Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-01-15
THE ATWOOD CHARGES.
Investigation by the Board OF Police Gem
nissioners

were present. Judge Henry, at the requei
OF the Mayor, presided, and City Attorue
d Anderson, at the request of the Board, acte
as counsel for the prosecution. c. T. Jone
and T. J. Clunie appeared as attorneys fc
the defense.
The charges in the case are to the effec
that officer Atwood was found asleep Will
on duty at the Police Office as officer i
charge, and that he has taken money fror
the Office safe which was there as deposits, Q
taken from parties when arrested.
Chief Karcher was the first witness. an,
testified that on the night Of the 81 Of De
cember he came TO the police office az abou
o'clock A. N. and found officer Atwood, VIII
was on dugy In charge Of the Office, fast aseeI
UPON the lounge, aud the keys of the prison
hanging where they might have been taken
Witness went to the desk, laid his cane upol
it, which rolled off On the Hocr, making
loud noise. de then took out ghe slate q
arrests, and after looking at i shut II to
gsther with a slam, walked heavily about the
floor a few times, during which time
Atwood did not wake up. Witaes.
then went out and was gone about
two hours, calling upon the various officer;
UPON their beats about the city, and then re-
turned TO headquarters, where ne found s &
wood still asleep. Witness then fhrsl7 down
his cane heavily upon the floor, slammed rae
/ police slate together as bsfOrs, and. after
walking about the floor and finding he did
not wake, he wrote q note, and lzft It upon
| the desk, for Atwood to cau him at quarter
| TO 7, and witness then laid down On a lounge
in the private Office. He remained Awake
| ulti o'clock, when he heard tie other Off.
| GERS come in and wake Atwood up. Witness
! did not censure Atwood for being found
asleep, as witness thought he wouid know he
| had been detected IN doing SO, ana v JuId not
! repeat it.
n RELATION TO THE SECOND CHARGE,
That Of appropriating money to his own use.
he stated that some seven months ago he
ascertained that the defendant had taken
some money from the safe. and he spoke TO
Atwood about It, who ACKNOWLEDGED that be
had taken some out, as he was somewhat
hard up, and ne thought there would be no
harm, as he was going to return 1t before the
case came up IN Court and the money was
wanted. Witness cautioned him against
disturbing the money on deposit, and At
wood promised he would never do IL again.
IJ did. however, occur again. when witness
demonstrated with him, and at another time
$50 was taken out of a deposit of 500 He
spoke to defendant about it, and he said he
would put it back before it was wanted or
before the case was called. When Clark was
sent to State Prison a few days ago there
was found 81 30 of that gone. Also, in the
case OF Haggerty the records showed that s.
was taken from MIN when arrested, and when
he came back for it there was only s. 80 In
the package. Witness paid the fail amount
so as rot TO have any words about it. Have
told defendant time and time again to enter
upon the margin Of the book the amount
taken from prisoners bat he never would do
it. There were rules forb.din2 sleeping while |
on duty, and Atwood had a copy Of the
rules
Upon cr0ss-examination witness was asked |
If the officer in charge during the latter part
Of the night does not frequently lie down. and
of5=n 90 TO sleep, TO which he replied that he
did not know of such thing occurring only
once before, which was in the case of Went /
worth, and on tEat occasion he preferred
charges against the officer. There has beau
no custom for tie officer IN the Office to sleep
during the latter part OF the nisht
There were various amounts taken from
the deposits. The last amount was $50. He
afterwards replaced it. Atwood leis 10 mem
oraudum of money thus taken ont Don't !
know whether Atwood was on duty the nishs
Clark and Hageerty were brought -. The
tag upon deposit is IN Atwood's handwriting, !
and the record Is CAROLS writing.
J. i. CARROLL,
One Of the officers in charge testified: Have /
noticed deposits In the safe to be short. and !
called the a5teution Of the Chief Of Police TO |
-. it has occurred several times. The Chief I
of Police Captain Atwood and myself are
the only ones that have keys TO tle Office
ssfs Witness gave testimony corr8boratiug !
thar of tle Chief Of Police as to these BET
in deposits and as to amounts I
also that Atwood acknowledged taSing out .
rYr.s r,F As,e,- !
return them. Atwood was on duty the night (
was arrested. and 3 was Che
amount that was on him, or - 10. Hive no
-ee ings against Atwood. There were several
deposits short, and the money was returned
In5 hrst time this money was taken was
when Atwood went to San Fran
3isco-aboub seven months ago. Witness
was IN the Office at the time and
Atwood said he had no time to get any
elsewhere, as the train was about TO start
lad he took it out of the safe. 1t was atGer-
wards returned.
w. j Frral testified that on ths night Of
December II, 1880 he arrested William
French and took him to the station. Atwood
was on duty at night, buG was absent,
and no one was there but Max Brown, who
F7s asleep On the lounge. He waited twenty
minutes before Atwood returned. Reported
he matter TO Chief Kar1her Have no feel
ng against Atwood. Have had some hard
words against him, Atwood took the place,
IS officer in charge Of the station, which vas
orm5rly occupied by witness
William French gave testimony 60 The ef-
ect That he was arrested by officer terral on
5he night of December 27, 1880, and when
hey arrived a5 the stasian Atwood was ab-
eut and did not return for ten or g teen
minutes. No one was in the Office except
Max bcown, who was asleep on the lounge.
Frank Rider was called, ana testified that
e bad $50 in the safe at one time. Gave it
o Captain Atwood to pat there, and found
7hen he went 10 get afterwards that it was
hres OF four dollars short Capsain Atwood
lade it all right. Witness testified that he
zas on night watch, or as officer in charge of
he Office, for two years, and that during that
lme he often shut the doors and went to /
lsep. Did rot consider it any harm, as he
lways locked the iron doors, bat kept coed
1okout not to set caugat, as he knew it was
gainst the rules.
The Investigation was then adjourned IN
il l:30 P. N. to-day
The STORM AND RIyEB.-The storm which
as been heavy in the mountains and foothill
egions for the past two days, commenced
ere in earnest early yesterday morning. and
ousinued during the day, with brisk wind
Io,0irc, from tha southeast TIE e+ory,, was