The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1906-2016, 1910-06-26
CAUSED STIR IN
POLICE CIRCLES
r. 3. 6URNEY, PETER LOWE, r
A RROcKINGToN AND HAR.
OLD MORGAN THE ONES
Former Two Charged With Receiving
Money From Blind Tigers While
All Four Are Charged With FIRE.
quentinq Such Places.

AS the result of an investigation
made by Mayor Hopkins, which has
been in progress fer several weeks,
four members of the police depart
ment were suspended yesterday af-
ternoon by the police committee of
the city council two of them on the
charge of frequenting blind tigers
and the other two on that charge as
well as that Of graft-that is to say
receiving 'Hhush money from opera
tors of blind tigers. The two officers
held on the dual charge are R. B. Bur
ney special officer and Pete Lowe,
m united officer and cow-catcher. The
other two officers suspended on the
one charge are F. A. Brockinton and
Harold Morgan.
For the past two or three months
an unlimited number of complaints
have Leen filed with Mayor Hopkins
about the non-enforcement Of the
prohibition law. Recently these ru-
mors and reports have reached the
mayer with such frequency that he
AtCtiuGu
tion.
Being the mayor of the city he
found it a hard and difficult job to
secure any evidence, for the fact that
those who knew that the officers
were frequenting such places could
not make known the facts without
duplicating themselves as blind tiger
operators. The mayor finanlly decld-
ed that the only way he could Sc
cure evidence against the officers
would be to bring to Brunswick some
unknown officer, Sheriff elect Mlz-
ellie, of Charlton county, arrived in
the city several days ago, and, after
securing evidence against the four
officers named, so reported to tde
mayor and yesterday the police COM
mittee, composed Of Aldermen Lud-
wig, Baker, Boyle and the mayor,
was called to order by the latter. Inc
officers were summoned to appear
heflre the committee and Mayor Hop
kins. in short talk, suspended the
four officers. He stated to them tnat
he had heard these reports, mad IN
vestigated the charges, and that II
was his duty to suspend them. he
wanted them to understand, however,
that suspension was not conVlc-
tion and assured the officers that they
would be given a fair and Impartial
trial at the next session Il city couh-
ell. when the entire matter Will De
fully aired and the officers will elth-
er be convicted Of the serious charS-
es preferred against them or exon
Grated. 1t lis not yet known
whether or not the four officers Will
employ counsel to represent them.
The announcement yesterday alter
neon that the four oIiicers had been
suspended created quite a stir IN po-
lice circles Of the city however
to many people of the city it did not
come as a complete surprise, as IL
was known that a shake-up OF some
kind in the police department was
about at hand.
lust wao the witnesses are against
the four officers is not known out,
when seen yesterday and questioned
on the subject, Mayor Hopkins stated
that, while he did not know exactly
what would develop at the trial. at
the same time the evidence Whlch ne
1ad warranted the snuspenslon OF
the officers.
r. B. Burney and Pete Lowe VINO
are held on the mere serious charge
are both we'll known officers. Bur
new has been employed as special OF
ficer or plain clothes man for the past
year or more. while Lowe has acted
in the capacity of mounted oHlcet
and cow-catcher for the past several
years. H.,
officer Morgan has been on the
force also for two or three years.
while officer Brockinton has been
member of the police department lor
about two years.
The cases, as stated, will come up
for trial before council, sitting as
court. at the next regular meeting
which will be on July IA. In me
meantime new patrolmen will be ap-
pointed to serve on the force until
the final result of the cases are
known