The news & observer., 1905-09-20
NOT TO Be BOSSED
Police Justice Can't Die
tate to County Board.
County Attorney Makes Public State.
ment Regarding The Case of the In
sane Woman, Who Was Confined
in the Police Station.

in the Police Station.
Maria MCNEIL, the insane colored
woman who was confined with her two
| children in the police station here sew
eral days, was carried to Harnett
county yesterday afternoon by County
| Constable Jake Pope. Their home is
| in that county, and the constable will
see them safely to Dunn, the nearest
| town, and Constable Pope said if they
are not received there he will take
| them to Ellington, the county seat
and leave them at the door OF Chair
man Prince, og the Harnett Board OF
| County Commissioners.
There was question as to the au-
thority of the Police Justice to have
the unfortunate woman and her chll-
dren locked up in the police station,
and he endeavored to get them Oft
his hands. He conferred with the
count attorney, Mr.. Herbert f. Norris,
and was advised to write the Chair
man of the Harnett Board of County
Commissioners, which he did, but
without satisfaction. When the Wake
County Board was in special session
Monday Justice Badger, accompanied
by the City Attorney, appeared be-
fore the Board, and the Board told
him that the county would take the
woman and her children if Chairman
Prince should not send for them be-
fore two o'clock that afternoon Meth
er Chairman Adams nor Mr.. Norris
was notified and they supposed that
the persons had been removed to Har-
nett county II was not until seven
O'clock Monday evening, when Mr..
Norris walked by the Station, that he
learned from the turnkey the crazy
woman was still there. He told that
officer that the woman would certain
~ be removed next morning. few
minutes later Mr.. Norris met the
Police Justice who used sharp Ian
guage with him, and said that he
would not run after the, Board OF
County Commissioners. MIR. Norris
replied that the Board had not been
accustomed .. to running after any
Police Justice, and that it would not
inaugurate the custom in this case.
In an interview later in the evening
Police Justice Badger threatened the
Board with a mandamuS, saying he
would appear before Chief Justice
Clark Tuesday morning. Upon learn
ing this yesterday morning, instead OF
having the woman and her children
taken from the Police Station, as he
had intended doing, Mr.. Norris await
ed developments. At eleven O'Clock he
received a phone message from JUS
tce Badger in which Mr.. Norris told
the Police Justice that all he (the
Justice) had said about a mandamus
was foolishneSS, and that he (the JUS
tice), could be indicted for exceeding
his authority in committing the in
sane woman and her children. Justice
Badger then stated that the interview
with him had been eXtorted, and made
him utter things that he did not real
ly say, and that he would not make
an application for a mandamus. Mr
Norris said he was simply waiting FOR
the Police Justice to "crack his whip,
and that as nothing was to be done, he
would have the woman and her two
children returned to Harnett county
which was done.
Yesterday afternoon Mr.. Norris said
he thought q severe injustice had been
done to Mr.. Len. II. Adams, chairman
of the Board of County Commission
ers in Justice Badgers Threatened
mandamuS.'
Mr.. Norris made the following
statement:
After Mr.. Badger notified Mr.
Adams that he had the woman and
children in the station house. and that
they were from Harnett county. Mr..
Adams at once wrote Mr.. George r.
Prince, chairman of the Board of
commissioners of Harnett. for instruc-
tlOnS as 10 Wn6re TO SellQ the WOHl1Il
and her children. Receiving no reply
to the first letter. he wrote Mr.. Prince
again, after which Mr.. Prince 'phoned
the Police Justice that the husband
of the woman would come after them.
On Monday Mr.. Badger, with City At
torney Snow, came before tl' Board
of Commissioners and requested the
Board to relieve them of the woman
and children, whereupon they We're
advised if the husband did not come
for them by 2:30 p. m, the Chairman
of the Board would send them to Har
nett county on the evening train, and
the county would assume all expenses
incurred by the city and require Har-
nett county to pay the same. The
woman and children were not sent
yesterday evening, as Mr.. Adams re-
ceived no notice from the Police JUS
tice prior to the departure of the train
THAT the husband had not turned up.
1.-The woman and children have to-
day been sent at the instance of Mr..
Adams, chairman, by the first through
train to Dunn. For the benefit of the
credulous it may be we'll to say That
the Board has had no law laid down
to them by the Police Justice and have
heard no threat of mandamuS except
as came indirectly this morning, and
further, that if any person should
think the Board of Commissioners can
be intimidated by a threat from any
source, in the language of the day, he
hao and 81