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LOCAL HISTORY Woodbridge- Police Dept
HISTORY OF WOODBRIDGE TOWNSHIP POLICE DEPARTMENT BY RUTH WOLK
Princeton File - con 212 History of Woodbridge Township Police Dept. (Wolk): 1939
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History Of
FOODBDIDEE PO ETSHIP POLICE OPARTENT
BY
RUTH 17OLK
Woodbridge Independent-Leader, Woodbridge, N. J.
Dedicated to Police Chief George D. Keating and Police Commissioner He-be-t B. Rankin
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November 1, 1939
Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2010 with funding from Lyrasis Members and Sloan Foundation
http://www.archive.org/details/historyofwoodbri00ruth
HISTORY OF
WOODBRIDGE ( TOWNSHIP ( NEW JERSEY) POLICE DEPARTMENT. BY RUTH WOLK. Chapter 1.
If W. S. Anness, the first police commissioner of Woodbridge Township, could return today he would find, that despite the radio hook-up, finger printing system, and other modern methods of combating crime, the duties of a policeman are very much the same today as they were back in February, 1896 when the first appropriation of $600 was "raised for constable and police hire. "
The late Patrick "Paddy" Cullinane, uncle of the Present police clerk, Sergeant Allan McDonnell, was the first policeman of record. "Big Paddy" as he was known throughout the Township on account of his immense size, was made a constable in 1895 and a police officer in 1896.
At a meeting held on April 29, 1896, at which Commissioner Anness and Committeemen E. W. Christie and E. A. Ames were present, a motion was passed for an appropriation"of $360 a year to have a man to keep out all unlicensed peddlers, etc. " Today, Chief of Police George E. Keating has the same trouble even though a peddler's and canvasser's Ordinance is in effect. Many 1 peddlers try to avoid the necessary fingerprinting now mandatory before they can secure a permit.
On May 14, 1896 we find Patrick Cullinane named as first police officer. The minutes of the meeting read as follows:
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Page Two.
"Upon the report of Mr. Winfield S. Anness, who was duly appointed at the previous meeting of this Township committee to make arrangements with some person to act as police officer in the Township, upon his report that he has made arrangements with Patrick Cullinane to act as same. This committee upon motion does hereby employ said Patrick Cullinane to act as police officer until the further orders of this committee." Immediately after Cullinane's appointment the police committee began to pass rules and regulations. One of the notices printed and posted in the Township read as follows: "Notice is Hereby Given: that after this date all tramps found within the limits of the Township of Woodbridge will be arrested and compelled to work on the roads in a chain gang for a period of twenty-four hours."
The next ruling compelled owners of vehicles carrying 1,500 pounds or over on macadamized roads to have tires not less than three inches wide.
Mention of another officer is made in the minutes of 1896 when William D. Casey was appointed special officer for one year "with full power under the act of 1877".
Then the committee got busy again and passed a bicycle ordinance(on September 19, 1896) which prohibited anything on wheels on sidewalks " except women with baby carriages and children under 10 years old on tricycles and bicycles. "
The name of the late Patrick W. Murphy, first real chief of police of Woodbridge Township and commonly referred to as "the grand old man of the police department", first
Page Three
appears on the Township's records on March 13, 1897, when he was named constable.
Then on April 8, 1897, Patrick Cullinane was reappointed police officer. The minutes gead as follows:
"A Communication was read from storekeepers and citizens residing on principal streets of the village asking for re- appointment of Patrick Cullinane as a special officer for the ensuing year. Moved and carried that the chairman appoint a Police Commissioner for the ensuing year and to report at the next meeting. The chairman appointed C. M. Liddle as Police Commissioner.
At the next meeting April 22, 1897, We read:
mon recommendation of Mr. C. M. Liddle, the committee heretofore appointed to employ persons to act as police for the protection of the inhabitants of Woodbridge, said committee hereby recommends the employment of two persons to act as police officers, one during the day time and one during the night time and that the salary be fixed at $40.00 per month each and that they be employed monthly as directed by said committee, one during the day and one during the night, said committee hereby recommends Patrick Cullinane and James Lahey to act as said officers the same to go into effect on May 1, 1897. Moved and carried that the above recommendations be accepted. "
According to the records, Lahey worked as an officer but 11 months. The late Thomas F. Dunigan, one of the most respected citizens of Woodbridge, was then appointed Police Commissioner. Under Commissioner Dunigan's jurisdiction we find the real beginning of a police department, for on l'arch
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22, 1896, the "two Paddies", Patrick Cullinane and Patrick W. Murphy were named as official members of the police department "to act from April 1, 1898 at the rate of $40.00 a month" and authorization was given Mr. Dunigan to purchase uniforms for them.
