The following year, on February 15, 1917, the Y.P.A. held their first annual entertainment and dinner dance reception at Philipsburgh Hall on Hudson Street. The event had been scheduled several months earlier but had to be postponed due to a city wide strike by trolley car operators. In order to prevent any violence on the picket lines, police officers were detailed to locations all over the city. This strike caused our Yonkers Police Officers to work many extra hours. (Of course no overtime was paid in those years.) When the reception was held, nearly 1200 people attended filling every seat in the hall, including most standing room. Lt. Dennis Cooper, Chairman of the arrangements committee, estimated that the gross receipts exceeded $3,000. Whatever funds remaining after expenses was donated to the Yonkers Police Pension Fund.
The hall was reportedly decorated with evergreens and potted ferns, along with American flags which were draped conspicuously. Over the stage was a large framed photograph of Public Safety Commissioner James J. Fleming, on either side of which an American flag was also draped. All attending members of the police department were directed to be present in dress uniform, and as the newspaper reported,…. “Their presence added a touch of the Military.” Each person who attended received a souvenir program and a metal “badge,” inscribed on each were the words, “Police Headquarters 4900.” This was the 4 digit telephone number of our department at the time, the 963 exchange would not come for many years. In addition, all guests of the Police Association were presented with blue ribbons. I am quite sure that Police Association President Patrolman John J. Dahill personally welcomed everyone to the gala event.
Vaudeville style entertainment, which had been scheduled, began at 9:00 PM and continued until 11:00 PM. The entertainers were described as being “high class”, with banjo music by the Bolger Brothers; comedy by “Duffy Rise,” & Leonard and Whitaker; and a variety of songs by many, including long time friend and former Police Officer William O’Mara. Following the entertainment phase, the chairs were all moved to open a dance floor in the center of the room where many danced until the early morning hours to the music of “Walsh’s Orchestra.” Refreshments, “solely of the light sort”, were available throughout the evening on the lower floor.
The hall was not only filled with nearly the entire Yonkers Police Department, but also present were local and state politicians, representatives of the fire department, the judiciary, influential businessmen with their wives, and other prominent citizens. Lt. Dennis Cooper and his committee apparently did an outstanding job, as was evidenced by the number of people who attended. It is also worthy of note that the printed program that was distributed to all guests contained a memoriam for three police officers who died the previous year: Capt. George Cooley who died from a heart attack, and Police Officers Dennis McElroy and Wilfred Matthews, both of whom died as a result of injuries sustained in the line of duty only weeks apart. I think that this gathering of 1200 people, hosted by the Police Association was, even by today’s standards, an outstanding success.