Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1872-01-06
EXCITEMENT ON MARKET SQUARE.
The Mayor Orders Ex.Marshal Waddle 20
CaIabNOsp

Just before twelve o'clock yesterday, quite
an excitement was created by the execution OF
command from Mayor Van Glider to arrest
Samuel p. Waddle, late Chief Marshal, and in
carcerate him in the city prison. It gave rise
to a good deal Oft talk, as Mr.. Waddle has al
ways sustained the character of a moral up
right man, usually quiet and inofensive. he Is
q regular church-goer, and is member OF the
same church with his Honor, the Mayor
While we have not been an admlrer OF Mr
Waddle as an officer, we have at the same time
accorded the character above ascribed-that OF
, orderly, quiet and inotfensive man.
The provocation to the Mayors action, ac-
cording to his own statement, was that WaddIe
had been making threats and seeking diff
Guilty with him all morning. AS they met on
Market Square and commenced talking, he
| (Waddle) kept his hands IN his pocket. When
Intercepted as to whether he was armed the
Mayor said he didn't know. By-standers who
regarded the affair as bordering on an outrage,
if not one, suggested that Mr.. Waddle should
be searched and let it be known if he really had
any weapons, or entertained murderous inten-
tions toward the Mayor. But no one seemed to
seriously to believe that he was armed or that
he really intended any personal injury to any
one
MIR. Waddle claims that lie was talking to
some friends about the election. Some one says,
"Waddle, how is the election ?" He replies,
"All right" Just then Mayor Van Glider
came up and SAYS, a. understand you are 60
ing for me-" Waddle replies, 1" Yes, you can
talk when surrounded by your friends or
words to that effect, as he claims, when Mr.. Van
Glider says to his policemen, who were near by,
Lock him up, take him and lock him up"
which command was quickly executed, and the
Mayor was triumphant.
Put both statements together, and while Wad-
die did not, perhaps, act with prudence, every
one is bound to admit that the Mayor acted
hastily. Waddle signifed his willingness to be
searched for weapons, which was not done,
no one BELIEVING that he had any. Every one
who heard anything of the Mayors remarks
about Mr.. Waddle, the substance of which we
gave in the CHRONICLE of yesterday, Che was
the man with the starr must admit that they
were undignifed and calculated to provoke a
personal difficulty, if Waddle was man of any
spirit or had any self-respect Indeed some of
his friends seemed to doubt their correctness,
but number of those present cOrrobOrate what
our reporter says about the substance Of the
Mayors remarks in reference to Mr.. Waddle.
We must believe that the Mayor acted hasti-
ly in the imprisonment of the eX-Marshal, and
that it was a species of tyranny that will not
prove palatable to the people of Knoxville. If
it was not an arbitrary and unwarranted as
sumption of power, without any reasonable
preteXt, it borders upon it, according to all the
facts We have been able to get.
Mr.. Waddle was released in few minutes
after he was put in the lookup, quite a number
of gentlemen volunteering to go his bail. He
was taken before Recorder White, and not
being ready for trial on the charges, the case
was continued until , o'clock p. NJ, on Mon
day, when it will be heard, and the facts will
come out.
The matter was the subject of conversation in
every circle for the balance of the day. Many
were indignant that mems liberties should be
regarded so lightly by those in authority.
Many thought it an instance of a man using
official and social position for the purpose of
avenging himself upon foe who has been
less fortunate in life than he. Some thought
it a great outrage that man should
be thrown into prison without due process of
law. Still others talk about it in different
way justifying the Mayor in what he did. Per-
haps after the facts are all known the public
will be able to jud ge whether or not an outrage
has been committed, and if So by whom.