The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1915-03-19
Patrolman McKiernan
Is Accused of
Drinking
FIVE OFFICERS
FACE GILLESPIE
c o m m j ssiOner Sus-
ponds Sentence With
Vigorous Warning

The first police officer suspended
under the new police general order
prohibiting drinking on pain Of dis
missal from the force Is Patrolman
James McKiernun. OF Mcclellan sta.
ton. who II IL alleged. became too
hilarious in his celebration Of st.
Patrick's day. He will 'se tried In
two weeks. and In the meantime
Inspector J. 0. Fenton IL investigat-
Ing his case. The probabilities are
that McKiernan will be given an
other chance inasmuch as the order
was not given out until "Wednesday.
Closely following the sweeping
prohibition order. Ave patrolmen
were before the commissioner.
Thursday morning. charged with
partaking OF intoxicants. Each OF
the cases originated before the gen
eral order was issued and the de-
PENDANTS were. therefore, not sub
ject to Its drastic punishment. dis
missal from the force: hut In dis.
posing OF the cases. the commission.
or made Il plain that his order means
business.
Contrary TO the usual procedure.
the drinking cases were grouped
and the i've offending patrolmen
faced the commissioner in body.
All entered pleas OF not guilty.
Notwithstanding your pleas. I
will accept pleas OF guilty from each
OF you. for am satisfied that you
are guilty. and will suspend SEN
tence," said the commissioner. after
hearing the testimony.
Now. some OF you acknowledge
taking two bottles of beer, but In.
sist that you were not under the in
fiuence OF drink. In this depart
ment. one glass puts man under
the influence, remember that.
The new order Is now in effect.
and I want you TO start with clean
states. The people OF Detroit have
been mighty considerable OF the POI
lice department. The action OF n
few men the other night left us
open TO most bitter criticism: that
we didn't get II IL probably due to
the fact that the department In do
ing SO well. But you know the pen
atty hereafter. The people are pay
Ing salaries to policemen that justify
them in expecting 100 per cent EN-
cheney In the service they receive.
There Ia only one way to get that,
and that is to leave booze alone.
There has been more or less
drinking In the police department
for 80 or 40 years. Drinking has
become sort OF an institution. II
has got to be stopped. Nothing
will be held against any man for
any previous drinking. but the man
with a clean record will be just AZ
bad on II he drinks. as the man who
has been drinking right along.
There will be no 80 or 60-dsy SEN
fences In the future. From the 'su.
perintendent to the janitor. drink
ing means dismissal"
The defendants are: Joseph Wes-
serling. FIRST precinct; Charles Hoef-
lein, fourth precinct; VIM. II. Glea.
son, second precinct; John Host.
nrst precinct; Thos. E. Ferry, third
precinct.
Police Secretary Walters said
Thursday that an officer who enters
q grocery. II that grocery Is oper-
ated in connection with a saloon,
is rs guilty OF breaking the orders
against entering drinking places as
IL he had gone into saloon.
THE plea that the place Is a
grocery will not be accepted" said
the secretary. mo subterfuge will
be allowed. The order must be
obeyed in spirit, as well as to the
letter. How many policemen. OF
other men. for that matter, are In
the habit OF doing the family mar
keting? Police officers must keep
out OF groceries that have saloon
connections. II they want to keep
their places on the force"
II 10 rarely that a policeman gives
way to tears when called on the
carpet" but Patrolman Ralph Rus
sell. OF the mounted squad, was one
OF the exceptions, Thursday morn
ing He was charged with reporting
early fro mhis beat. Capt. Lemuel
early fro mhis beat. Capt. Lemuel
Guyman said he had given up trying
TO do anything with the man. II
was here that the sob stun. came
In.
rive been having trouble with my
wife," he said. "since ! broke my
leg In Palmer park two years ago.
everybody has been different toward
me; they have acted cold. And since
I've been having trouble at home
I've been getting slammed from both
sides"
The commissioner suspended sem
tence and ordered Russell to walk
a beat.
Over-ambition was what allied Pa
trolman VI. l.. Bull. He watched .
stolen trunk In the Grand Trunk de-
pot for several hours. thinking that