fare for each officer
accompanying the prisoners.
Ihe commitment rate is understood
to be correct. The charge Of 10 cents
car fare for prisoners is under stood to
be more than is paid for that item, be-
cause ticket book is used which
makes the cost of each prisoner 71S
cents. The charge of 10 cents car fare
for the officer is understood to be i'm
proper because the officer rides free.
AS to the propriety Of the receipt Of
the money by the chief of rolice. the
following section of the law With re-
lation to the police department was
pointed out today to a REPRESENTATIVE
OF Every Evening: "Chief Of police
shall receive $1,000 per annum 4
No member Of the police force shall
reoeive any other compensation for his
services on the police force, nor as in
former, from the city or any person or
individual, for the performance OF any
duty connected with his position. .
This provision is found on page 1904
OF volume 10 of the State laws, passed
at Dover In 1893, under which the
Police Department is conducted.
The question arose Us to whether the
chief OF police may have turned the
money over to the city treasurer, but
no did not. 4
When asked concerning the matter,
Chief Massey said he followed the Gus.
tom OF his predecessors and kept the
money. He had not heard any question
raised about the matter. In case it
was found not to be legal, he thought
1t might be that those who had re.
oeired the money in the past might be
asked to refund it.
Mr.. Massey's statement that be ia
following custom is borne out by the |
facts, his predecessors having un.
received and kent the money
received from the county,