Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1880-04-14
MAJORITY REPORT.
Sweeney Found Guilty and HE Removal
Recommended.
WuurttNu Anril 10 1880

City n lHheeling.
GENrIEMEN-The undersigned, mem-
bprs oi the Joint Special Committee ap-
pointed to investigate the charges made
before your honorable bodies by VIII
liam N. Davis against James W. Swee-
new, Sergeant Ot the city, desire to pre-
sent their report on the said charges.
We have carefully considered and eN.
amined the evidence of the many wit
nesses, both Of the prosecution aud de
tense during the time of trial, aud since
then have In onr private conference
considered the evidence on each charge
separately. In making this report We
desire to say that II was the unanimous
opinion of the committee that both the
charges and our conclusions should I've
given separately. We havedon this I'm
all except charges Nos. | and =, which,
being ui a similar nature, We have joined
IN our conclusion.
NIsArrRopmArIoN ~ Sl5i,
Charge No. III charge aud can
pruye that Jvmes W. Sweeney, now
filling the office of City Sergeant, did
collect and receive from the Baltimore
and Ohio Railroad Company, thnluuh
one If his deputies, Sl35 for services
rendered said company by your atlaut,
and dill appropriate w his own Use and
benefit the sum of Sl3j.
charge No. 81 further charge and
can prove that the said j, W. Sweeney
did collect AMI receive s22, in the month
oi January. 1870. from the Turner Hall
Association, and did appropriate to his
own use and benefit the sum ot S22.
Opinion III charges and 2 The tes.
timnny on these charges proves that
James W. Sweeney, Sergeant of the city,
has received from both the Baltimore
aud Ohio Railroad Company and the
Turner Hall Association compensation,
~ charged for police services rendered
Wv his deputies, and has retained the
same for his sole use and benefit. From
evidence before us " appears that a
n similar practice has been IN existence
for years, and hy former City SerVcants.
This fact may somewhat CNtenuatp the
wrong oi the present Sergeant, but IT hv
No means makes the matter right The
practice is wrong. and tends ~ corrupt
aud iniurc the service. TIA Sergeant
can demand private compensation he
fore putting force IN place where "
is needed, there IL danger oi his with.
drawing the force from such places
until no ~ privately paid tnr the
performance II his public duty. We
arr of the opinion that u vas not con
templated 10y Council that extra pay
should ho eNacird Or received 10y the
Sergeant ~ his deputies for rendering
such services ~ the peace aud good or
der ui the city require, ~ II would have
been provided for The city having
complied with its portion ui the contract
made with the Sergeant, has the right to
exact FROM him the full service that has
been paid for I'm our opinion III"
money 80 collected in the past should
ho paid into the City Treasury aud strict
provision should ho made hy ordinance
To- prevent such wrongs IN the future.
pu,wrva rpo wren NoNtN.
charge No 2 I further charge aud
can Move fiat tho said James " Swoo.
upy drew from the city treasury S22, ~
more. IN AMI above the amount required
tn pay his deputies IN the month oi Sep.
tpmhcr, 1879, and did keep and apply
tn his own uso aud benefit the said sum
ol S22. and did not account Tor them
according to law,
Orininu The testimony NJ the CITY
Clerk shows that the Sergeant NJ the
city. James W. Sweeney, did receive
lrnm him lthc snid clerk the SUM ui
fihI GB "a the pay tor the month IT Sop
ternhcr. ig1n, IT the Sergeant AMI eleven
deputies.
During the month ~ Soptrmhcr, 1917.
there was vacancy IN the police lurco,
a fact well known hv the Sergeant ior n
portion " aaid mouth and IN runso.
uupncp If snid yacnnCy the full amount
received from the CITY Clprk iur the
payment NJ the deputies salaries WIS
not ~ paid ~ provided lor IN the ordi.
unura fixing the nav ~ the Sergeant and
deputies, nor was II returned 10 the CITY
Treasury. but wna AMI IN now wrong.
fully withheld Nv the Sergeant of the
city, James " Sweeney.
SERVICES ~ rErurIEs
charge No. - further charge aud
can move that tho said James ",
Sweeney has received from his deputies
sny,ral suma III money, the amount nm
known H. your afliant, fnr aetvices rem
drrrl Wv thom ut sundry dances, halls
and Ilarcs ~ amusement, aud did Rp.
ply the same tu his own uso and ben
eft
Opinion Your committee are ~ the
opinion that the evidence un this charge
does not sualaiu w. ~ MYERS tin ov,.
dpnroi aaya ha Jaw Asmus turn over
monev h. the Sergeant Asmus in lie
evidenced saws he offered tn turn over
money. hut Vsa told ~ koop H. and
nevp, offered n again but unre The
sum II t2.In paid Nv Asnus tn the Sou
grant FROM VIM. ,~etye was sent las
,noipa ~ sweeney, and he did not
know What " WAS iut
srupS rRnrERtV
tharYp Nu. Z ! further charge and
ran pruvp that the saId Jamps "
Sweeney had ln,ned over to HIM br his
deputies many articles ~ property 10
ruyprs.l from thieves, and that the sai,l
iamss W Sweeney has mt accounted
g., the same arrurling Wv Law
upirion We nnd that the property
meniinnsi w this charge, with thp ~
rpr,inn ~ snmp cheap ieWel,r anil q
piece ~ chneap. IL nov IN The rusln'l,
uiihs aargpar, awaiting Identification
Nv tho owners. and The, ', has been al
,sftiseh w the riiy papers AMI are oi
the apiuiun tina, the charge is not sut-
tainn'l
NVtFiSu NpSBy
Ihs,Tp No. a I tuHhst rhatyp and
ZEN prove thsi Tho saih lance W
gue.net dil take and keep vi,hnu, sn.
,huri,r IT luv one dollar l,.lrngins ~ an
ps,apeh p,isnnpt nsmeh Richards, ~
snue such name. end did appropriate
the sape ,n his Usn Ne anl leneft
O,inirn Chstgr sislh isnr, sps,sin.
81 he,anse the syi,lrnve. n bile u shows
ths, q pocket hrok containing urr dpl
ln wee lsksh hem = p'isrne, rsms,l
nhhatis ~ saue eurh Naws. ai The
i,,,L mp. u ,lrss not show tbs, the p,pt-
s'tr ~ss ever In the possession ~ the
Esrpsaat
vttssss ftrs
IhstFr Nu z ! Iat,hs, ,hatVs snl
rsn ptrvc ,hst the ssii James "
surensr hse urp IN his rsssvssirn r,any
vitnsss i.ss, sauau,inF ~ maftf bplls's.
-hlsh he lee r-tes ps'l svef though
frequently ask ~ w. ia o.
npininn uns piinsss rrlr "Ai,ir
Ffils, ,eA,iRps che, hs hsl wsAs 10.
mani is prs ise amounting b. hn cents
-. A.. .ss.l.lt. aas~.ka al k.S4.. -.