The Wilmington morning star., 1945-03-31
Civil Service Group
Awaits Council Note

transmitted to the Commission, as
shove outlined, it appears that
Chief Casteen on March End OBJ
tanned report from Assistant Chle1'
+ F. Jordan, that Officer Looney
was under the influence OF 1ntoxl-
eating drink while on duty the
night of February %, 1945, and
that Assistant Chief Jordan was
continuing this investigation ana
would make further report to the
Chief when the additional facts
we're available. This letter also
shows that further investigation
was made and completed, includ-
ing an interview with Ottlcer
Looney by the Chief and at which
interview Officer Looney stated
he had taken couple drinks OF
whiskey in the afternoon before
going to work and that later on
in the night he began to feel the
effects to some extent OF the Whls'
kew which he had drunk late in
the afternoon. This letter also
shows that the Chief suspended
officer Looney for thirty days,
sixteen days without pay and four
teen days vacation. The Chief as
serted in the letter that he in
formed Officer Looney that ne
could appeal his case to the Civil
Service Commission if he felt that
the punishment was too severe,
and that Officer Looney said he
was satisfied with the punishment
and felt it was fair. This letter
was transmitted to the City Mana
ger and in turn transmitted to
the Civil Service Commission. In
the letter the Chief said that. he
thought the case should be for
warded to the Commission for
SUCH action as may be necessary
after a review of the evidence.
exhibit "B" was also trans
mitted to the Civil Service Com
mission, containing statement by
J. F. Jordan. Assistant Chief of
Police. This statement shows that
officer Jordan, upon being called
to Adams Cafe, 524 South Front
street, by Ethel Macarthur, went
to this cafe and talked to this
lady, and she reported to Officer
Jordan that Officer Looney came
into the cafe on the night of Feb
ruary 18th, called for Coca-Cola
and a hot dog; and that Officer
Looney was well under the in
huence of some kind OF intoxicat-
ing drink" that after he ate the
hot dog, Officer Looney began to
curse, and put a half-dollar on
the counter and she took out six
teen cents, and that made him
more angry. She asserted that Of
ficer Looney then said, The damn
hot-dog isn't fit to eat anyway,
and from now on I will 50 to the
Weinerburger where l can get hot
dogs fit to eat"
This statement OF Officer Jor-
dan further contains statement
that he made further investiga-
ton including interview with Off
Ger j. w. Wilson, who was work
ing with Officer Looney in po-
lice car on the night OF February
18th, but that he hated to "squawk"
on a fellow officer. Further, OFF,
Ger Jordan's statement shows that
Officer Wilson and Officer Looney
went to PoWelps Cafe at lib DaW-
son Street; that Looney got out
of the car and went into the cafe;
that Officer Wilson saw Looney
tussling with a colored man in
front of the cafe, this man being
Herbert Rhedrick; that the man
was brought out to the car and
Looney was still in the cafe and
was called to the car by Officer
Wilson. There were several peo-
pie standing looking on, and Off
Ger Looney pulled his pistol out
and cooked it and told the people
to "scram-get the hell away
from here" After this occurred,
Officer Looney went back to the
doorway of the cafe and told the
people, Come on out and get me
if you want to-; further, that
when Officer Looney got in the
car with Officer Wilson and Rhed-
rick that Officer Looney began to
strike the man arrested and he
began tc holler, 'Murder!'
Exhibit "C'' submitted to the
Civil Service Commission was a
signed, written statement by Of
ficer J. w. Wilson. Among other
things, it shows that this officer,
shortly after leaving the City Hall
and going on duty, noticed that
Officer Looney had been drink
ing something intoxicating; that
Officer Looney did not immediate
ly say anything to him, because
working with him he was in doubt
as to what he should do. That
when they went to Adams Cafe,
Officer Looney started to talk with
Ethel Macarthur and she asked
him if ne was drunk and Officer
Looney asked her how much was
the bill for the hot-dog and Coca
Cola, md she told the officer
nothing and he then said to
her Damned it that's so. I pay
my way and he
threw fifty cents on the counter.