The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-08-14
THE sCHEMING AGAINST CAMPBELL.
How He Has Incurred the Disfayor of His As
sociates-His Record as an officer.

The trial by the Police Commissioners of
Captain Robert Campbell, charged with profan-
ity and INSTRUMENTATION, will begin Monday after
noon. 1t is likely to excite as much interest as
the examination of Captain Lang in February
last, and as that was, this will be open to the
public. Captain Campbell has asked for this
mode of trial under the law governing the board.
Under O'Donnell there have been evidences of
discomfort among some of the officers, and
perhaps 1t is on account of ambitions not
fulfilled by the retirement of Lang. There
is no doubt q series of Democratic
promotions were expected from that removal.
but 1t affected only two men, ODonnell, who be-
came acting superintendent, and Thomas Stout,
who succeeded him as clerk of the city court
Campbell did not sustain the evidence of other
officers or promote the scheme, hence his posi-
ton as regards personal relations with those op-
posed to Lang have not been pleasant. This is
the claim of the Captain and his friends, and the
statement can be extended so as to cover an
alleged course of letting Captain Campbell take
care of himself in obtaining honors that fall in
the line of police work. In other words, they
say he is permitted to drift for himself.
While no direct statement is made
to that effect the little incidents
of interview reveal wish to get rid of Camp
bell. and as Commissioner Schurmann is said to
is fair to presume that he too is observing the
situation with keen intent It is now asserted
that one of the allegations against Campbells eff
fciency as an officer is that of crticising other
officers because they are too strict with the men
and for reporting them to the Commissioners for
trivial offenses. AS matter of observation and
experience. there can be no doubt that other of
ficers have been willing to curry favor with their
superiors by reporting what would not other
wise reach their ears
A gentleman who has every opportunity to
know said yesterday, Campbell is an excellent
ofhcer. His nineteen years experience makes
him such, as we'll as his intelligence and knowl-
edge OF the ways and haunts of crooks. You can
ma that whenever ne makes an arrest 1t is an
important one and always comes to the courts in
good shape. He is a valuable member of the
force. Compare his arrests with those of other
officers and you will find that his service stands
high on the record"
Following this suggestion, an examination of
the city court record showed that within the past
eighteen months he had been instrumental in ar
resting and having punished in every instance
fifteen thieves, charged with grand larceny; SIX
persons for assault and battery with
intent to kill, several burglars of professional
reputation, besides number of people charged
and convicted of various crimes. In nearly
every case of burglary aud grand larceny, he
turned up the stolen property. Not long ago. he
followed the theft of Lindley Vinton's goods,
and besides arresting and convicting the thieves
Harry Lawrence and Charles Crum, recovered
nearly eight hundred dollars worth of the goods
he arrested and convicted Mike Mclaughlin,
the terror who broke into Massachusetts-ave-
nue. jewelry store; captured with the assistance
OF Sergeant Travis, d. e. Campbell, the COW
thief after long chase and exchange of shots,
and arrested and sent to ne penitentiary FL. Z.
Wyman, the car thief. 1nese are only few
cases that appear on the record in his favor.