Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-09-05
THE "csIsF" IsvEs1IaaTIoa.

cher IN regGrG Co the charges preferred
| against him by Jehn Hirst st the meeting Of
tue Bos-d of Trustees Monday morning.
Tho Chiaf appeared, IS requested, but denied
the right Of The Trustees to summon him be.
fore them, either TO defend himself against
charges preferred or statements made. As
lang, however, as this matter bad gained
such publicity. he WAS wiling to tell the
Bosrd all lie knew shout this ''harneas mat.
! ter" One side of the story had been pub.
| liahel. and he desired that the public should
| hear the other also. He said that soma three
| or four months since, be could not remember
/ the exact date, Hirst alias " Pickle" alias
Hosse Rsdish, met and stopped him on J
street. At the tine he was going ca busi-
! ness Ia q hurry, bat pulled up TO see what
was wanted. Hirst told him that he had
| bought a set CT harness from couple Of
| trarnps q few days before, and that he was
satisfied that the property had been stolen.
| He was afraid that it might ge5 hir into
trouble. The Chief told him that q sewing.
| machine man and some others had lest thei;
| that he would call and see if he could identify
the property. Thinking the harness might
be one of thu set reported stolen, he drove
down TO Hirst's place 80 see him. When he
arrived thaIe ha found Hirst two-thirds
drunk. Hirss went into the back room
OF his ehanty. and brought oul
an old barley sack and shook
ont on the Aa9r the har, ess
| in question. When he examined the harness
he was disappointed, for il did not suewer
| the description Of aGy reported stolsn. be
told Hirst it was not the harness ne w3s
-. looking for, and started 30 go away, whea
e. Fab RrrIfh ~.
| ing he did not wish 10 be found with stolen
property in his house. The Chief then
| threw the hsraess into his buggy, drove to
the station-house and hung IL up in tho prop.
erty.room. He left word for the newspaper
| reporters to call attention to the fact that g
set of stolen harness was Nt the City Prison
awaiting an owner. About tgo months after
wards Hirst cSied at the office Of the Chief
and demanded TO know what had bsen dore
IN the matter. He was Informed that no
owner had called. but that man who lived
some e'stanoe in the country had lost his
harness, aad he would be in IN few days,
when tbs properly would probably be iden.
titled. Oae day be took the harness. which
was dirty, gave it TO trusiy with
bar Of harness soap and had it washed and
put in good order. BE did go for fear the
harness would be ruined If left in liz dirty
condition. The harness was again hung up
In the p-operty-roorn, where is remained q
month and half longer. tIirst called again,
asked about tie matter and said he was anx.
ious to recover his 50 90. The Chief told
him that if the owner WAS found he would
get hia money, and if no owner came for it
the har1tss should be returned to him. He
wished to know the name CT the man in the
country, but the Chief had forgotten it. He
went away apparently Satisfied, but in few
days returnsd, saying, "What about that
harness. He was again told that 20 owner
had turned up, and that if he desired he
could take the harness home With him. He
went awsy, leaving the harness, with the
understanding that If the property was not
claimed within week or two he was to cali
for end take it home with him. About three
weeks ago some one called at Karcher's resi-
dence and inquired for the Chief. Ksrcher
was up stairs, in bed sick, end under the H.
husnce of medicine. The party-who turned
out to be Hirst-iusisted upon seeing him.
and was shown up stairs and into the sick
room by Karcher's daughter. When the
Chief looked up and recognized the visitor
he spoke TO his daughter, saying: Fannie,
give that gentleman SO 90" His daughter
did 30, and HiEss left. A few days after
ward the Chief net him, and spoke to him
about the transaction, saying: We'll, you
got your money, didn't your" Yes" he
replisd 81 got IS 50-but L want S25
more The Chief said he saw Immediately
that some one had been talking TO
Airst, and tbst matchmaking job
of some kind was being put up.
The Chief then said, "If the property Is not
claimed by6P.M Saturday, il shall be 10.
turned to you About qusre r past 6 On
that day be put tbs HARNESS in bis buggy and
started for HiraL's place. He net the latter
on Front street, who ssid he would meet the
Chief a few moments later st ANTIQUE Brew
ers. The Chief proceeded 10 Brewers, ard
soon was Joined by Hirst, who looked in the
buggy, and said that was the right harness !;
lifted it out of the buggy and dropped it upon
the sidewalk. Afterwards he picked up the
harness and started away, when the Chief
called to him, saying he wished the So so
back that Hirst he'd received from MS 3augh-
ter. Hirst repiied that be had TO 50 so. and
that he hsd had more than SO 80 worth of
trouble about tho matter. The Chief ssid,
AN right. / will lsave the harness with
Mr. Brewer, with the understanding that you
can get it on payment of IS 90" The har-
meas was left thsre. Ths Chief said that this
was s complete and truthful statement OF the
whole transaction.
Mr.. Ks.cher's daughter made a statement
corroborating that of her father relative to
the manner IN which tie So 90 was paid over
to Hirst.
Autone Brewers statement relative to the
harness being left with him, and the CONVEX
sation regarding the same at bis place, was
corroborativs of the Chisf's testimony. He
said that Mira Hooker, who lives near the
Giyoli House, cams to his residence yester-
day, and recognized the harness as that of
one which was stolen from her premises some
time ago.
Mayor Brown said the action Of the Chief,
according to his own statement, was not in
accordance With law. and that ia taking the
harness and advancing SO 90 thereon, he had
done wrong. He claimed that police officers
had not one iots Of right to receive stolen
property without complying With the law re-
lating thereto, aud also thst they had no
right whatever to candone crime. He read
from the Penal Code: when property, al
legged to have been stolen or embezzled,
comes into the custody of 3 peace officer, hs
must hold it, subject to the order of the
magistrate"
During the remarks of the Mayor, Chief
Karcher interrupted several times; dsnied
the righ. of tbs Mayor and Police Commits
sioners TO intarfere with his oliics. etc.
Both the Mayor and Chisf became very
much excited, and the former, getting up
from his seat, advanced upon the latter, shak-
ing his fist, and demanding that he should
keep quiet, or l will put you out Of here in
two mipuses, on"
When quiet was ones more restored, Trus
tee Nielsen said if he would be permitted to
get in "word fdg5ways" he would like to
do go. The Mayor and Chief yielded, and
the Second Trustee was allowed to proceed
He said he did not, could not, nor would not
believe the statement made Monday morning
By Hirst He said Hrst was drunken fell
low, and sill these ridiculous charges are the
imaginations of diseased brain. He thought
the statement made by Chief Karcher, a man
who was well known in this community for
twenty years past, should be believed, and
every idle tale Of tnis character that IL told
by wandering tramps should be discredite5.
His remarks were quite bitter. warmly advo.
eating the cause Of the Chief, and charging
that az this. time certain parties are black
mailing him.
Trustee Gutenberger maintained his usual
silence and had nothing to offer on either side
Mayor Brown said that the Board. rs il had
not the p3wer to investigate, would not pre-
Ter any charge.
Ths Chisf asked if the Board was in reeu.
lar session, snd when informed that shey were,
demanded to know of the Mayor if he in
tended to sign his pay warrant.
The Mayor replied that he had not made
up his mind YET whether he should do go or
not. He would inform the Chief by noon to-
day what he would do in the premises.
The Board then adjourned.