Demand for police protection evidently increased for on June 15, 1899, Charles S. Walling was named as police officer for Carteret(then part of Woodbridge) at a salary of $40.00 a month. At the same session the chairman of the Township committee announced that C. M. Liddle would again serve as police commissioner.
A
But it was not all smooth sailing for the small police group. On September 6, 1900 the police officers of Woodbridge were ordered "to appear before the committee on Thursday at 8:00 P. M. to answer the complaints of George H. Brown in regards to crowds congregating on his corner(evidently the corner of Main and Fulton Streets)". The officers appeared before the committee, and, according to the records, "explained that the Crowds gather when they are at other places and disperse as soon as the officers appear." The officers were "instructed by the chairman to be more active in the matter and to watch Mr. Brownas corner especially and to see to it that they were not brought before the committee again. "
The committee evidently decided to "modernize" the department for on September 14, 1900, the members passed a motion authorizing the purchase of a bicycle for the policeman at Carteret, not to exceed $35, but in the following month the order was rescinled at the request of Officer Walling, who pointed out the ta bieg couli no, by usel during the winter
Page Five
months. He evidently preferred an overcoat instead for we find an order for winter uniforms and "an overcoat for Policeman Walling. "
At the turn of the century, the "department" received a "break" in the form of a $5.00 a month raise, making the salaries $45.00 a month, and the striking out of the word "year" from the appointment of police. From that time on appointments were expected to run indefinitely at the discretion of the committee.
Page Six
Chapter 2.
With the birth of the new century, it became necessary to pass an appropriation for the new police "department" in the Township and after a lengthy debate an appropriation of $1,500 was decided upon. In the minutes of February 19, 1900 , We read :
"After discussion, moved and carried that the committee recommend to the primary meetings the following appropriation for the ensuing year: Police $1,500."
"What a comparison that makes with our budget for '35 policemen today: Personal services, $94,000; other than personal services, $10,000!
On May 1, 1900 an application was received from W. F. Turner, who evidently wished to become a policeman but the application was placed on file and, as far as can be determined from the records, nothing else was done about it.
The police department of three was not large enough for special officers were needed for the various elections. On March 11, 1901, John Omenhiser, John Thompson and Herman Gerke were named as special officers for the election of March 12, to serve at poles one, two and three respectively. Vacations for the police department were the next Worry of the committee, but on August 8, 1901, the matter was brought up and the subject was continued for We read
Page Seven
in the minutes of August 8, 1901:
"Regularly moved and seconded that the matter of policemen's vacations be laid over until the next meeting." A condition, caused by dogs running-at-large, took up the time of the Township committee in May of 1902. It is a problem that has been partially solved nowadays by the appointment of a dog warden. After several discussions the committee decided that the police officers, Patrick Murphy, Patrick Cullinane and Charles Walling "be invested with full authority to kill all dogs found running at large after June 5th, which have not been licensed by or registered with the Township Clerk and which do not carry a collar bearing the license number unless such dogs are muzzled. "
1 "Resolved, further, that a notice of this resolution be published in the Weekly Register and Woodbridge News (forerunners of the Independent-Leader) and the Perth Amboy Republican on May 26, 1902. "
The bicycle that Officer Walling refused in the previous winter in favor of a winter uniform and overcoat, was finally purchased for him to cover his beat in Carteret. J. A. Hermann, a member of the Township committee from the Carteret district, was empowered to purchase the bicycle on June 17, 1902 at a cost not exceeding $50.
