The Waterbury Democrat., 1931-03-24
HAMDEN SERGEANT
 IS SUSPENDED
Failed to Appear Here and Testify in Sheriff Gray's
 Suit Against Brice
NEGLECT OF DUTY

The civil action of Deputy Sheriff John l.. Gray of this city against
 Francis Brice of Hamden in which the former was awarded $1,0O0 damages has had an aftermath in
 Hamden. Sergeant James Whelehan of that town has been suspended on the charge of neglect of duty. He failed to appear here, in the court of common pleas when the suit was tried. The town of Hamden has be- come greatly agitated over the ac-
 tion and red, hot meeting is ex- pected shortly. Officials of the local court made no complaint about the sergeant's absence from the trial. The following dispatch from Ham, den reveals the present situation: Suspension of Sergeant James Whelehan, first of Hamden's uni- formed policemen, was ordered Sat- urday by First Selectman George w. Warner. and Joseph c. Montgomery, chairman of the board of police commissioners, for what Captain Harry Barrows termed, to-day, as a neglect of duty in failing to appear in Waterbury common pleas court as witness in a civil suit on Thurs day
 Whelehan will remain under sus- pension until he is tried before the Hamden police commission at it's next regular meeting on April 8. It was understood, however, that friends were making an effort to have the suspension curtailed and effect an immediate hearing of the charges which were preferred |against whelehan by First Select man Warner upon complaint by Captain Barrows.
 Unwilling to Discuss Facts.
 None of the principals were in- clined to discuss the circumstances of Whelehan's suspension today. Commissioner Montgomery told reporter that he would rather not discuss them" He said that Whele- hans suspension was merely a detail of department administration Hike running a business" MT Warner would go little further than to say that the complaint had come to Barrows from the court that Whele- han had failed to appear in answer to a subpoena. Both stated that Whelehan had been suspended for neglect of duty.
 Barrows on the other hand told a. reporter that no complaint had come in from the court, but that it had been part of Whelehan's duty to appear in court and when he failed
 to the suspension was ordered.
 Failed to Appear.
 Although Whelehan was reluctant to discuss his suspension, it was | learned from friends that he had been sobpoenaed to appear in the assault action brought by Deputy l Sheriff John Gray of Waterbury a. against Francis Brice of this city. Whelehan went to Waterbury on Wednesday to appear as witness and postponement of the hearing l was ordered until the following day when a Hartford lawyer who was to appear as counsel for one of the parties failed to appear when the case was called. The following day. Whelehan is understood to have call ed Waterbury and made arrange
 ments that would not require him to appear. Friday. it was under stood, it was learned by Barrows that Whelehan had not gone to Wa
 terbury and he complained to First Selectman Warner who in turn
 brought the facts to the attention of Commissioner Montgomery Whelehans suspension brought ] storm of protest from all quarters of the town. He has wide circle of friends who still protest his re- duction to the grade of sergeant from that of head of the towns uni formed police force. Wheleban's first duties as a Hamden policeman required him to be on duty "A hours a day with no time off. He is re- garded as a thoroughly efficient po- liceman.