The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-06-04
MEN HIGHER UP INDICTED.
GR4SD Jury IN JERSEY cry
PASSES BY CHIEF MURPHY.
But the Three Police Commissioners Must
Answer for Not Seeing That Jerry
Murphy's PoOlroom Was Suppressed
-Indictine nts said TO he Due to Joke.

Answer for Not Seeing That jerry
Murphy's PoOlro0n Was Suppressed
indictments said TO BE Due to q Joke.
Jersey City folks were Jared yesterday
hv the announcement that tho Democratic
Grand Jury of Hudson County had found
true bills of indictment against the thNee
Jersey City police commissioners. John
Mitchell and TnomasW. Tilden, Republicans,
and John +. McNulty, Democrat. The in
dctments, it Is said, are for nonfeasance
in Office and are based on the allegation
tina, the commissioners failed to exercise
their authority in compelling the police
to suppress Jerry Murphys poolroom, at
81 Newark avenue.
Mitchell is president Of the board He is a
boss painter and decorator and an active
political worker. Tilden is superintendent
of the New York Bay Cemetery and is not
rated as pronounced partizan. McNulty
i-an undertaken He is an uncle of Mayor
Mark NJ. Pagan and is known throughout
the length and breadth of the city as "Unce
John" Fagl1 was employed as an assist
ant in McNulty's undertaking rooms when
he made his first run for Mayor and de-
featcd Bob Davis's so-called corporation
candidate George T.. Smith. a son-in-law
of Edward T. C. Young. the banker by an
overwhelming majority Uncle Johns Sc
lection as police commissioner, politicians
say, was purely personal one.
The finding of the bills on Friday night
followed the Grand Jury's decision not to
ndict Chief Of Police Benjamin Murphy
mot a relative of jerry, Capt, John Cody
If the First precinct Detective Sergeants
Dan Lee and William Prescott of that pre-
cnct and the patrolmen who have been
doing duty up and down in front of the
poolroom.
When the Grand jury originally took up
the Jerry Murphy case DIR. Arthur j. Wal
scheid. the foreman, told how he managed
m oct past the lookout with Juror Newton
Lawrence and lose SIS bet in the place. He
gave an interesting narrative of his visit
10 Police Headquarters. around the corner
from the poolroom, his talk with Chief
Murphy, the chiefs command to Capt.
Cody to raid the place without delay and
the arrest OF Jerry Murphy and seven other
men SUI posed to be pooroom employees.
The Grand Jury did lot of investigating
and then indicted Jerry Murphy and ordered
the Prosecutor of the Pleas to draw up
bills of indictment against Chief Murphy
and Capt, Cody. 1t later reconsdered its
cent before the court for trial on charge
supreme Court Justice Jonathan Dixon
watched with great interest the struggles of
the Jury to solve the troublesome poolroom
case and called the jurors into court week
aro Yesterday for a heart to heart talk.
He practically told them it was their duty
,o indict the chief, the captain. and all
subordinate officers and patrolmen in the
First precinct whose duties called them in
the neighborhood of the poolroom. He
said the fact; had been established that the
law had been violated, and it was the sworn
duty of the police to prevent attractions OF
the law. The Justice informed the jurors
that forms of indictments would be drawn
up against the several parties and ne would
be at the court house on Saturday next to
receive the report of the Grand Jury's
consideration Of the cases.
The Justice didn't say anything in his
special charge to the Grand Jury about the
possible Indictment OF the police com
missioners. and its action IN this particular
created genuine surprise.
1t is said that the indictments might
never have been found II Police commas
sioner McNulty had not been subjected to
a lot of jollying by some OF ms friends I and
genial friends conficled to McNulty in spirit
of fun that they understood somebody at
police headquarters was getting protection
money from the poolroom men. The Com
missioner was panied and surprised and
heard in divers other places, including
thirst cures. The Commissioners remarks
were sent by wireless to his colleagues and
one night when the members of the board
met at police headquarters to confer on
matters pertaining to the good and welfare
of the department Commissioner Tiden
took McNulty to task for his remarks and
wanted to know what he meant by it. Nc
Nulty, it is said, explained that whatever
he had said was only joke and followed a
lot of jollying to which he had been sub
iected by some of his friends. The other
commissioners advised him not to carry the
joke too far for fear some folks might not
be able to see the point. They also advised
him to be more cautious about making
foolish remarks in public.
In due course of time word reached the.
Grand Jury that somebody had said $500
protection money went to police head
thraa commissioners were summoned to
appear hefore that body. Only McNulty
end ridden were called upon to testify.
The session is said to have been a very
warm one.
The commissioners we're asked lots of
questions, as to what orders they had issued
to the Police department for, the suppress
sion of poolrooms and McNulty was cate
chzed closely in regard to the story of the
protection money. 1t is SAID mat the com
ini,sioners claimed that anything he may
lave said bearing on this subject should
he construed in the light of joke. as he
never really meant to convey the serious
Impression that he believed protection
money had actually been paid to anybody
injected with headquarters.
tho vote TO indiot the memters OF the
IL ice board, it is said, was IS for and 10
a,ainst. Several of the jurors who are
oked upon as active organization Demo-
cra.s did not vote in favor of indictment,
and this gave an excuse yesterday for the
i'lIess that the Grand Jury's action was not
altogether political.
The jury also found indictments against
the seven men who were captured with
Jerry Murphy when his poolroom was
raided