Perth Amboy evening news., 1921-01-27
RETIRING POLICE OFFICERS
ARE HONORED BY CITIZENS
CONTINUED from page ~

faithfully to prevent crime and they
are now to take a we'll earned vaca-
ton. The mayor concluded by ex-
tending to the chief and his lieuten-
ants the wish that the happiest
days of their past be the saddest OF
their future" Mayor Wilson re-
turned home at the conclusion OF
his speech.
Dean William p. Cantwell, the
next speaker. emphasized the fact
that the gathering was remarkable
in Thai it represented men in every
walk of life, al creeds and national
tiles. In speaking for his fellow
citizens of Perth Amboy Father
Cantwell paid a high tribute to the
chief, declaring he had three char
acteristics which outshown all
others, they being modesty. fidelity
and honesty.
The speaker reviewed briefly the
wonderful change which has come
over Perth Amboy in the last thirty
five years. At the time the chief
Perth Amboy was a struggling little
town with great possibilities but the
magician had not yet touched these
with his wand. Now" Father
Cantwell continued, I'VE have a
thriving community and Chief Burke
has served us Throughout all this
time. Only praise and honor can
now be bestowed upon him as he
leav- $ the firing line"
Referring to the chiefs modesty
the speaker said that he was the
kind that would prefer to have what
was good buried in his own heart,
buried from not only the public but
his closest friends. AS to the chiefs
fidelity, Father Cantwell pointed out
that the fact that never was a single
charge preferred against him while
on the force. gave him a spotless
record of which he could well be
proud. IF, Diogonese in his search
for an honest man should have come
to Perth Amboy," the speaker said,
sit is not likely that he would have
passed by the chiefs office door,"
Father Cantwell told of the peculiar
temptations which are placed in the
way of officials today in the way of
graft-a word of ill omen" he
called ia word that has come in
to usage since his childhood. Graft
is prevalent on all sides, he said, and
docs not speak we'll for society, it
often being traced to the very head
of a department.
"Chief Burke is leaving the office
a poor man." Father Cantwell said,
but he has won for himself some
thing more enviable than riches-a
sterling reputation" The chief and
two ~lieutenants were then presented
with gifts of gold pieces on behalf
of the citizens of the city. All three
officers expressed their sincere
thanks.
Edward R. Pierce, the man who
appointed Chief Burke while serving
as mayor of this city, was unable to
be present but penned a letter to
Recorder Pickersgill. which was read
to the assemblage, it containing
nothing but praise for the chiefs
efficient work.
Prosecutor Joseph L. Stricken
opened his talk by extending to the
chief and the two li%eutenants his
wish that their future be as bright
as the gold just handed them" The
speaker stated that the chief had
filled his Office with efficiency and
had even more to do with the detec-
ton of crime than with the proven
ton of it Ga remark having been
made earlier in the night by one of
the speakers that the chief had con-
fined his efforts to the prevention of
crime rather than to it's detection).
The prosecutor told of the work
done by the chief IN solving n
AhASA ~ WV AANA NoAS oo0f 49,
which time the speaker was assist
ing the chief as an interpreter. After
three weeks of ceaselesS toll, the
prosecutor said, the murderer was
caught by Chief Burke following a
physical encounter with the man in
a small outlying New York town.
Recorder Pickersgiil at this point
stated that although it was generally
believed that the Mary Anderson
murder case of years ago had never
been solved, Chief Burke by persist
ent and clever work secured evil
dence which would have convicted
the murderer had he not gone from
this country to another part OF the
world. The chief had only told a
few of this incident. the toastmas-
ter asserted.
DR.. William l.. Ramsay, the next
speaker, INDUCED in some reminds
cences of the past and also reviewed
both murder cases previously re-
ferred TO. he having been called in
each. He told several humorous in
cidents in the lives of the chief and
retiring lieutenants. and declared
that 1t was only as a result of the
chiefs going straight" that his own
reputation was upheld. The doctor
said he and the chief were mistaken
daily for the other man. years ago.
and in many cases he was blamed
for OF given credit for the acts of
the chief.
At the close of his talk DIR. Ram
say spoke seriously and declared
that all three men were now en-
titled to reap the harvest of their
long years of toll. We'll done thy
good and faithful servants" he said
in conclusion.
Chief. Patrick Kelly. of Plainheld,
was the only non-Perth Amboy
resident to speak. His remarks
were few but cleverly put. He
dwelt upon the history of a certain
bottle of a~pplejack but in order TO
appreciate the humor of the story ii
was necessary to be ION the inside"
and few of those present We're. with
the exception of the police mem
bers. He declared that the city had
lost a valuable official and the state
as well. Chief Kiely told of Chief
Burkes being honored with the
presidency of the state association