The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-08-06
Drumhcad Proceedings.


HAVE WE A MILITARY GOVERNOR OR A PUBLIC
SERVANT IN THE MAYORS OFFICE "A RE-
FUsAI, TO HEAR COUNSEL IN TIE POLICE
CASES.
[Norfo landmark
On Wednesday, July 2Stb, Assistant
Cbief-of. Police Jacob X. Movie and Sec
ond.Sergeant j. X. Pettis, suspended by his
Honor MAYOR William Lamb on Tuesday,
July 20tb made the following demand upon
the Mayor for copy OF the charges against
them, through their counsel, Messrs. Ellis
4 Thorn:
NORFOLK, VA, July %, 1880.
10 the Hon. William Lamb, Mayor Of the
city of Norfolh'
Your petitioners, Jacob r. Movie and j.
Il. Pettis, respectfully represent that on the
Goth day OF July, 1880, the following orders
were issued BY your Honor, directed TO
the Chief OF Police OF the city OF Norfolk {:
|. Assistant Chief Jacob X. Movie is
suspended from duty for violation OF the
rules and regulations OF the Police Depart
ment.
9. "Second Sergeant j. X. Pettis Is sus-
pended from duty for violation OF the rules
and regulations Of the Police Department"
Your petitioners are advised that such
|
after charges had been preferred against
them, or after they had been found guilty OF
misconduct. There is no pretence that
YOUR petitioners have been found guilty OF
misconduct. There can be no such thing
as abstract violation OF law, and your pc
titioners believe that no specific charges
have ever been preferred against them.
| Certain il is. that they have never been
| =. 4. xx-;s haa oh n htsIn n
copy OF said charges. They respectfully
submit that the charges are known or are
not known. If they are known your Pc
titioners are entitled to a copy Of them, so
that they may be enabled properly to pre-
pare their defence. IL tbey,are not known,
then it is unjust TO your petitioners to SUBJ
ject them 10 the punishment OF suspension
before the accusations against them are
known even TO their accusers. 1t would
be easy IL il were lawful to suspend before
charges are preferred. for suspensions 10
| be made without cause, and TO trust to
future industry and investigation, spurred
on by the necessity to sustain prOsecu-
ton ALREADY begun, to develop charges OF
a character to suit the purposes OF the ac-
cuser, or, In other words, TO fOreordaiR q
dismis sal, and to find a reason for it at the
| leisure OF the accuser and after the punish
ment OF suspension has been already In
| f|icted, but your petitioners have right TO
presume that yOnr Honor will pursue no
such course. EWherefore your petitioners
respectfully demand that they may be ie-
stored to duty forthwith, or may be furnish
ed with COPY Of the charges under which
they are suspended. Respectfully,
JACOB II. Movie,
j. II. PETTIs.
Ry Ellis a. Thorn, their counsel.
We may state Just here that Mayor Lamb
gave bis consent to have these suspended
officers represented BY counsel when they
should be brought for trial before the Board
OF Police Commissioners, but OH yesterday
| Messrs. Ellis & Thorn received back their
communication demanding copy Of
charges against these officers, endorsed as
| follows:
MAYORS OFFICE, NORFOLK, VA.,}
August 4, 1880. I
Respectfully returned to Messrs. Ellis 81
Thorn.
withdraw my consent TO these officers
being represented by counsel before the
Board OF Police Commissioners on account
OF their insubordiDate conduct since they
were suspended. WILLIAM LAMB, Mayor.
| Thus il will be seen that Mayor Lamb
has refused these suspended officers couD-
sci, and also copy OF the charges against
them, as none was sent with the above let
| ter.
We have made inquiry as to what consti.
tutes the INSTRUMENTATION OF which the
Mayor accuses the police officers, but have
been able to learn OF nothing which they
have done except give for publication an
interview which appeared some time ago in
the V1ginian, aud present the petition
above published.
The case shows q meditated outrage, and
all good people should speak their minds on
this subject.