The Newark star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1909, 1909-09-01
LOST AN AUTO?
PERHAPS A KEY?
AoK THE POLICE
Property Room at Headquarters
Is a Veritable Curiosity
Shop.

While walking in Market street near
Broad street, yesterday afternoon, a
small boy picked up a key, which was
turned over to the police at %headquar-
tiers where so many lost articles find
their way. It was simply one of a
thousand such cases the police ex-
p~erience yearly.
I'm have this key sent to the lost
property ROOM" said Secretary Joseph
Cox, of the police board. you might
say in the STAR that the key Is here
and the owner can get his property by
calling for 1t.
Are lost articles brought to
the police?" Secretary Cox was asked.
ANY number of Them" he said.
I'VE get everything from keys and pins
to pet dogs and automobiles. Many
of these articles are claimed, but a
large number of them never are"
What becomes of all the lost prop
erty?'
"Iti is sent to the lost property room.
where it is kept a certain length of
time. Then, II no one claims 1t, it Is
sold and the money realized from the
sale is turned over to the police PEN
sion fund. We ave not, however, had
a sale In a long time, although we have
enough lost property on hand to con-
duct one. The last sale was when po-
lice headquarters was moved here from
Bank street. That sale netted us about
$500. We had on hand, among other
things, a lot Of old metal. The bid
ding for 1t was spirited. We sold the
metal in one lot. / think we got $3.50
for a. Thncn uhn hid UUarA all 1nnaI
men"
"How long do o usually keep lost
articles 2" Secretary Cox was asked.
Under the law" he said, 1--WE are
not compelled to keep them more than
a year. When former Mayor Edward
Kenny, of East Newark, was In the
Legislature he introduced a bill giving
the police the power to sell lost articles
remaining unclaimed more than a year.
Before the bill was introduced the
Assemblyman came here for pointers.
Every suggestion the police made was
Incorporated In that measure. Blu do
you know it was not until a month
ago that he knew the bill had become
a Iaw?"
IT SUPPOSE" remarked the interview
er, that a great many persons do not
know that lost articles are sometimes
turned over to the police"
You would be surprised If you knew
how many call here daily asking II
we have this or that article lost by
them. Still there are a great many
who do not think of going to the police
when they have lost anything. Per-
haps IL they did their missing property
would be restored to them"
What do people have to do to re-
gain lost property held by the police?"
Secretary Cox was asked.
'In the first place they must de-
scibe the lost articles, and in the sec
ond satisfy us they are the rightful
owners"
Are you ever bothered with people
trying to claim property which doss
not belong to them?"
VERY seldom" replied Secretary
Cox.
"Can you tell me how most Of the
lost articles find their way here?"
"A number of them are turned over
to us just as this key was" Secretary
Cox replied. "Others are brought here
by the finders and still others by pa
trolnen."
The lost property room is like an
old curiosity shop. In 1t may be found
lost jewelry, keys, books, tools, bicycles
md, In fact, no end of articles. Anoth-
er sale of lost property will probably
he held during the winter.