men would continue their fight or start a new one with a fellow inmate. Harrold was often forced to let one prisoner go to prevent a jail cell fight.
Jack Harrold served the borough as a policeman for four years until 1877. Harrold was an amazing individual, as he later served on town council on and off from 1883 until 1922. He was an outstanding baseball player and played on the boroughâs very first official ball club, called the Nerve of Conshohocken. He later built one of the townâs finest hotels of the day on West Elm Street, later known as Zalikâs Hotel. Harrold would often entertain his hotel guests as an accomplished violin player, accompanied by his son Donald âDocâ at the piano. Harrold was also a boxer and trained several great boxers of the day, including James J. Corbett. Harrold was in Corbettâs corner when he defeated the great John L. Sullivan in twenty-one rounds for the heavyweight title in New Orleans on September 7, 1892.
Harrold wasnât the only police officer in 1873, although he was the only full-time officer. John Field and Joseph Griffith worked as part-time police officers, making twenty-five dollars per month.
Police Chiefs and a Few Good Cops
In 1875, the borough leaders recognized the need for a proper police lockup with at least two jail cells, and later two more cells were added. The borough purchased a lot of ground next to the Washington Fire House on the corner of West Hector and Forrest Streets. The borough still operated with one full-time police officer and two part-time officers.
Francis âBunnyâ Blake was sworn in as a Conshohocken police officer in July 1929 and served as a borough policeman for twenty-five years, including a stint as chief from 1934 to 1938. Blake was also a professional boxer and fought 143 professional fights, including a fight with champion Tommy Loughran.
In 1876, Henry Stemple was appointed as a full-time police officer by Burgess William Summers, the retired grocer. Big, good-natured Stemple had been a teamster by occupation previous to his becoming a policeman, being engaged in the hauling of iron ore from the mines in Plymouth Township to the Fulton furnaces in Conshohocken. Stemple enjoyed his job as a teamster and was a very skillful driver who often drove a team of seven to nine horses. Stemple served as a policeman for seven years and resigned due to ill health; he later died of pulmonary infection.
By 1889, the force had begun to grow, and policemen were appointed for terms of one year by members of council and confirmed by the burgess. In 1889, Michael McCaul was appointed as captain, William Morris was the policeman for the First Ward, Andrew McFeeters was the officer of the Second Ward and Michael J. OâBrien patrolled the Third Ward. By 1895, the borough police budget had swelled to $2,500 per year.
In 1897, William Heald was hired to serve with John Maconachy and John Greer. Heald would later become the boroughâs second chief of police. In 1902, James Courduff was assigned to the force to serve with officers Daniel Hastings, Charles Holland and Heald. James Courduff became the boroughâs first chief of police. Following retirement, he passed away in Ocean City, New Jersey, in 1929 at the age of sixty-nine.
In 1907, members of the borough council met to discuss a pay raise for the police. Members of the police force were seeking a ten-dollar-per-month raise, looking to bump their monthly salary to seventy dollars for a sixty-hour workweek.
Salaries for members of the police force continued to grow, and by 1924, Conshohockenâs newly appointed Chief of Police William Heald received $125 per month for overseeing a four-man police department that included Daniel Donovan and Officer Harrington. Patrolmen were pulling down a cool $100 per month for six days per workweek.
After more than thirty-two years as a Conshohocken policeman, Chief William Heald died of a heart attack in 1928 and was
Jack Harrold served the borough as a policeman for four years until 1877. Harrold was an amazing individual, as he later served on town council on and off from 1883 until 1922. He was an outstanding baseball player and played on the boroughâs very first official ball club, called the Nerve of Conshohocken. He later built one of the townâs finest hotels of the day on West Elm Street, later known as Zalikâs Hotel. Harrold would often entertain his hotel guests as an accomplished violin player, accompanied by his son Donald âDocâ at the piano. Harrold was also a boxer and trained several great boxers of the day, including James J. Corbett. Harrold was in Corbettâs corner when he defeated the great John L. Sullivan in twenty-one rounds for the heavyweight title in New Orleans on September 7, 1892.
Harrold wasnât the only police officer in 1873, although he was the only full-time officer. John Field and Joseph Griffith worked as part-time police officers, making twenty-five dollars per month.
Police Chiefs and a Few Good Cops
In 1875, the borough leaders recognized the need for a proper police lockup with at least two jail cells, and later two more cells were added. The borough purchased a lot of ground next to the Washington Fire House on the corner of West Hector and Forrest Streets. The borough still operated with one full-time police officer and two part-time officers.
Francis âBunnyâ Blake was sworn in as a Conshohocken police officer in July 1929 and served as a borough policeman for twenty-five years, including a stint as chief from 1934 to 1938. Blake was also a professional boxer and fought 143 professional fights, including a fight with champion Tommy Loughran.
In 1876, Henry Stemple was appointed as a full-time police officer by Burgess William Summers, the retired grocer. Big, good-natured Stemple had been a teamster by occupation previous to his becoming a policeman, being engaged in the hauling of iron ore from the mines in Plymouth Township to the Fulton furnaces in Conshohocken. Stemple enjoyed his job as a teamster and was a very skillful driver who often drove a team of seven to nine horses. Stemple served as a policeman for seven years and resigned due to ill health; he later died of pulmonary infection.
By 1889, the force had begun to grow, and policemen were appointed for terms of one year by members of council and confirmed by the burgess. In 1889, Michael McCaul was appointed as captain, William Morris was the policeman for the First Ward, Andrew McFeeters was the officer of the Second Ward and Michael J. OâBrien patrolled the Third Ward. By 1895, the borough police budget had swelled to $2,500 per year.
In 1897, William Heald was hired to serve with John Maconachy and John Greer. Heald would later become the boroughâs second chief of police. In 1902, James Courduff was assigned to the force to serve with officers Daniel Hastings, Charles Holland and Heald. James Courduff became the boroughâs first chief of police. Following retirement, he passed away in Ocean City, New Jersey, in 1929 at the age of sixty-nine.
In 1907, members of the borough council met to discuss a pay raise for the police. Members of the police force were seeking a ten-dollar-per-month raise, looking to bump their monthly salary to seventy dollars for a sixty-hour workweek.
Salaries for members of the police force continued to grow, and by 1924, Conshohockenâs newly appointed Chief of Police William Heald received $125 per month for overseeing a four-man police department that included Daniel Donovan and Officer Harrington. Patrolmen were pulling down a cool $100 per month for six days per workweek.
After more than thirty-two years as a Conshohocken policeman, Chief William Heald died of a heart attack in 1928 and was
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