Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-11-03
POLICE OFFICERS ON THE RACK.
Supernumeraries Given Shaking Up-Oficer colasan-
 to Lays His Case Before the Board.

l
 Supernumerary Officer Christopher
 Geraghty was dismissed from the pc { lice force at meeting of the board
 of public safety held last evening. This
 was the result of Geraghty's refusal to place written resignation in the hands of Chief Egan. Had Geraghts
 complied with the orders qf the board
 he would have appeared before it yes
 terday afternoon, but that order he ig-
 nored and his dismissaI was the re suit
 The charge against Supernumerars ! William Bowes was heard and his ex- planatlOn for his non-appearance at I the annual inspection was accepted.
 Bowes is q bricklayer and was en gagged on an important as we'll as dan- gerous job on the day of inspection. I It was simply impossible for him tt. leave it without endangering life ana property. The other supernlMnerary
 who was cited to appear before the
 board, William J. Quigley, sent his
 resignation from Chicago, where he is i now living, and it was accepted.
 The McI4inden Bros, druggists, on
 North Main street. filed bill with the
 board for services rendered some l men who were arrested by the polics ] one Sunday in the north end for play
 ing ball. The men were cut and bleed
 ing. The bill was for $14, and the ex. planation accompanying 1t was to the. { effect that the drug store was crowded i with people for half an hour and that
 business was practically suspended for
 that time. The bill was filed and Com
 missioners Beach and Moran were ap pointed a committee to inquire into i tile matter
 The board then retired to executive ! session and considered the case of l Thomas Colasanto, who was appointea i to the regular police force last week ! and against whom various alleged ! islanders have been fired since Cola, ! santos explanation is as follows: ! .In my application for appointnen. as supernumerary officer, and i'll my ] examination before the former board of public safety, was asked to answer the following questions:
 Have you ever been complained
 of, indicted for or convicted of criln.
 inal Offenseg
 ITO this question my answer waA 1 No each time I was asked to answet l it.. ..sls.
 | Charges have been made that I swore falsely in answering as l did. ] In reference to this charge I wish to make the following statement: T did not swear falsely. The an swer was made by me honestly and in 1 good faith, and I think that can prove that did not lie.
 ..The charge against me at present ]; is alleged to arise from the. fact that, 1 with other persons, was once brought | to the police station. I was in build. ! ing on Bank street at the time alleged and while there i'll the Company of oth- l CTS, policemen entered and brought the 1 party to the police station. We weIe l told that 1t was because of being in a
 place where policy was played and for
 being connected with the game as con- 1 ducted in that place.
 l ssI was kept in the station for about 1 ten or fifteen minutes, and was then re. ! leased. The next monring I went to 1 the police court. When brought to the station no. warrant was read to me, I nor did see any warrant against me l or hear that there was any warrant against me; nor when was arrested on Bank street did see or hear of any warrant against me. In the police court no warrant was brought to my 1 attention, nor read to me, nor was asked by anybody connected with the police court if I was guilty or not | A l the court and after while was told with the others that might go. l did 1 not i'll any way appear before tIe ! court, otherwise than to be present ih
 the room and to be represented by q 1 lawyer not employed by me, who, 1 was told took the case to the district l court. That was the last had to do. with the case, although heard after. wards that the case was nolled of l dropped. but had nothing to do with
 fixing it up, and paid no fine .orsWas asked to pay any fine, and was in no way punished. -
 ] was on when found ill this place. l .9The man who was charged with l running this place where was taken
 from was tried in the police court 2
 day or two afterwards on the charge
 of running policy. place. He fought
 the case, was found not guilty by the
 court and discharged. After that ! ! understood that nobody could be Hound guilty for being in that place or } being connected with it if the court } decided that the man who was tried was not guilty.
 l ..When I made application to be come supernumerary policeman, ana
 was given the application to sign, l | took it to lawyer anu askeu HUI
 about the questions and what was
 meant by them. When spoke of
 this question, to which I am accused
 of answering wrongly, he explained I
 to me what the legal meaning is of
 being complained against, indicted or
 convicted His explanation was to
 the effect that complaint ill the law
 did not mean charges made by irre-
 -- asible persons or by any one not in
 authority He defined the meaning of
 the ordinance of the city to beAthat
 complaint signified the charge made
 by the public prosecutor in the war rant or in the legal papers read ill
 court to which the accused is asked to plead guilty or not guilty. He also
 explained that an indictment was the
 charge brought forward by a grand jury and that conviction was the final judgment of court finding an r. <l