Year: 1872

n the announcement that the CHIEF or Police Of
Jersey City and a detective were charged with the
very grave crime OF cOnsptring with burglars, now
convicted, to rob the First National Bank In that
city startled the public, the news that fonr ndict
.Ments were found against each Of these men
yesterday for thar offence win be still more
startling.


About halfpast two O'Clock the Grand Jury came
into Court ana laid before 5udge Bedle the batch
of Indictments in this case. In less than an hour
afterwards writs for the arrest OF the accused were
IN the hands OF the Shesin. Detective Doyle was
promptly on hand. District Attorney Gar
retsOn called on him to plead to each OF
the indictments and the plea In each case was
not gnty. The first charges him with
conspiring with Proctor, Denning and divers other
persons to rob the First National Bank; the second
charges him with breaking and entering; the third
with unlawlully having burglars tools In his pos
session. and the fourth with misconduct In ONCE,
An neglecting to arrest certain parties whom he
sound with burglars tools In their possession.


Ju0ge Bedle addressing the accused, asked him
n his bOndsmen were IN Court, and Doyle replied
In the Affirmative.


Judge BedIe-The Court nxee the bail In this case
at 1900 on each indictment.


Detective Doyle-I don't think, Your Honor,
would be able to procure SO much bail.


Judge Bede-That is the order OF the Court. The
bail In the other cases was fixed at $4,000. When
VIII yOu be ready for trlal2


Detecttve-Any day Your Honor may appoint.


IT was then arranged to have the trial take place
next Monday Doyle's b0ndsmen. three in num-
Der, came forward and were accepted. One Of
them was his father, who was SO overcome with
emotion he could hardly articulate word In the
meantime Sheriff Reinhardt, who had been in
search Of Chief McWlliams, returned to Court and
informed the District Attorney that he could not
fntf him. Oficers were Immediately detailed to
slst the Sherlt. 1t was rumored throughout the
(. city that McWlams had fed, and the rumor was
credited in nearly every quarter. But those who
know him best deny that he had any intention to
and tss that be w
Deputy Sheriff entered Cooper Hall, and, seeing Nc
Williams, he went up to him and told him he was
wanted. The Chief quietly submit ted and before
single step was taken towards the door, o stout,
thick-set man walked up and asked the Deputy II
ntes to one OF the rear apartments. The Deputy
consented and that was the last sight he obtained
man was most successful, but may prove to be a
very dangerous one when the case Is reported to
the District Attorney. The Deputy states that he
Grand Jury for aiding and abetting.


There is no real ground for the supposttion that
McWillams will leave the city to escape trial. He
asserts his innocence OF the charges and seems to
be anxious TO meet his accusers. His only motive
IN escaping last night was in all probability his
wonl be very inconvenient to leave the
question OF bail brought up at that late hour.
Crushing as are the misiOrtunes which fell upon
him during the past year he has got some warm
and steadast friends who refuse to believe that the
charges are true and who will not desert him till
these charges substantiated. II ought to be
stated here that In many respects he was superior
TO some who preceded him in office. In courtesy
and gentlemanly bearing he was inferior to none,
and members Of the press especially cannot forget


ms 3 s KIND na to them MM TINS much
TO the benefit OF the doubt, now that the heavy
hand OF the law and fearful load Of public GEN.


The excitement In Jersey City has reached fever
heat. 1t is the general verdict that if Chief of
Police could be guilty OF such crime the only
meet penalty would be death. The public are
positively stnpefed and several days must elapse
o rhey can et those who
have many faults to find In the Chiei-that such o
thing is possible. This crime once established In q
court precedent will he handed down to pOsterity
which cannot tail to have most demoraizing
enect on those holding public office. Where is
srty If -" IN e' the dead hour Of the night pS the
guardians ~ of the public peace lead a
murder The bare possibility is enough to renect
npOn, but a charge which IS so complex as to de-
Tic confidence in the police system, not merely in
Jersey City, but IN every city in the country. Every
police ofilcer in the nation must feel the keenest
interest in this case, for the most honest Of them
will hereafter be liable to suspicion.


The people OF Jersey City are now more indignant
than ever that a set of convicted Commissioners
should have control of the police force of the city.
McWilliams was then appointed he was indicted,
tried and convicted In common with them. The
disgrace Of the conviction In connection with the
fact that four indictments are yet pending over
each, would lead people to believe that these men
would retire into private liie and hide
their heads for few years at least.
This they refused to DO, and Governor
Parker, by the advice Of the Attorney General had
writs OF discharge served upon them. Az the same
time their successors were appointed. The con-
vcted commissioners, however, laughed to scorn
the Governors order and challenged the new
Commissioners to drive them out If they dare.
This IL the situation at this very day. The people
OF the city complain that the Governor did not call
ont the militia and rout them, horse, foot and
Dragons. The only redress lies in the Supreme
Court which will meet on the Sd OF next month, at
Trenton. The question viii then be argued and If
the convicted commissioners be not by that time
convicted and sentenced on the indictments !
against them IN the Hudson County Courts they viii, |
I'm all probability, be compelled to retire TO their
original obscurity.


The great end to be attained by this stubborn
and defiant retention Of Office is the control Of the
ballot boxes. II these can be SO handled TO se-
cure the recuperaton OF the Ring 1t viii be to
those now holding power in Jersey City "a con-
summation deyouty to he wished" Judges Of
election have already been appointed by the rec
usant Commissioners, and they were sworn IN
last evening.


No other parties will be arrested for the present
In connection with the bank robbery. The evi-
alence against those who were suspected was en-
trey OF too fiimsy a character.


BOARD or HEALTH