Boynton Beach, Sewaren, on those days, was the "tops" in Seaside resorts. Hotels lined the beach and people came here from far and wide for their vacations. One July 31, 1902, the people of Sewaren rewuested the appointment of a policeman for their section, evidently to cover the beach arch and on July 10, 1902, it was the Fel and carried
Page Eight
(by the Township committee) that a special officer be appointed for Sewaren for four months at a compensation of $45 per month". At the following meeting, on July 29, 1902, Hans Simonsen(who later became a regular officer, now
C on pension, and a member of a family that later made police Work its profession) was named policeman for the time specified, to go on duty on August 1 and have Sewaren as his beat.
At the same time Officer Walling was informed that his ; hours had been changed. He was to go on duty at 5 P. M., and work until 4 A. M.
After a month's deliberation, September 4, 1902, the committee granted the police officers a week's vacation and the clerk was "to notify them which week they are to have when instructed to do so by the committee."
Officer Walling again found his hours changed-this time his tour of duty started at three o'clock in the afternoon and ended at one o'clock in the morning -- ten hours of work daily for $45 a month!
Charles Levi, father of Barron Levi, was appointed by the Township committee, to act as special officer for three weeks to give the three regular policemen eachone Week's vacation. This rosolution was adopted on October 9, 1902. On the thirty first day of the same month, Hans Simonsen tendered his resignation as special policeman for Sewaren.
In the following year, February 5, 1903, we find a petition of the residents of Carteret "applying for a sci. ] policy, ar six days later, John Delrey Wia
Page Nine 1
named special officer for that district for one month "beginning February 12 at a compensation of $45 a month, hours to be from 9 o'clock P. M., to 5 o'clock A. M. " Donovan was later made a regular officer.
For the third time in a short period, Officer Walling's hours were changed, this time he was to work from 9 P. M. , to 5 A. M. Committeeman Hermann Was named as a committeeman of one to arrange the beats in Carteret.
A second raise in salary is noted for the police officers in March of 1903 when a resolution informs us that "Patrick Bullinane, Patrick Murphy, Charles Walling and John Donovan be appointed policemen for the ensuing year at a salary of $50 per month".
The following month, J. M. McElroy, father of the Present Township Attorney, Leon E. McElroy, was authorized to purchase uniforms and equipment for the department. The officers were all dressed up!
With the spring of the year, Sewaren wanted a special officer again, and Michael Coffey, who now resides in Rahway Avenue, Woodbridge, and who, at that time, lived in Sewaren, was appointed "night policeman at Sewaren for six months, to go on duty on May 1st, 1903 at a compensation of $50 per month and that the chairman appoint a committee of one to purchase the proper outfit. " H. C. Turner, of Sewaren, was appointed on the commttee.
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Page Ten
So in the year of 1903, Woodbridge Township, which included Carteret, boasted of a police force of five men whose main duties seemed to be arresting drunks and persons carrying concealed Weapons. Records of arrests show that the majority of arrests was for drunkeness -- and as far as can be determined the only reason seemed to be that "there was nothing else to do." Among the foreign elements the carrying of guns and - knives appeared to be the favorite pastime and orders came to see to it that the habit was broken.
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Patrick Cullinane and Patrick //. Murphy
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Chapter 3.
Hans Simonsen, father of Desk Sergeant Andrew Simonsen and Motorcycle Officer Rudolph Simonsen, again came into the police picture on September 21, 1903, when, for the second time he was named special officer for the purpose of relieving the Wood bridge-proper policemen so that they each could take a week's vacation.
Then, on October 8, 1903, the people of Sewaren appeared before the Tomship committee and demanded that they be given a full-time policeman for their district. Michael Coffey, who had been named a special officer for the summer months, was continued as a regular policeman for Sewaren.
Street corner gangs, the bane of every cop's existence, continued to draw numerous complaints, and at the same meeting the clerk was authorized to notify the officers that there had been several complaints in "regard to the people standing on the corners around town". The policemen were also urged to enforce the bicycle ordinance which Prohibited the use of sidewalks to cyclists.
The Lighting Commissioners, of the old days, had their troubles, too, and, on January 4, 1904, the following notation was made in the minutes:
"Loved and carried that the clerk be instructed to notify Officers Cullinane and Murphy that complaint has been made
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Page Twelve.
by the light commissioners that several of the lights have been broken, asking them to give this matter their attention." Port Reading, evidently felt the need of police protection, for on March 3, 1904, the residents of that section submitted a petition requesting the appointment of a regular policeman. The matter was referred to the committee as a whole for consideration and on April 14, 1904 , Samuel Moore was appointed a regular officer at Port Reading for the ensuing year. Committeeman C. S. Farrell was named committee of one to purchase the uniform and equipment for Officer Moore.
