The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-08-13
RIOTOUS SCENE
AT DISMISSAL
OF REARDON
Tumulty ASSaiIS Police Com
missioner and Woman
Attacks Witnesses.

JERSEY CITY, Aug. 13.-Patrolman
Michael Reardon, of the Jersey City
police force, was dismissed from the
department at 1880 a. m. today on con-
viction of having kissed Mrs. Annie
Hogan, janitress of the Voorhees, rub
Der factory in Bostwick avenue. Rear
don's trial, before the Police Board,
developed charges of blackmail and
bribery.
One of his friends, former Freebooter
and present Court House Inspector
James Ellington, admitted that he
paid a bride to save Reardon, and
frankly said on the witness stand last
night that II a friend of his was in
trouble he would do the same thing
again. Another friend, Philip Tumulty,
brother of Assemblyman Joseph
Tumulty, counsel to Reardon, wanted
to assault Commissioner John McNulty
when the verdict against Reardon was
announced for having voted against
the policeman. Tumulty fought police
men in his efforts to get at McNulty
before he left the bench in the First
District Court room.
The third friend who was very much
in evidence was Reardon's wife. She
did not believe the story of the Widow
Hogan or of Charles Pugsley, the self
confessed blackmailer, and when her
husband was thrown out of his job,
which hi had held for nineteen years.
she attempted to assault Pugsley and
Mrs. Hogan.
Such a scene as that which concluded
the Reardon trial is seldom witnessed
in a courtroom or at a public hearing.
The proceedings began at 8 O'Clock last
night. There was LOUD and continuous
hand-clapping and cheering when As
semblyman Tumulty finished his sum-
ming up of the case and demanded the
acquittal Of Reardon. Then the police
commissioners took a recess.
1t was after l o'clock in the morning
and the crowd had sat in the courtroom
for over five hours listening TO a re-
markable tale of blackmail and bribery.
When the commissioners returned
there were ugly looks upon the faces OF
many in the audience. President
Bierck noted 1t and sent for five police
men from the City Hall station to pre-
serve order.
Reardon stepped forward. President
Bierck said but a few words in review OIL
the offense with which Reardon was
Ahhb VI 13Ah6
unwilling woman and having used Ian
guage unbecoming a policeman and a
gentleman, and then said: The sentence
of the Police Board IS that you be dis
missed from the service"
President Bierck announced that a crime
had been committed by The bribing of Mrs.
Hogan and Pugsley and that he would lay
all the facts in the case before the prose
cutor of the pleas, William II. Speer. He
then announced that the meeting stood
adjourned. He had no sooner said the
word than the silence Was oro ns'lad ph,l,n
Tumulty. You will regret the day you
did this. I'll lick you now" he yelled
es as mace fhe bench g daS where ere0q MicN s1t stood
with President Bierck. Everybody knows
what you are
fought them and some of his friends tried
to get him from the policemen, while otn-
ers, including his brother Joseph, counsel
to Reardon. counseled him to control nun,
self. He struggled hard TO break the hold
of the policemen, all the time yelling I'M
precautions at Commissions he
was hustled down the stairs OF the man
flight to the second floor of the building,
where his brother and others hurried him
out of the building.
When the verdict WIS announced Pugsley.
who had testified he had accepted 500 not
to testify against Reardon, left the room,
followed by Mrs. Reardon. In the street
the woman tried to grab him by the
alter him. Iu' He escaped I't and. returning to
the City Hall. Mrs. Reardon Rugged her
husband and then tried to find Mrs. Hogan,
saying she would kill the woman.
No person in front of the City Hall
saw either Mrs. Hogan or the police com
missioners cave the building.
Reardon was found guilty of kissing
Mrs. Hogan upon the uncorrobprated testi-
mony of Mrs. Hogan. who last night adj
mitted that on Wednesday last, when tes-
tifying In the case. she perjured herself
in telling of the cause Of her absence from
the trial meeting Of a week ago, when
she was supoenaed and did not appear.