Evening journal., 1913-12-17
SLEEPY COPS
DRAW FINES
AND REBUKES
New COIOred Officer Attri-
buteS His DereIiCtiOn to
Extra Hot Cocoa
NEWSPAPER STORY A
LIE, CAPTAIN SAYS

new colored policeman. AS a result
of his taste for the beverage Harris
was before the Board Of Police Com
lmissioners yesterday afternoon to
answer a charge OF sleeping while on
duty. He has been on the force less
than week
The charge against Harris was that
he was twenty minutes late in making
his report from box No. 81, at 1920
a. m., on December u, the cause of
which was that he had gone to sleep.
The charge was preferred by Captain
lRane
Harris pleaded guilty 20 part Of the
charge. saying that he had gone to
isleep against his Will. He explained
that he had gone home to lunch, and
had warmed up cup OF cocoa. He
got the cocoa too hot and while wait
iing for it to COOL he fell into doze.
When he awoke II was five minutes
past his reporting time, and he went
ito see the other district officer to find
out what to do.
81 was losing minutes all the
time" he explained when telling OF
his hunt for the other officer. When
he finally made his report he was
twenty minutes lalc.
President Bowers lectured the de-
linquent officer.
ION you depends whether or not
your race has representation on the
police force, MIR. Bowers said
"l know u Is hard for you people
to keep awake even m day time, when
you are not doing anything, and
gave YOU warning. And now il seems
that you went home and went to
sleep when You weren't on the force
q week. That's an awful bad show
ing to start off With"
"Ycs. sir, know il is" replied
Harris.
General Wickersham remarked
that 90 sleep on duty is very seri-
Gus ofiense. After consultation in
the chiefs private office the commits
sion imposed a fine OF one days pay
ON Harris.
Officers William G. Crozier and
William j. Burchenal also were be-
fore the commissioners on charges Of
sleeping while on duty. the charges
being preferred by Captain Kane. II
VAS charged that on December 1S
l Burchenal was 81 minutes late In
making his report at a. M. aud OF
ncor Crozier was % minutes late in
making his . a. m report on the
same date. The officers pleaded gull
ty TO the charge.
The two officers arc on the first
district. President Bowers said he
had received many complaints from
citizens relative to the officers on
4 that district sleeping while ON duty
My attention has been called TO 4
J, many times" Mr. Bowers stated, ''bu
this is the first time I could put IN,
finger on them" He remarked tha
T. the police department has been Sc
verely criticized recently and If the
officers were going TO fall down some
. thing would have TO be done.
[. Matters will have to change" ht
p, exclaimed. We've made up our mind.
- that we cannot conduct the police
e force under these conditions anC
. we're going TO be severe"
p IL was pointed out that this is tn,
first onensc Of the two officers. Off
. Ger Crozier has been on the fore,
eight years and Officer Burchenal 81,
I years.
After comforting the commissioner
imposed fine of three days pay eacl
on the two officers.
Captain Kane was then summone,
before the commissioners and cues
toned concerning an article tha
appeared in a local Sunday newspape
10 the effect that last Friday night /
had taken an hour and half for
policeman TO reach the scene Of
robbery that had occurred in
/ Chinese laundry on East Fifth street
hsur aaH f.f.
a lie He said an officer reached tn
scene in SS minutes after the robber
j was reported, and that this was In
quickest time that could be made a
the department was very busy tina
night and short o. men as we'll.
II think we made pretty good tim
for a fake robbery" Captain Kan
said. 1.-TWO little colored boys wen
in the laundry TO buy a collar. an
one of the boys snapped toy revoly
er." The captain explained that tn
boys were always up to such prank
and said the fact that the revolye
had been snapped twice showed
was not loaded
When asked BY President Bower
II the newspaper article was ineoi
rect, Captain Kane exclaimed: "TheI
is no incorrectness about IL; II wa
lie"
The captain said the police could n,
have made any better time that nigi
had the affair been more serious. a. the
were short of men at ihc station hous
II having been necessary on several o
oasions for him ard the turnkey -
out on the street. and he had just mis-
cd the man ON the district ho haviI
llrcp0rled inst before the robbery con
Iplaint came in. 'if WAS therefore for
ed 10 wait until the man reported aga
before he could send him 70 the seen
The board took no action in the ma
ter of appointing an efficiency expert
inYestigate the department. Tho rcpo
from the Brreau Of Municipal Re.ear
of Pittsburgh which had been receive
bv City Council Al their last mectii
and referred 10 the police commissio
ere. vas received and ordered plac
with other correspondence on the -u
iect for future consideration Genei
Wickedsham moved that 81 be acknop
edged.
CT, Councilman stOFfr attended Z
meeting end wac arked bv PRESIDE
Bowers b Do bed anything % say hut
piie'i that Do bad merely called 20 r..
The attention oi the commission ~ {
fact that this months pay would
made on December ~ ~ aiioy The eit.
employe. ~ eniof fAe money ln Z
| Illhristma. tcafor
Three bids were received Dy q
board % furnish 50 batteries need
fhv tho Tauarffraff ff|r rInrfrlf rfa