The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-04-17
THE POLICE INVESTIGATION.
Commissioner Cottrell Requests the Res
EQUATION of Superintendent Lang,
But Commissioners Murphy end Morrison
Vote Against It-While They Also Rein
state Patrolmen Farrell and C0nklin.

The Board of Police Commissioners met yes
terday afternoon in their rooms in the station
house, to consider the charges brought by Com
missioner Cottrell against patrolmen Ronecker,
Conklin and Farrell. The charges against the
first two patrolmen were for lettering, and their
cases were first considered Silas M. Shepard
and John B. Elan appeared as counsel for the
defendants, and q motion was entered to quash
the charge on account Of its being defective,
having been signed by Cottrell as an individual,
and not as a commissioner, and also,
for the reason Mat there were
no specific charges, no allegations of
venue. The board was undecided how to act
in the matter, and City Attorney Denny was
sent for to instruct them as to certain rules he
had drafted for them concerning the method of
procedure. After a consultation with closed
doors in an inner room, the board and counsel
returned and proceeded to an investigation of
the charges. The first witness called by Com
missioner Cottrell was Christian Cook, a mer-
chant policeman, who testified that he patrolled
the district in which Reiger's saloon was located;
that he generally came to this saloon four or
FIVE times a night while on his rounds. The
night in question Saturday he came into the
saloon at about half past II, and found the two
%patrolmen. Ronecker and Conklin, inside. sit
ting near the stove, and asked Reiger
if he could have a drink Of bitters,
as he had suddenly become aware Of
a serious and "gnawing pain in his vitals." He
was refused by the proprietor. who afterwards
told him he knew where the bottles were located,
and that he helped himself to some bitters and
whisky. He went away and came back, and
found the policeman there, and told them he had
seen two suspicious characters on a street and
wanted them to go after them. On cross exam
ination it was brought out that Cook was paid by
Reiger for his services as Waterman, and that he
received a stipend per week, with the drinks
thrown in. Leo Reiger, the saloon-keeper, next
testified that on Saturday these officers came
into his saloon about IL o'clock, and stayed for
an hour; that Charles Cummins was talking to
him; that Cook came in and wanted the drink,
and that he would not sell him LIQUOR, it being
after hours; but that he told him, as he was sick,
where the bottles were. Afterwards he was ar
rested and taken to the station-house for violat-
ing the 1I-oclock law by the officers.
Crank Kayior, who said he worked at the c.,
l., st. L.. 4 q. freight house, was put upon the
stand, and Commissioner Cottrell asked him if
Ronecker had not stated in his presence that he
tRonecker) intended TO make it hot for the
Democrats. The board ruled that the question
was irrelevant, after objection by the attorneys,
and Commissioner Cottrell was asked to embody
it in another specific charge.
Ronecker. being examined, testified that hehad
regarded Reiger's place as suspicious, and
that on the night before the arrest, when
coming by the saloon, after IL o'clock,
he had seen Reiger letting out ten or twelve
men. He had reported the place to his superior
officers, and had general instructions to watch
for violation of the liquor law. He said that
Sergeant Travis told him the way to do was to
go in and freeze them out" He arrested Rel
ger for giving Cook liquor. Patrolman Conk-
lin testified to the same facts, and denied being
asleep. DR.. William E. Jeffries, of No. 456 Hoyt
avenue; Earl Reed, q shoe merchant on Virginia
avenue; DR.. R. H. Bigger, of No. APO Virginia
avenue; We. Staley, a druggist on the same
street, and Preston G. Trusler testified as to the
efficiency and worth of Ronecker as a patrol
man.
AS Mr.. John w. Kern, Reporter of the Su-
preme Court, the witness against Patrolman
Farrell, was out of the city, Mayor McMaster
testified as to his evidence in the mayors court
Patrolman Farrell was then put on the stand,
and stated that at about fifteen minutes after IL
o'clock he went into the Bates House saloon and
found two men at the bar, one with a glass Of
gin in his hand and the other with an empty
glass before him.. He arrested the bartender.
After the evidence had all been taken, Com
missioner Cottrell introduced the following res
olution:
With a view of making the police force more eff
Gent, and for the purpose of making it more har-
monious In it's parts, it is the request of the Board of
Commissioners that the superintendent be requested
to tender his resignation, so as to enable the / ard to
appoint some one more acceptable to them, and so as
to enable the board to make such needed changes as
will materially increase the efficiency of the force.
The resolution was rejected, Commissioner
Murphy and Morrison voting against it. After
taking the other charges under advisement, the
board reinstated patrolmen Conklin and Farrell,
and deferred their decision regarding Ronecker
until the question was settled as to whether or
not he was working under orders from his SUI
periors, or had transcribed his authority.
Sim Coy was a spectator of the police board
proceedings yesterday. 1T seems that these pa
trolmen did their duty" said a journal reporter
to Sim after the adjournment. ''They had no
right to go into a mans place of business after
he locked the doors, replied Sim; they had bet
ter be watching thieves. and as long as they sit
around saloons and pry around, they'll find
plenty of complaints against them. We propose
to have our rights in these matters