New-York tribune., 1922-03-05
Datrolu,en of West 3Oth
ST. Station Accused of
Drunkenness in Free
for.All With Sergeants
Surgeon Summoned
To Dress Wounds
Leach Orders Trio Laid
on by Telephone; Trial
Ordered; Details Secret

vhree natrolmen OF the West Thir~
.;.tb Street police station are under
,a,pension for being drunk on post,
;4was learned yesterday. One of them
& said to have levcled a revolver at
o.s Of two sergeants who came upon
The intoxicated trio, and there seems
- Ia no doubt that the three patrolmen
md the two sergeants had row, in
xh;ch clubs were used by both sides,
though the police arc making efforts to
keep the affair secret.
The suspension Of the patrolmen
x.s announced in Police Department
orders yesterday. They are Hugh NJ.
Conlin, who was appointed December
af. 1890; Percival J. Cassidy, who was
.ppointed November 22, 1918, and
Daniel J. Collins, whose appointment
10 the force is more recent than that
Of either of the others.
According TO the story which was
.eepiug from police station to police
station last night, Conlin, Cassidy and
Collins were talking together at Thir-
tieth Street and Ninth Avenue Friday
noon, all OF them obviously drunk.
They had been on patrol four hours
at that time.
Assume Bclligerent Attitude
Sergeant Stewart Dewitt and Ser
ceant John G. Green, of the West Thir-
tieth Street police station, saw the
noisy trio. 1t is maxim of the de-
uartment that when three patrolmen
are talking together ono of them, at
least. must be off post IT is the duty of
,srpeants to see that the men on patrol
ere on the posts assigned to them or
have a good reason for being else
where.
Sereeants Dewitt and Green walked
over to the three, prepared to make a
report on the incident which might
form the base of charges.
Instead of seeking to cvade the ap-
preaching sergeants in the hope that
one or more OF them might escape rec
cgnition, the three wheeled to face the
sergeants, assuming u helligerent at
titndc.
Words ran high among them, and it
was apparent to the sergeants that the
situation was getting beyond their con-
troll. They did not want to force the
issue by arrcstirg the men and were
in Quandary when one of the three
drew his revolver and directed it with
unsteady hand al Dewitt.
Blow Starts Fight
Dewitt apparently did not know his
peril, but Green recognized it and
struck the revolver rom the patrol
mans grasp with his club. The blow
prccipitated the fight. Clubs swung
as the five men closed in upon one
another. For minute or two the
Knot OF men in inform milled about
ieroclously and so swiftly that none
could say which side was getting the
best of it.
Inc sergeants vanquished their op-
porents at last, however. and marched
them TO the police station, their trail
ooeing marked by blood which dripped
from cut IN Conlin's face beside his
nose and from injuries which the
others had received in the fight.
Lieutenant Joseph A. Gaffnan was
a. the desk when the sergeants brought
thelr men into the police station. As
soon as he saw the group he called
oaptaln Joseph A. Howard, comm lander
o. the precinct Captain Howard or
9ered the five men into his room, where
d ne lnterrogated them.
Suspended by Telephone
"nen he came out he called Head
quarters and asked whether he was au-
anoriSed TO place the three patrolmen
uhoer arrest. The answer evidently
was IN the negative, for no charges
we're entered on the blotter against
sohIln, Cassidy or Collins, although
.ney were suspended Immediately by
telephone. ~
u they had been arrested the entire
shals sa would have become public when
sney were arraigned in police court, if
,.uS sooner. By merely suspending them
l.o., euty. without pay, pending the
drafting Of charges, the incident re-
malns wholly within the Police Depart
nsnt, and as bit of police business
may not be discussed by any member of
ue department without violating de-
partment rule.
most OF those who knew the details
lcent'nucd on pace tour>