The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1905-08-22
BOARD OF
ALDERME
Failure Of the Editor Of the
Daily Record to Substantiate
His Charges.
ALDERMEN'S STRONG PROTEST.

The board Of aldermen met in special
session on Friday evening. Alderman
Tompkins was absent. also Clerk Still
we'll who the Mayor explained had an
engagement out of town. In his alb
sence Alderman Rutan was elected
clerk pro tenn while Counsel Muir took
the minutes.
Mayor Reed said that the meeting
had been called at the request OF the
police committee.
Chairman Owens of the committee
then said that = The Daily Record \
short time ago had printed letter
signed " Mother which made charges
against a policeman not named. The
committee had endeayored to probe
the matter. He then read some cor
respondence which had passed between
| the committee and the editor of the
paper. The committee asked the
name Of the writer Of the letter and
the editor refused to divulge the name
unless assured that the case would be
properly investigated and a public
trial Of the officer held. Mr.. Owen
said that the committee would not
make any bargain and as they could
do nothing more he asked for the
special meeting. An investigation
would be made in such a manner that
Mothers " feelings would not be
hurt and the force rid Of an undesire-
able officer if the charges were sus-
tanned.
Mayor Reed then had the acting
clerk read letter received from Mr..
Tomlinson in reply to one asking him
to appear before the board. He de-
clined to come for the reasons express
ed in the letters to the committee say
ing that while he was ready to cooper
ate with a public investigation be was
aveTse to assisting in whitewashing
the officers record.
| A bound copy of the police regula-
tions was then produced and the sec
tion relating to charges read. The
Mayor said it was oveT-complacency
that had induced him to request the
| members to come together to meet a
man who thought he had a complaint.
Alderman Day expressed himself
that the board can do no more than ex-
press their displeasure at the failure
of the editor to be present. If he is at
all sincere he would have put himself
out to be present. He believed that it
was nothing but case of malice be-
cause the learned reporter of the
paper had been denied access to the
police records by the chief The Chief
should be commended for it is not
right to herald broadcast all about the
unfortunates who come into the courts.
If the charge was true the board would
{ soon see that the officer was dismissed.
The town is comparatively free from
| crime and he had to see wherein the
department is inefficient. He moved
that the board express its displeasure
at the non-appeapance of the editor.
Alderman Lewis added that the
board should express its disapproval of
the intimation that an investigation
] would not be properly made.
Mayor Reed said the charge was only
by innuendo but affected the good
name of the town. If it is true no
man is SO lost to decency that he would
not vote to remove the accused officer.
/ There is way provided to get rid Of
inefficient officers. The editor is up
before the barof public opinion. Until
he sustains his charges he is apt to run
against somebody who win take legal
or natural law up against him. Ap-
, parently he has carefully avoided any
/ thing that might be taken hold of. He
/ thought that his attention should be
J called to the article in the regulations
prescribing the way of procedure in
charges. A motion to that effect was
made and carried and the board ad-
journed.