Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-01-15
COMMISSION HEARS
CHARGES IN SECRET
ONE PATR0LMAN DROPPED
FROM DEPARTMENT
Woman's Loyalty to Husband Involved
in Case Referred to Chief for
lnVestigation-Offi
Fined $50

AT a secret meeting of the police
commission in the police station yes
terday a number of charges against
patrolmen were heard and summary
punishment melted out in two instances.
Patrolman G. V. Ross was dismissed
from the service for neglect of duty.
He was discharged from the force by
the McAleer police commission on the
same charge, but the present commits
sion had him reinstated at the head Of
the eligible list on his promise to be
very good in the future He forgot his
promise and yesterday his star was
taken from him.
Patrolman w. F. Droegmeyer was
lined $50 and ordered returned to work
without loss of time for neglect Of
duty. He was reported to the chief of
police by his sergeant for refusing to
go after a thief that had been pointed
out to him.
A pawnbroker named Silverstine tried
to induce Droegmeyer to arrest a man
he claimed was a thief. The suspect
entered his Main street pawnshop and
tried to sell a watch. Silverstine's
records showed the watch to be owned
by another person and he tried to de-
tain the suspect while he sent for the
police. The man with the watch grew
suspicious and hurriedly left the pawn
Silverstine saw Droegmeyer and asked
him to arrest the man. The patrol
man refused to have anything to do
with the matter.
The police commission was not duly
impressed by the loyalty of a wife for
her husband. Mrs. T. D. Stages made
charges of conduct unbecoming an Of
ficer against Patrolman E. w. Dorsey.
Mrs. Stages was not called into the
-
against the patrolman, but the matter
was referred to Chief Broadhead for
investigation and report.
WifeIy Devotion
Mrs. Stages charged that while she
and her husband were preparing for
bed Christmas night at their home,
S03 West Ninth street, they got into a
friendly scUff1e over an insignificant
matter and in her excitement she
screamed. Within a few minutes they
heard a pounding on the door of their
room and when her husband opened
the door a patrolman, whose name she
did not know and two other men, ran
into the room. She says they charged
her husband with beating and choking
her and smothering her with a pillow
which she says was not true, and
which she told them was not true.
telling her to shut her mouth or they
would take both to the police station.
The patrolman whom she did not know
took her husband down stairs and
said he was going to take him to the
Jail, but while waiting for the wagon
Patrolman Dorsey arrived and released
the man. Later she said Dorsey and
the first patrolman came back to their
room and took her husband away and
later she found him locked up in the
station.
Charges of conduct unbecoming an
officer, preferred against Patrolman
Henry J. Toomey by c. D. Hamilton,
also met with little consideration from
the police commission, largely because
Of a report which Chief Broadhead dug
up. This report showed that Toomey
had arrested Hamilton at o'clock in
the morning of January on suspicion.
Toomey had found him at that hour
with two stoves and an ironing board
for which he did not give a satisfactory
account.