The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1880-07-07

PAT MULLIS,
Ed. CORNWALL,
THOMAS CORNWALL,
BENJAMIN SnEFFIELD.
TO the Honorable Council, City of Dallas:
Conference.-The above was handed me b,
the policemen, and ask that you make suei
Investigations as you think proper in the
matter. w. 4. MORTON,
Marshal
To the Honorable Mayor and Aldermen of tn,
City OfDallas:
Conference.-The communication of the
police in regard to the statements of j. NJ
Thurmond, mayor of the city of Dallas,
submit to you for your careful consideration
If you find the mayor is right sustain him
if you find that he is not righ then it is your
duty to censure him for his conduct.
l will further state to your honorable body
that it seems to me that if any one is stand.
ing in with thieves of this city it is not the
police, but the mayor OF your city.
Some three or four weeks ago man was
arrested here by Deputy Sheriff w. H. w
Smith for stealing horse; the mayor got the
man out on,a writ of habeas corpus, taking
the thief's horse as fee. He left; was after.
wards arrested, and when Smith went to
the mayor and showed letter in regard tc
the horse, the mayor refused to tell him
where he could find the horse, or to whom
he sold the horse, and offered Smith $40 to
drop the matter. | refer you to Deputy
Sheriff w. IL. W. Smith for information in
regard to who is standing in with the thieves
and ---- and - - of this city.
| will further state that the mayor uses his
office for the purpose Of abusing those he
dislikes, and that on various and divers occa.
sicns, in open court, he would speak of those
he disliked and abuse them in a manner uu-
becoming Judge on his bench of Justice.
For proof of this | refer you to every officer
of the city court since Thurmond has been
mayor.
| further show to you that on the 10th dav
ofOctober, 1879, your honorable body passed
an ordinance, which was approved
by the mayor, filming all persons
gaming not less than ten dollars
nor more than twenty-five dollars; and that the
mayor not regarding his oath of office to carry
out the laws of this city, fines each and every
one of the gamblers one dollar, thereby
cheating the cityof Dallas out of nine dollars
in each case. There was an average of about
seven fines of this kind from the 10th of
October, 1879, till May the LIST, 1880, when
the vagrant act was passed, causing the city
government to loose about four hundred dol.
lars For proof and any other information
in regard to this matter, refer you to the
ordinance and his oath of office, and the
docket Of the mayors court.
l ask you, gentlemen, to take these matters
in charge and investigate them. If Mayor
Thurmond is right, sustain him. If myself
and the police force are right, please sustain
us; and no matter who is wrong, let the sem
tence fall upon those who most deserve it.
With this, gentlemen, 1 submit to you for
your consideration and investigation, pledg-
ing to you to prove every allegation to your
satisfaction, or to the satisfaction of any fair
and impartial mind. am, gentlemen, your
obedient servant, etc.,
w. f. MORTON, Marshal.
On motion the petition was referred to the
committe on ordinances.
The may or said that he desired to speak
in regard to the charges made against him,
rs there we're newspaper men present, and he
did not desire to be misrepresented in the
matter.
Alderman Ballard moved that the mayor
DO heard for five minutes.
Alderman Bohney said that he did not see
any occasion for any explanation at that
time from the mayor.
The mayor stated that the first charge pre-.
ferred against him, to the effect that he had
attempted to bride Deputy Sheriff Smith, was
false in toto. He had, when he learned the
horse was stolen, delivered IL up. AS to the
charges in regard to cost, he might have been
guilty. like the city attorney and other
officers, who were like him innocent of
the law. As to the charge made, that he in
defending client had denounced the city
police as e. -" and "that they stood ia
with thieves and robbers he said that 1t was
false.
City Attorney Gibbs said that he had not
been asked in reference to the matter, and 1t
was not his business to give information until
he was called upon.
The mayor said that he did not mean to
cast any reflection, and he agreed with the
city attorney.
City Marshal Morton stated that he was
told by Justice Edwards that the mayor had,
in speech in his court said that the police
were standing in with thieves and robbers.
Officer Spencer said he heard him say the
same thing. Men who he believed had said
that he did say and he was inclined to be.
lieve he did say it.
The mayor asked the marshal if for the
last few weeks he had not been drinking.
The marshal replied that he had
not been drinking half as much as he had.
Alderman Ballard wanted the calaboose
window fixed. Referred to proper commit
tee.
The committee on FIRE department repor-
ted that they had purchased one horse for
$l25, and would make a full report at the
next meeting.
The water and gas committee made q re-