Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1903-01-09

A fine of SO and a severe reprimand
,or conduct unbecoming an officer. in
esvlrg his beat without permission. and
tsiIing to show up at the relieving sta
Ion. or explaining the reasons therefor.
vas the sentence passed upon Policeman
:. r Robinson last night by the Board
# Police Commissioners.
n was in the air yesterday that
.aarces OF some sort would be made
.sainst somebody at the meeting Of the
,4ard, scheduled to convene at o'clock
Pl NJ. and report was circulated in the
absence of better information that the
51jcct Of the charges was Policeman
Wyatt, which report Major Howard de-
MED during the day.
The report was well grounded, how
aver. in so far as Il Indicated the pros
pect Of trial at this session of the
board, and was only wrong in the per-
sonality of the defendant.
III Z, R Robinson appeared in this
role and Sergeant James p. Jeter ap-
peared against him in the role of prose
citing witness.
Vain Hunt.
Sergeant Jeter in his rounds on Tues
day night, reached Mr.. Robinson.s beat
at 1879 o'clock and failing to find him
hunted. whistled, and raped for him in
vain for two hours. At 1890 Sergeant
Jeter Informed Officer Werner Of Mr.
Robinson's unaccountable absence and
urned the matter over to him. Mr.. Rob
nson not showing up at the relieving
post al O'Clock. Mr. Werner went to
lis house about o'clock and found him
r bed
In renly TO the statements Of the Off
GERS 10 this effect, Mr.. Robinson said
they were true. but nevertheless he was
doing his duty and he was prepared to
prove 1t. He had a number of witnesses
called who testified to having seen him
on his beat at various times during the
night up TO II q lock.
Went to :. ,ok for n Man.
MI Robinson then made his statement
10 the effect that a man, who lived Out
81 the county. for whom he had stood
bail had acted badly. and that he had
received permission to so and arrest him.
lie did not have the attachment with him.
and he knew that without it he could not
arrest the man. but he thought if he
found him that the man would come
with him voluntarily He failed to- find
the man he was locking for, and returned
10 his beat at IN O'Clock, and walked
II until he met Mr.. Crump, who relieved
him. when he went home and went to
5sd When he met Cru1np he looked al
his watch and it had stopped at 1915
O'clock. Crunp told him it was o'clock.
which surprised him. as he did not .,now
il was SO late. Mr.. Robinson claimed
mat 1t was not an uncommon thing for
policemen to leave their beats to arrest
persons who were wanted. and he some
what excitedly said that similar case
10 his own had been, recently reported
and nothing had been done about it. But
now that he was the offender the matter
was brought before the board. He had
baen on the force for twenty years. and
this is the first time he had been brought
up on any charge.
Discrimination Implied.
$50 you think YOU are being discrini
mated against" said a member Of the
board
Mr. Robinson asked that a brother Of
fcer be called to prove his statement as
10 the case he had cited, bul the board
ruled that il had no bearing on the mat
.er.
The board then went into executive ses-
SIGN and shortly after Mr. Robinson was
called in and informed that he had been
sentenced TO pay a fine of $40 and re-
ee%e d reprimand.
Mr. Jacobs, who administered the reprl-
nand, informed him that the board would
have dealt with him more severely be-
2ause of the spirit of suboruination man
Tested by him. but Tor the fact that TINS
was his first offense. and admonished him
% observe the rules of the department
more strictly in future.
TO Regulate Pawnbrokers.
Previously to the trial. which was held
N open session. the board. in executive
session for about an hour. during which
line besides transacting routine business,
discussed the subject Of pawnbroke.s.
ana Initiated an important step in rela-
ton TO this class of citizens. a resolution
was adopted requesting the City Attorney
TO draw up an ordinance to compel pawn
brokers 10 make a daily report to the
Chief Of Police. giving a fun description
OF ali articles bought or taken in by way
OF pawn by them during the previous
t%enty-iour hours. This is regarded as a
laT-reaching move. and one that VIII
scarcely be relished by the pawnbrokers.
ttOEIEnE royTCCIIsS GALA NIGHT,