Omaha daily bee., 1883-01-30
STEPS DOWN..
City Clerk SaVaCOOl Cuts Short
Investigation by ReSigning.
The Charges Of Indecent Per-
sonal Conduct Many
and Dirty.
He Denies Them All, But Says tho
Combination Against Him
IL too Stron R.

some pretty lively wagging Of tongues
about the personal conduct of FL. 9.
S~svacool, who was about a year ago
chosen by the council as city clerk.
These charges have grown and multi
piled, and have mainly been confined
to his conduct In relation to those Of
the opposite sex.
Some of the charges have In detail
been too filthy to appear in any public
print, and the relatives of some Of
the young girls whose names have
been used in connection Herewith
have shrunk from having much public
discussion Of the matter, so that little
has been done until the past few
days to sift the truth from the false
in any public manner II has also been
charged that the city clerk has been
on too intimate terms with prostitutes,
and that he has had the b~razenness to
appear in public places In their com.
pany. Other charges have been made
In regard to his relations to his family,
he having a wife and several children,
and all the statements made current
seem to cluster about the general claim
Of lewdness and indecency. II one.
half the stories told are true, Savacool
is not only unfit to hold a public posi-
tion, but Is unfit to be recognized as
Citizen. Whatever truth there may
be at the bottom Of these stories, there
is no doubt that there has been ex-
ageeration, and that they have grown
a. they have passed along from lip to
lip, until some of the stories In oircu.
lation contradict each othor, and all
as told cannot be true. Still the i'm.
pression has become rock.rooted In
this community that there is sufficient
truth to warrant action.
The pressure haA been strong, and
in accordance theE city clerk at
the last meeting of the council, asked
that a committee DO appointed to in.
vestigate. He had denied the truth
of the stories %aloat, and yet they
were receiving such credence that no
other consistent course seemed open
for him. The matter was according
ly referred to the police committee
consisting Of Alderman Wood, Goul.
den and Eicher. The committee pro-
ceeded to work ut once, meeting In
the office of the city attorney, w. S.
Mayne, on Saturday morning with
Mr.. Hunter serving as clerk of the
committee and Colonel Daley
appearing as Mr.. S~avacool's
attorney. Several witnesses we're ex-
amined. One claimed to have seen
the city clerk on the porch of his own
house fondling his daughter and ano.
Their young girl In a manner which he
deemed anything but right. Another
testified to seeing him at the theater
seated beside two Of Belle Clover's
girls. One young girl told some of
her experiences at Savacool's house
when she was visiting there, and i'm.
proper proposals made by him. Other
witnesses were invited to appear Mon
day, among them two young girls who
it Is claimed 81 shrank from doing 30
that together with the objections of
their parents 1t would have boon nec-
essary to have taken some legal steps
to enforce their attendance.
Yeaterday morning Col. Daily, az
attorney for MIR. Savacool, placed in
the hands of the chairman OF the com
mittee, the city clerks resignation.
This was a surprise to all, as it was
thought that the city clerk would fight
1t out to the bitter end, and show ur
the falsity of the report. The resig.
nation caused a stop to be put to the
Investigation, and naturally led to the
conclusion that the city clerk war &c
deep In the mire that he did not care
TO have the filth scraped up any more.
His resignation under such cireum.
stances naturally carries with 1t an
implication OF more or less guilt, and
to the minds OF many will strengthen
the belief that some of the charges al
least are true.
the BEE reporter yesterday called
on Savacool to learn what he had t,
say about 1t. He seemed rather badl,
broken up owe the turn affairs hst
taken. he realized that his resigua
tion would In the minds of many h,
looked upon as an admission of hi
} guilt, but he was by no means read,
to thus plead guilty. He had severs
reasons for resigning. He felt tina
there was q strong combinario,
against him, and he had been watche,
by his enemies so a to get every DOS
able circumstance which could b
used to break him down. MANY @
these circumstances he could explain
SO satisfactorily as to put an on
, tirely different look upon them
! but there were explanations Shic]
! he could not make withou. maxim,
public some secrets, which for tn
: sake OF Others whom 1t was his dut,
4. to protect, he would not do. He sal
he preferred to suffer the censure q
public opinion rather than do this.
. Another reason for resigning give,
by him was that be was satisfied ther
was such a strong feeling worked a,
against him that If he should exnlai,
away the charges and get a favorabl
report from the committee 1t woul,
not help him but only cause the CON
mittee TO incur the displessure an,
excite the censure Of many who wor
opposed to him or who believed biu
guilty. AS be had but anothtr mont
. to serve anyway, he deemed it best /
n relieve the committee and the counc
from any further embarrassment q
a annoyance.
:. lie was strong In his affirmation {
Innocence, however, and In regard /
several matters offered explanation
freely.
He admitted that he might hay
Q oeen seen caressing his daughter, BIT
denied that he had done so improI
erly, or 30 as TO excite talk. exoent i