Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-10-21
On THE MAYORS HANDS.
THE POLICE INVESTIG ALTON TO
BE CONTINUED.

The Committees Report to Council
missionaries to be Further Looked
Into Inv the MAYOR in Police Court
Officers Lee and MIkeIl to be Tried-A
Recommendation That the Police
Force be Inoreased--A Detective Ser
vice Needed.
The City Council held lengthy session
last night The members went into eau
Gus at : 80 o'clock and it was nearly II
before final adjournment was reached.
The Police Committees report upon the
dnvestigation of the charges against the
police in the Powell murder case lay on
abe clerks desk when the Council met
BY its side was a volumlnous document,
the stenOgraphio report of the inyestiga-
lion, covering twenty-five legal cap pages
of typewriter matter.
The report was taken up at once. After
referring briefly to the investigation, the
committee recOmm ended as follows;
THE OFFICERS TO BLAME.
/. That it was the duty OF Officer Mikell,
Npon whose beat the crime was commit.
ted. to have made an immediate report
thereof to the police barracks, and that
he did not perform the same.
2. That it was the duty OF Sergt. Lee, who
sWa5 IN QuhfE6 DIT bAi6 UdiEtChss bO nave
lenteHed the report when 1t was made to
him, and to have employed some means
whereby the murderer might have been
unprecedented, and that he did not perform
the same.
As the Mayor disposes Of all charges
against police officers IN the court, the
committee further recommended that
the charges against officer MiEel and
Sergt, Lee be considered by him, and that
suitable action be taken.
READING THE EVIDENCE.
A discussion arose as to the reading OF
Hhe report of the Investigation, Alderman
kBogart moved thai il be read. and after
considerable debate the motion was car
Tied. The Clerk read the hrst part of the
report covering the testimony OF Capt,
n. M, Hull and w. A. Wade, Esq, when
alderman BOgart moved that the COM
knittee's report be received and that the
part referring to a further investigation
10y the Mayor be adopted. In adopting the
entire report he considered that the Coun-
oil would be passing Judgment upon the
police, which it is not called upon to Go
Except upon an appeal from the court
having jurisdiction in such cases. After
considerable debate Alderman Bogart
Withdrew his motion.
Alderman OCOnnor, chairman of the
committee, said that the report was sim
ply q recommendation. The charges pre-
terred against the police, he SAID, were
referred to the Police Committee for In
1Vestigation. The committee did its work;
Ut investigated the charges, and finding
officers Mlkell and Lee responsible for
certain duties which they neglected to
perform, it recommended a further inves-
legation by the Mayor and Police Court.
REFERRED TO THE MAYOR.
Alderman Thomas moved substantially
the same resolution as that offered by AL
herman Bogart, that the report be re-
.Ceived, and that the Mayor be requested
10 investigate the charges in the Polics
Court.
Alderman BogaTt called for the reading
ot the report, and it was proceeded with.
The testimony of Officers Mikell, Lee and
Townsend, and of the Chief of Police was
read, and, after a further debate, the COM
mittee's report was adopted by a unani-
mous vote.
Tne committee further made the follow
bng general recommendations regarding
the police service, based upon the inves-
Jigation of the Powell case, directing the
Councils attention to the necessity of ELL
larging the service:
The time is near at hand when appro-
prlations will be made to pay the eX-
penses TO be Incurred in the different de-
lartments next year, and it is well for
council between now and then to reflect
TIE FORCE NOT LARGE ENOUGH.
While the present police force, consid-
ering the number of men, is efficient. yet
Ut Is apparent that it is entirely made
quate TO the wants OF the city. The terri
tory to be supervised has been greatly
leXtended Of late years, and the force can
mot properly police it. There are not sixty
men, and that number is not generally
available for duty on account of sickness
or OtnpT nnHVCNtahIA OWING n
tne small number that are on duty at one
Plme, the oversight IN all parts of the city
hs necessarily circumscribed. Additional
policemen should be appointed, and the
song beats, which one man cannot proper
ly patrol, be shortened. A detective de-
partment would be an important adjunct
10 the police service. BY establishing
that branch nearly every crime would
be terreted ont and the perpetratOr
thereof brought to justice. In order
that the public would be- afforded better
protection. and property rendered more
secure, our police force should be COM
mensurate with the needs OF our CITY, and
lbe officers and privates thereof faithfully
discharge their respective duties. The
COmmiJtee ON Police will at an early day
make a careful examination into the
present police service ana the necessity
TOR making the same more effective, and
Will present such recommendations in re.
1atiOn thereto as may seem advantageous
TO the public interest"
The sidewalk ordinance was passed to
a second reading. Alderman Thomas.
who introduced the ordinance, offered an
amendment providing for the division of
The city into ten districts. instead OF
eight, and suggesting otner changes. The
ordnance and amendment were tabled
and were made a special order for the
next N Getting.