The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-07-16
CHARGES AGAINST CORRIGAN DISMISSED BY POLICE BOARD Former Commissioner, Judge COughlin, Protests, But to
 no Purpose COMMISSIONER BRISTOL OBJECTED TO PROCEDURE lntimation That Complainant Will Seek Redress in
 Other Ways

| By a vote of three to one,, Miss | Eliza beth Stanton, a stenographer
 and singer of Arch street was given
 leave. to withdraw her complaint
 against Patrolman F. J. Corrigan, l traffic officer, after an hour or more
 of discussion by the members of the
 police board, last evening.
 | The motion was made by Commis- 1 sioner George S. Hill, who added by way of explanation, and as a part l of his motion, that the commissioners. | took such action because the com
 plaint was not serious enough to war rant placing the officer on trial. | Former Police Commissioner Thom. as c: Coughlin, appearing before the board in the interests of Miss Stan l ton, declared the matter was not end- | ed, and that he would come back. | 'It took you good many years to come back Commissioner said he, to President George M. Baldwin, refer
 ring to the former terms of the pres ent head of the commission. All tbe commissioners had a smile at Bald wins expense. Then he added, seri- ously, that he would not let the Cor. rigan matter end there.
 The dissenting vote was that of his colleagues were handling the sit uatiOn wrong.
 Corrfgan was charged by. Miss Stan ton with striking her brother and as-
 saultfng herself when the dops own ed by the Stanton and Corrigan fam separated them. Before the board
 convened, at a recent meeting. Corri- gan was called before ano informal gathering of the commissioners to give his version of the affair.
 Bristol took exception to the state
 ment that the commissioners had
 made an Investigation when they were discussing the Corrigan affair. Hill told Bristol it was his duty as com
 missioner to look into such matters. Bristol took the ground that if there
 was any investigation to be made at all,, it should be made by the board, as a board not by the individual mem
 bers. He did not object to having
 the Amatter thrown out, but he wanted it done the right way. He said a
 motion to give the complainant leave to withdraw would cover the ground, and he added that he did not believe that every complaint that came to the
 commissioners ought ito result in
 bringing policemen before the board,
 on trial
 The Corrigan matter kept the board in session more than an hour after all their other business was finished. Commissioner Baker moved that the charges be indefinitely tabled; Com
 
 indefinitely tabled for the reason that the officer was not acting as a police
 man but as a citizen and that the offense of which complaint was made
 was not serious enough to warrant a public trial Commissioner Bristol amended the latter motion. that the complainant be given leave to with draw. Then there came a parliamen- .. tary tangle which became so compli- cated that the commissioners finally . I& 1-r ~&-wa -,@~1% A1a@
 troversv terminated with the adoption by three to one of the motion of Com missioner Hill.
 When the suggestion was made that Corrigan was acting as a private cit izen, Judge Coughlin jumped to his feet.
 Look at page IS of your rule book, gentlemen" said he. Every police
 man must know these rules within three months if he doesn't know them, he is liable to be discharged from the department
 Then he read a rule that states that a policeman is always on duty, and he argued that it was impossible for the commissioners to let Corrigan out on 1 that ground. @S Commissioner Hilps explanatory
 motion did not meet with the approv- al of Commissioner Bristol. The latter said the board could exonerate Corri- gan in two ways. They could dismiss
 the complaint, just as it stood, or they could go ahead with an open trial
 and if they found conditions to be as the commissioners represented, they could find Corrigan not guilty. The custom of the board is to have l an investigation made by the super | they deem the complaint serious, to have charges preferred against the officer in regular form.
 Is there anything wrong with our l complaint? Isn't it specific enough?" l demanded Judge Coughlin. President Baldwin told him the complaint was all right.
 We charge him with assaulting two people" continued Judge Coughlin, Isn't that serious enough? What do you want us to charge him with, rnur- der?' Then President Baldwin told Judge Coughlin he had no standing before the board as a lawyer for the reason l that the board was not holding a trial of the charges.
 The judge argued that he had a | right to be heard if only in the capa- | city of a private citizen and taxpay- CT, and he added that from his ex- periences on the police board he could going the right way about the Cor rigan matter
 He asked permission of President Baldwin to question Commissioner Hill as to the investigation the latter said he had made of the charges. Have you ever talked with the
 complainant Miss Stanton. her broth CT, or any other witnesses named in our complaint?' he asked Commissioner Hill was somewhat nettled. He replied that he didn't have to answer because the board
 was not holding a trial and Judge Coughlin- was not appearing as law yer.
 But I have the right. by courtesy