The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-03-26

men, as We'll as That or the clJiZen6."
Mr.. Murphy then told him that he was free
from any restriction as to enforcing the laws.
He is to be held responsible for violations, so
far as the police force is concerned, and it was
especially impressed upon him that he need feel
no embarrassment il arresting violators of the
liquor and gambling laws. The Commissioners
directed him to show no favor and told him that
he might proceed in SURPRISING these law
breakers in any way he deemed best. Briefly,
Capt. ODonnell takes the force with the right to
Go as he pleases. If he fails to meet the wishes
of the Commissioners in their expressed desire
to give the city the best protection from crimi-
nails, and to suppress liquor-selling after III
o'clock at night and on Sundays, he is to be held
to strict accountability. eleven o'clock with
as" said Commissioner Bowling, sis to mean II
o'clock. and Captain ODonnell fully under
stands this.n
You may say" remarked Mr.. Murphy, 'tbat
we appointed Captain ODonnell purely on the
the excellent record he has made as an officer.
Not a friend of his, ncr has he him
self come to us soliciting the promo
ton. He did not hear a word from
US until we had decided to appoint him.
He is to have unrestricted charge of the force.
against placing patrolmen in citizens clothes to
detect violations of laws.
K TO THE FORCE.
Last evening at roll call the three Commits
sioners were present. Mr.. Murphy addressed
- y 40 COAO w
fore you once more to announce that Sergeant
ODonnell has been promoted to a captaincy,
and to him as acting superintendent has been
assigned the force. This is the first step, but
what the final one is to be we cannot tell. Cap
tain ODonnell is on trial, and he understands it
in this way. There has been some
Generalization and some dissatisfaction, but we
hope that under Captain ODonnells manage
rnnnf fhfo rurl3 4~l IL 10 %hn Dnnwo1a ~
that this change is made in the interest of the
saloon men. am here to inform you, and l do
it most emphatically, that this is not true. That
idea must not get abroad, for it is our determin-
alton to have the liquor laws obeyed. You must
give the Captain ready obedience, for we will
hold every man to a strict accountability for his
service as q policeman. There is to be
no quibbling, no excusing, and it must
be understood that Captain ODonnelrs
word will be taken against any of you.
| warn you to be careful. This grumbling
about change of beats must cease entirely. No
complaints on this account will be entertained.
When you are assigned to duty it must be under
taken and carried out without question. The
investigation has developed that men have been
kept on one beat for q year at a time. That will
not occur again. If the Superintendent thinks
the service can be carried out by keeping a man
or men on certain beats for a longer time than
board. All chickering's and jealousy, too, must
come to an end. If they occur again they will
be considered sufficient cause for dismissal"
Colonel Downing told the men to familiarize
themselves with the rules Of the board if they
wanted to be on the safe side. The force is to be
governed by those rules and none other. Mr..
Schurmarn did not speak, but conceded with
everything said by his brother commissioners
He had on a former occasion talked to the men
in the same strain.
ing: 1.-The Board of Commissioners has seen fit
to put me In charge of this force for the
present. | have been on the Metro
politan police since its organization, nearly
three years ago. during which time I have done
my duty to the best of my ability. / intend to
follow the same rule henceforward. / am per-
sonally acquainted with all of you, and ask
your help. The city is in a very peaceable con-
dltion and crime is at a low ebb. With your CO.
operation L hope to keep it where it now is. This
may be done by a unity of purpose. and without
unity we cannot accomplish anything. I now
ask you to assist me in this"
Captain ODonnell is twenty-eight years of
age, of pleasing address, quiet in manner and
somewhat reticent. He came from the County
Tipperary to this country twelve years ago, and,
until he went on the force as sergeant at tho
of its organization, was a cooper. He has
been a very efficient clerk in the Mayors Court.
His successor in that office the Captain has rec
commended to the Commissioners, and it is
Thomas Stout, a faithful and intelligent officer,
whom everybody likes. No one will be promoted
to the vacant sergeanJcy until another meeting
OF Tue commissioners.
Ex-Superintendent Lang accepted the verdict
without comment, and told questioners that he
did not know, as yet, what course he would take
or what he would do.
The change in the head of the department is
the result of a fight begun months ago against
Lang by the liquor element. The force
of this opposition had illustration the
past year by the resistance of saloon keepers
to any enforcement of the liquor laws
on holidays. 1t was warmly expressed at the
arrest of any barkeeper or saloon proprietor.
Therefore this class Of the community, includ-
ing the small politicians, of whom Sim Coy is a
representative, was jubilant over the removal of
Lang. Coy said, II have no personal feeling
against Lang. opposed him from policy. He
did not carry out the ideas of heparty." This
man leads the whoop and hurrah over the
downfall of Lang. He will claim to his fellows
that he and they did it. Other sa-
loon-keepers join Coy in this jubilation,
and kept their bars open last night until long
after IL o'clock. Whatever the Commissioners
may say. the liquor-dealers and liberal element
hope for a great deal, from their interest in Cap
tain ODonnells direction of the force.
MORE DEMOCRATIC INSPECTORS.