The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-07-19
SPECIAL COP FIRED
SHORTER USED CLUB TOO
FREELY JULY q.
Bloomfield Council Dismisses Him Upon
Charges Preferred by Daniel Conklin
and Patrick Dugan.

Edward H. Shorter, who has been a
special officer In Bloomfield for the past
several years, was dismissed from his
position by the Town Council of hat place
last night. Charges in writing had been
preferred against Shorter by Daniel Conk-
lin, of Weaver avenue, Bloomfield, and
Patrick Dugan, who is a special officer in
Glen Ridge. Both of them declared that
Shorter had struck them with his club,
without cause, on the afternoon of July 4
last. The alleged assaults occurred on
Williamson Oval during the athletic
games held under the auspices of the
Bloomfield Board of Trade. Town Attorney
Halfpenny essayed the role of prosecutor,
while Shorter acted as his own counsel,
and questioned each witness closely.
Conklin testified that it was during the
tug-of-war contest, while he was being
pushed forward by the crowd, all seeking
to get a better view, that Shorter ran at
the crowd with uplifted club and he,
Conklin, received a blow in the neck. The
witness became confused when questioned
by Councilmen Davis and Unangst, and
said he was one hundred yards away from
the, tug-of-war when he got it in the
neck"
In answer to a query from Councilman
Farrand, the complainant declared that
Shorter had called at his home since and
had threatened to send him ..over the
rOdu, out TOT what de QlQ mol Know.
Benjamin f.. Baldwin, a town constable,
corroborated Conklin
What did you do?" asked Councilman
Unangst,
II got out of the way in a hurry, for
know what a club is" replied Baldwin
He declared that Sergeant Bayliss ran up
and told Shorter to "cut it out" and then
William B. Hawthorne, of this city,
testified that he had witnessed the assault
on Conklin.
at - 49, 81 a.. =
said, but | think 1t was the defendant
who welded the club"
Dugan swore that Shorter ran up to him
as the crowd surged against the ropes,
ana mat he got a blow from the club
which broke his hat and cut his lip open.
Then said he, Shorter pointed his
club at me and said. DO you want 10
Dugan declared he said nothing in reply,
but simply "skidooed.r
John Moore and Eugene Reilly substan-
tiated what Dugan had said.
Edward Sigler testihed that h was 6
witness TO the affair, but that in his opin'
ION the clubbing was unintentional anC
that Shorter did not mean to hit Dugan.
Shorter pushed out his club to brush thu
crowd back"
Shorter admitted striking Dugan, but de
clared he did not mean to do 1t.
1T was purely an accident" said he. .;
showed the club out in front of me and
was sorry that 1t struck anyone.
chester q. Hague said that Shorter or
dered the crowd back and then pushed on
with his club. Hague said he did not Sc
him hit anyone.
ROLAND King, a member of the commit
Tee on sports, said that he had ordered
both Dugan and onklin off the field an,
that Shorter had come to his assistance
in quelling what might have been a FIRE
fight.
MY fists were flying through the air a
well as those of others" said the witness
I f'Could 1t have been possible" aske
! Councilman Unangst. that 1t was You
; club?"
2 1T might have been,'' answered Kin
amid the laughter of the spectators.
The Councilmen then took a recess an
. upon recovering Mayer Sutphen said tina
y Shorter had been adjudged guilty of tn
s charges by the Council and was therefor
dismissed from the force.
It Is said that Shorter is not Statistic
with the verdict and will carry the matte
e into the courts.