The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1885-10-03


Burns should resign aud stop the damag-
ing exposures.
DuRSs RESIGNS.
Thursiay night after the adjournment
OF the Police Committee, Officer Burnt
handed the following document to Chiei
OF Police Smith:
WHEELING, W. Va, Oct. l, 1885.
To Porter Smith, Egg, Sergeant n The Ctycj
Wheeling:
l hereby resign my appointment as a
Deputy Sergeant OF the City OF Wheeling
and cordially thank you for your kindnesi
and fair treatment while member Of
your force. With great respect, | am
yours very truly, JAMES BURNS.
The resignation was accented. In fact
IL was requested by Capt. Smith, he him
self saws, "hali an hour before" This
must have been before the committee adj
journed. Yet Capt. Smith did not have
manliness enough IN tell the members o.
the committee Of his change Of purpose
He treated tho committee in the most
contemptuous manner, saying nothing o.
the resignation or the demand for it, &C
far as can be learned, until it was pub.
lished exclusively in the Register, Capt
Smiths personal organ.
II it was uuwise to let the investigation
commence, it was still more unwise to at
tempt to stop 1t now by such step as this
Yesterday the sole expression on the street
was that Burns and Smith had been play
ing bluff game; they assumed their all
Of confidence believing that none Of the
witnesses would appear before the com
mittee, and when the witnesses did ap'
pear, they realized that the game was up
and 10 prevent further exposure, Barns
agreed to step down and out.
TIE COMMITTEE MEETS.
There was rather general expectation
yesterday that the resignation OF Officer
Burns would accomplish Its object, and
that the investigation would fall fiat fol
want Of anything to investigate further.
The uncertainty as to what effect the new
turn OF affairs would have GU the work oil
the committee was sufficient, however, to
draw another large crowd to the City
Building last night, aud the committee
room was crowded to the railing long be-
fore the hour OF meeting. A large pro.
portion OF members OF both branches Of
Council were among the lockers on. Tho
interest was greater than at any previous
time since the charges were printed.
The committeeman were not slow in
gathering. Chairman Myles, Messrs. List,
Caldwell, Jaeger and Weir were present
at half past seven, and Mr.. McGregor,
Mr.. Happy and Mr.. Stanley came In
sharp on the half-hour.
MIR. Myles announced when the COM
mittee came to order that at the hour oil
the night before, the testi-
mony against Mr.. Burns was not con-
Guided; he saw by one Of the morning
papers that Officer Burns had rendered his
resignation and 1t had been accepted. he
desired that the committee might be no.
tilted II this was true. He asked:
sis tho Chief OF Police presentP
He was not. Officer Junkins appeared,
however, and Mr.. Myles asked him Il he
could give the committee any definite in.
formation as to the truth OF the report
that Burns had resigned.
Junkins-"G know nothing about 1t,
Mr.. Myles." )
HE SLRhA . hAND EJAEOohDs
Mr.. McGregor-"I move that we pro-
coed with the investigation Of Officer
Burns"
Mr.. List-'I second the motion. We
have no official information that Burns
has resigned"
Other members concurred.
MIR. Galligan-"I will say TO the Com
mittee that saw Burns sign bis resigna-
ton last night and hand 1t to Capt. Smith,
and heard Capt. Smith say 1t was accept
ed. Is that official enough?"
Mayor Grub asked II the witnesses
had been resummoned. Clerk Galiigan
said no; they were supposed to be in at
tendance during this entire investigation.
Mr.. Grub said he had told Wharimas-
ter Crockard at 10 o'clock in the morning
TO summon all the witnesses. Mr.. Crock
ard said he had so informed Mr.. Galligan,
and the latter said he had no orders to
write any summonses.
Mr.. Galligan to Mr.. Grubb-"I had no
such order"
Mr.. Grubb-"Did not this committee
adjourn TO meet this EVENING""
Galligan-"It did"
The Mayor-"Well, what was It to meet
for? orIun?"
Galllgan-"I think know enough
about the practice in courts to know my
duty as clerk"
Mayor Grub asked Mr.. Crocka:i <
Clerk Galligan told him that the inyesd-
CATION was over, and that no witnesses
would be needed.
"No," Mr.. Crockard said, The merely
said he bad no olders 10 issue summonses.h
"Well," said the Mayor, "Mr. Galligan
told me that Burns had resigned, and that
would end the matter, and there was no
use summoDing witnesses"
NOTHING TO INVESTIGATED
Mr.. Myles ruled that there was nothing
before the committee. Did It desire to
proceed 10 investigate Officer Burns, or 10
wait and get definite intoTmation2
Mayor Grubb-"How can you proceed
with the investigation with no witnesses?"
The Chairman-'It Is for that reason
hat / rule thatthere ia nothing before us"
A motion was made to adjourn till to.
night.
Mr.. McGregor objected; he thought the
committee ought to do as instructed-in-
VeRtigata the whole force.
Mr.. Myles insisted that there were no
charges, except against Burns.
Mayor Grub had his communication
% Council and the minute OF Councils
lction on the matter read. It calls for
borough investigation OF the force.
Mr.. Myles said the charges were not
Ipecifc and could not be investigated.
Mr.. McGregor appealed from the dc.
,iSion Of the chair.
Mr.. Caldwell made q clear and very
orcible argument In support Of the posi-
ion Of the Mayor and Mr. McGregor.
Mr.. Caldwell held that the section OF
he ordinance requiring the Mayor to re-
,oHt all violations OF duty By other city
,ticials, gave 1t into the Mayors discre-
ion how the charges should be- made.
The Mayor had charged thSt the police
apartment was financially mismanaged,
nd his communication had been referred
o the committee with instructions to In
estieate It. Mr.. Caldwell could mot see
That this meaut unlssR Il meant that the