The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-07-19
CoughIin Gets
 No Reply From
 Mayor To Letter
Former Police CommissiOnel Takes Stanton Case to
 Chief Executive

Conforming in no uncertain terms the board of police Commissioners for their method of doing business. Judge Thomas c. Coughlin, police commis- sioner under Mayors Reynolds and Lee, talked freely today on the case of Patrolman P. J. Corrigan, against whom complaint was made by Miss Elizabeth Stanton. The police board at it's last meeting, after considerable controversy, voted, three to one, Com missioner Bristol being the dissenter, to give the complainant leave to with draw.
 Judge Coughlin today disclosed a copy of the letter which early in the week he addressed to Mayor Wilson and to which up to a late hour to- day he had received no response:
 Hon. Clifford B. Wilson, Mayor of the City of Bridgeport.
 Sir:-WeIl knowing your love of
 justice and your desire for fair play,
 on behalf of Miss Elizabeth Stanton the decision of the Police Board s>f this city dismissing the charges against Officer Patrick J.. Corrigan without hearing.
 Miss Stanton charged that on Fri day evening, June 7th, at about S:30 O CLOCK O1IlC6T XOET1Sdu STdDUSo IlSI by the arm, swore at her, grabbed
 hold of her by the waist and struck
 her and that (on Saturday afternoon,
 June 9th, he being then on duty,
 Officer Corrigan shouted in the pres
 ence of other people T haven't got through with you people yet" Although this matter was brought tS the attention of your Board of Police and although Miss Stanton was
 present upon one occasion with her witnesses the Board refused to hear |,them and adjourned the matter. On July 10th, the writer received a
 letter from the clerk of the Police
 Board as follows.
 Replying to yours of the 9th inst, addressed to George M. Baldwin, president of the Police Board, would
 say, I am instructed to say, you will
 be advised in time as to the date of
 the trial of Officer Corrigan.
 t''Very truly yours Board of Police Commissioners, Clayton L. Smith, Clerk"
 On July 15thD the writer attended the neeting5 of the board and al- though no trial was held, no wit ness were examined and although the writer offered to appear with wit allegations of Miss statiton' $ charges, a hearing was refused. The charges were dismissed upon the private ifa- vestigation of some of the mem bers of the board, no. opportunity having been given anyone connected with Miss Stanton to say anything in her behalf atsAny of these so called pri- vate investigations. ~ sya7 s@5 < | Without making any claim of i'm proper influence of any sort and with out ifnpugning the motives of your
 honorable board in thus dealing with
 charges brought by a citizen, we sub- 1 init that your board erred grievously in hearing in. private witnesses for the defense upon what is admitted to be proper charges, without giving the coniplainantS an opportunity to be present to examine such witnesses for the defense and present their own evidence. Whether or not the charges against Officer Corrigan are true has nothing to do. with. this. situation when upon legal charges brought to board | of your administration 1t has seen fit to dismiss the same without even giV- ing the, compliments a hearing. We. now ask your honor in all fair ! ness to insist that the board give this lady an opportunity of being heard and to examine those witnesses whose
 private evidence has influenced one of the commissioners in moving that
 the charges be dismissed and to cross7exam1ne Officer eCorrigan, if he takes the stand, in his own defense.
 
 an opportunity to have her case tried I in a proper and lawful manner A copy of the original charges are 1 herewith appended. Very respectfully yours,
 THOMAS C.. COUGHLIN. < The complaining witness, Miss Stan ton, alleges in her complaint that on the evening. of June z Patrolman Corrigan's bull dog attacked a bird l dog belonging to the Stanton family The two families are neighbors in l Arch street. While the dogs were fighting. she claims her brother John
 rushed out, and tripped as he reach
 ed for something to throw at the ] fighting dogs. As he arose, she
 claims the officer struck him, and
 when she remonstrated he seized her
 roughly and threatened her. She al so complains that the following day the officer shouted at her that he was ! not yet through with them.
 Judge Coughlin said today:
 Tt is no doubt apparent to th, public &hat have been in a position l to be familiar with police matter, and upon every opportunity have al ways favored, good wages for. the me1
 ana insisted upon the highest degre' Of efficiency It is necessary in Z | large and growing city like Bridgepor with it's cosmopolitan population tt have Board of Police. Commissioner. who will compel the patrolmen to b, very careful in their conduct whether on or off duty because many of ou1 citizens know our government onl, through our police department. Now if the police of our city are permitted l to insult and assault our citizen. | whenever it pleases them there vii l grow among many of our people
 feeling of hatred sand revenge whicl l is against the best interest of all ane will eventually result in serious diff 1 ficulty. have been in hopes and stil hope that his Honor, the Mayor, vii l take steps to right the wrong which has been done Miss Stanton and an l only now publishing my letter that the public may not be misled by the actior
 of the Police Board in refusing { public trial on the serious charges o.
 assault and abusive language agains | a patrolman. It ought not be neces
 sary as I stated before the Board tc | charge an officer with murder ant
 robbery in order to get public trial EVEN CHINA
 | ar RYe1 Am