Very few old timers recall that Woodbridge Township built a town hall and lock-up for the Carteret section, just be- fore Carteret broke away from Woodbridge to become first the Borough of Roosevelt and later the Borough of Carteret. In fact, Joseph Hermann, who in 1904 was the chairman of the Township committee, was a Carteret resident and one of the advocates of the secession from Woodbridge. Judging from the minutes of the meetings at that time, it appears as if the Carteret members knew the break was about due and tried to get as much as they could for Carteret before the ties were broken. Carteret roads were repaired by the score.
We first find mention of the lock-up in the minutes of April 26, 1904, when, on a suggestion made by Chairman Hermann, C. M. Liddle and C. S. Farrell were appointed a "committee of two to negotiate for a suitable lot for the lockup at Cartarot and report back at the next meeting. "
lot finally cho, Su is the site where the triangle
Page Thirteen
is now located in Carteret, on Roosevelt Avenue.
Very little appears in the minutes fegarding the Carteret lock-up and town hall until July 8, 1904, when it was "moved and carried that specifications for the new town hall at Carteret prepared by A. W. Carroll be accepted and adopted. Moved and carried that the architect's compensation for plans and specifications shall be $180. Moved and carried that the clerk be authorized to advertise for brick for construction of a town hall at Carteret in the Woodbridge News and Register, bids to be received at Town Hall, Woodbridge, at 8:30 o'clock P. M., on July 26, 1904."
- On July 26, 1904, bids were received as follows:
Mercer Construction Company ----- $4,324 Henderson Brothers 4,443 Hans Hansen 4,560 Randolph Lee 3,600 All certified checks were returned except the check of Randolph Lee, whose bid was turned over to the committee for further consideration. On August 5 of the same year, Mr. Lee appeared before the committee and "presented a sample of brick that would be used on the Carteret lock-up, provided he received the contract. "
However, the committee must have decided against Mr. Lee's proposals, for on August 31, his bid and certified check were returned and the clerk Was authorized to advertise for bids "for the construction of a lock-up in Carteret in the Woodbridge News and Register on revised plans that can
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Page Fourteen
be had at the office of the Township clerk, bids to be . Deceived on September 7, 1904." On that date only one bid Was received, that of Hans Hansen, who was awarded the contract on his bid of $2,850.
On May 8, 1905, the committee met in special session, the "object of the meeting being to examine the Carteret lock-up. The committee was satisfied to acceptethe building after one or two small defects were remedied. Mr. Carroll, the architect, O. K. 'd the bill. "
At the same session, Committeeman Liddle and Farrell were authorized to purchase the necessary furniture for the new lock-up and on January 6, 1906 a motion was made by J. A. Hermann, that John Donovan, the police officer, "be given the use of the upper apartments of the Carteret Jock-up and be furnished with water, fuel and light, he in return to care for the building and look after any and all prisoners that may be confined in same but to receive an allowance of 20 cents for each meal furnished to prisoners." Donovan later became a Carteret police officer, when the borough became a municipality of its own.
In the year 1904, the police department received plenty of attnetion from the Township committee. In April of that year a police committee was named "for the purpose of devising ways and means for regulating the police force, " and at the same time the committee was empowered to get, of all things, a time clock on trial subject to the approval of the committee. On June 14, the police officers of Woodbridge and Carteret were notified that theip hours of duty world be as follows :
Page Fifteen.
Day men: 7:30 A. M. , to 12 noon; 1:30 P. M., to 7 P. M. Night men and Sewaren and Port Reading officers: 7 P. M., to midnight; 1 A. M., to 5 A. M. At the same time the police committee was authorized to purchase the time clock and to regulate the times the officers were to record their name s.
Up until 1905 the Justices of the Peace took care of police cases, most of them being heard in the justices' homes. Very few, if any records were kept. We first see mention of a police recorder in the minutes of April 6, 1905 when J. L. Dunn submitted an application for the position of recorder. But Mr. Dunn did not get the appointment for at the meeting of May 2, 1905, R. J. Wylie was named recorder for the ensuing year. Old timers tell me that Mr. Wylie held court in the store next to the railroad tracks on Main Street, which was last occupied by the . "Ruby and Cal Dry Cleaning Co."
