Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-12-20
The Fire Department Investigation .

The Fire Department Investigation.
CHARGES BROUGHT BY DISMISSED FIREA IN
AGAINST CHIEF CRoNIN.
The board Of fire commissioners met last even
ing to investigate the following charges made
by ex-Foreman Springman against Chief-Eagi-
neer Cronin:
"First-With conspiracy in placing man or
men In my company, B truck to trump up
ton as fireman and a gentleman; that he did
at divers times write letters to one OF these men
to know why he delayed in getting up charges
against me. so as to have me removed from the
fire department Second-That said Cronin did
deliberately injure and cauGe to be put out of
service black horse belonging to the l'e de-
partment, at No. engine h0uSe last summer,
by sticking pitchfork into the leg of the said
horse. Thf-d-That he did make present Of
one gray horse, the property Of the District Of
Columbia, to John s. GOSS.n
The charges were taken up seriatim, and the
following witnesses were examined on the first:
J: w. springman, William Beynon, and j. T.
Gently dismissed foreman, opened by declaring
that he knew nothing personally regarding the
charges he had made, his only knowledge of
two firemen discharged short time ago. we're
then examined Their testimony was mainly
recital OF their alleged personal grievances and
the admission Of threat by Murray after his
dismissal that he would get even with the chief
in December Beynon said that he had been
conf1dentially employed by the chief to keep
watch on Foreman Springman, SO as to enable
the chief to bring charges against him, and that
several letters had passed between them on the
subject. Being asked to produce any letter
from the Chief he said he hal destroyed them.
Murray only knew Of this matter by what Bey-
non had told him, and by being the bearer Of one
letter. Commissioner Hume asked Foreman
SprinsmSn if he had not told him {Hume) that
Murray on oath. He admitted saying he would
not believe them, but denied saying ION OATH"
No motive was developed why the chief should
f<N6 Crprir,
trary the Commissioners all stated that they
had voted for Springman as foreman solely on
the recommendation Of the Chief, and he
(Springman) was dismissed on testimony OF
policemen that he had been drinking and dis
orderly.
On the second charge, Messrs Beynon and
Ihomas, dropped nremen, TESTIFIED that Chief
his horse running away, and afterwards he
came into the engine-hOuSe, and picking up a
pitchfork, stabbed the horse fifteen or twenty
times In the side and legs, until he (CrOnin) was
SO weak he couldn't stand up, etc. The testimo-
ny of Chief Crontn In answer to these witnesses
was that the horse in question kicked at him
while he was in the engine-houSe and he picked
him once or twice with the fork. 1t did not in
jured him In any way for the same afternoon he
drove him out 1nSo the country and back to the
engine-houSe. The horse has never been out of
service day, and was now in the service of the
District
The next and last charge, that Of giving
horse to Mr.. John s. GOSS, was then taken up.
Mr.. Goss testified that horse known as ''Dus-
ty" was given him by Chief Cronin on an or
der from Mr.. Williams, then president of the
Board OF Fire Commissioners At the time wit
ness was foreman under the board, but sus-
pended for some reason. He offered pay for the
animal to Chief Cronin, but he refused to take
it, saying that he and Mr.. Williams had decided
to give 1t to him as payment for the time he was
suspended A reference to the records of the
board showed that the horse In question (not a
gray one, Goss testified, but dun) was trans
ferred in 1872 by the committee ON horses of the
Board of Fire Commissioners from the fire ser
vice to another branch of the District service,
which transfer was approved by the board.
EX-Ftre commissioner Quantrell was exam
VINO were active in the matter OF bringing these
charges, and stated that he had had several con-
versationS with them about it. He was now
trying to get a place for Springman, and
had to see him about it. He was called
to testify because Murray had mentioned him as
bsing present on an occasion when the matter
of the charges was being talked over.] At the
conclusion Of the testimony, Chief Cronin made
a sworn statement denying the charges in toto,
and the board took the case under advisement,
and will report their conclusions to the District
Commissioners.
A CoLoRED EMIGRANT LOSES HIS WIFE AND
His MoNEY.--This morning. band Of about 20
Thursday night, left here for the west. They
made efforts to go by the Pennsylvania route to
Parkersburg, but finally went by the B. & o.
Among the number was one man, Henry Skin
ner, who, having sold his farm and settled his
affairs in North Carolina, placed hts money,
over 800, in the possession of his wife and they
bought tickets for this city. By some means
they got separated in Richmond, and his wife, 1t
Is understood, has the greenbackS In her carpet
bag, and Skinner was lett here without cent.
The wife has been telegraphed for at Green
castle, Ind, but was not found.