At the same meeting, another addition to the police force was made with the appointment of Michael McDonald, of Port Reading. Mr. McDonald's beat was in his home town.
A resolution was then adopted which reads as follows: "Resolved that the clerk notify the policemen that they must register at their respective places as previously instructed by the committee as a copy of such report will be filed on the first Thursday of each month with the comittee, this notice to take effect immediately."
Budget time came around again on June 1, 1905 with the police appropriation this time set at 94,000. The entire budget rouds as follows:
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Page Sixteen.
"Resolved that the following amounts be raised by taxationE
"Township purposes -$4,500
"Roads and Bridges 3,500
"Outside Poor
e --- 2,500
"Macadamizing
6,000
"Police
4,000
" Assessors' Maps
1,000
Total
$21,500. "
Officer "Paddy" Cullinane experienced some difficulty in remembering to punch the time clock that had been installed in the Woodbridge lock-up and on June 8, 1905 he Was notified that "the committee in examining the register clock finds that he has not registered regularly" and that he must register at the stated intervals as instructed.
The year 1906 arrived and with it came the complaints of the citizenry that there Was considerable gambling being done by the youth of the Township in a Main Street store. With a view of taking measures to put a stop to the practice the cle-k was instructed to communicate with Officers Murphy and Cullinane asking them to appear before the committee on January 30, of that year. At the session, Committeeman Farrell instructed the officers to take every advisable step to stop gambling in the Township.
Page Seventeen
Chapter Four.
The years 1906 and 1907 were periods of readjustment not only for the police department but for the entire Township for in the former year, the municipality now known as Carteret, broke away from the Township to become the Borough of Roosevelt.
On February 20, 1906, the Township committee received a communication from the Board of Education relative to the bill in the legislature to incorporate the Carteret section as the Borough of Roosevelt. Incensed over the turn of events, the following resolution was adopted by the committee:
"Thereas, Carteret has had, at the expense of the Township as a whole, its just proportion of the improvements and is about to set itselff off in a borough that will increase the tax rate of the portion left, which is unjust to the Taxpayers of the outlying district, who have had no improvements and have borne uncomplainingly their portion of the expense to improve said borough and other portions of our town,
"Therefore, be it resolved , that we, the township Committee of the Township of Woodbridge, the body representing the taxpayers of said Tomship take some formal action against the bill now pending in the senate for the protection of the taxpayers whom we represent. "
Immediately after the resolution was adopted it was "resolved that the chair appoint a committee of two to act in conjunction with Mr. Cutter, the Township Attorney( Note : Ephriam Cutter, whose offices were in the Masonic Building where the editorial rooms of the Independ- ent-Leader are now located) and go before the Senate Committee on Boroughs and Townships to protest against the passage of the bill incorporating the bruch of Roosevelt and to as thatsthe provision
Page Eighteen.
be made whereby the proposed borough assumes its just share of the indebtedness of the Tomship and also to oppose the passage of said bill as unjust to the Tomship of Woodbridge". Committeeman Liddle and Committeeman LoElroy were appointed on the committee.
But even whilevthe agitation was growing keener each day, Committeeman J. A. Hermann, of the Carteret section, calmly saw to it that the necessary clothes were "purchased for the police officers at Carteret. "
On April 11, 1906, the bill setting off Carteret as a separate and distinct municipality was approved by the legis- lature and on May 1, 1906, the people of Carteret voted on the matter in the Carteret lock-up(which had just been completed by Woodbridge Township) with the resulting vote as follows:
377 in favor of the referendum; 1 vote against
and 3 votes rejected.
Woodbridge Township would like to know the
identity of the lone man who voted to stay with it.
On May 29, 1906, "the chair reported that a notice was served on him on May 28, 1906, by the Attorney of Roosevelt of an application to the Court of Common Please on .
June Ist at 10:30 A. M., for the appointment of three commissioners to make a division of the assets and liabilities between the Borough and the Township."
Finally , on 'une 7, 1906, Officers John Donovan .
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