The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-07-22
NOT SUSTAINED,
THE CHARGE AGAINST STEPHENS
Investigated by the Police ind Fire Conn
mIssiousrs and Found to Amount to Moth
Ing Probably Inspired by Spite
Work Last Nights Meeting.

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Ing = Probably Inspired by Spite
Work-Last Nights Meeting
The Board Of Police and Fire Commits
siouers held a special session at the Public
Building last evening to investigate the
charge preferred against Officer Charles
Stephens, Of the day force, by Mayor
A number OF witnesses we're ex'
amiued and the evidence given was such
that there was nothing left for the Board
to do but to declare the charge pnsus'
The charge as it appeared in the com.
plant book, and which by the way was
the frat charge to be preferred agains!
on officer since the Board took charge,
was as follows;
10 the Board Of Police and Fire Com
mSSiOnsrs:
have information which I believe to
be true, that Officer Charles Stephens
while on duty last Friday night played
cards in P. GaVin's saloon,
JACOB W, GRuBD,
Mayor,
This was made last Monday,
President Mile rand Messrs, Hoffman,
and Travis, also OF the Board, were present,
Mr.. 4. W, Dunsway, acting clerk, and the
reporters, Mayor Grub and officer Ste.
phens and Chief Smith were present
when proceedings opened. Stephens
asked that the charge be proven, and
Peter Comfort was called as the prln'
CipaI witness, Comfort is q man who has
on at least two occasions within The past
two years, hguredin police couItfor beating
his wife and raising family rows. and on
one OF these occasions Stephens made the
the arrest, He said that on Friday night
he went into Gavin's place; was there
about twenty minutesi saw Stephens sit
ting ut u lu6le with others playing cards.
To make surei It was Stephens he walked
around the table, He was there about
fifteen minutes, and when he went out
Stephens was still there, When he LETT
1t was twenty minutes Of IL o'clock.
PORTER SAITH TAKES A HAND,
Chief Smith ssked Comfort II he had
made the charge In the hope Of benefit
ing the Department and Comfort said
mo" The Chief wa about to ask
further questions when Colonel Miller in.
terposed an objection 1t was the Board not
the Chief, that was conducting the inYes.
tigation. The Chief argued that he was a
part OF the Board and intended to ask
questions, The Colonel held that when
an investigation was OF foot he had no
right to do this and after some further
talk Smith subsidized.
Comfort then resumed: He said that
Stephens had his uniform and police
hat on.
The Board asked a number OF questions
but elected nothing additional from Com.
tort beyond what he had already told.
He stuck 10 his statement that It was
II 40 o'clock when he left and that no was
in the saloon only about fifteen minutes.
This in itself was enough to clear
Stephens, as being one Of the day force
he goes of duty at II O'Clock, and the
time book showed that he had reported at
II o'clock that night. The only thingthat
would have been out Of the way, was the
fact OF his having his uniform on.
Stephens being given permission to ask
questions, asked Comfort IL he had not
preferred the charge because he (stephens)
had arrested him for beating his wife and
raising q disturbance.
COmiort-"No! You Rrrest mem
stephens-"Yes, for whipping your
wiie?"
Comfort-"That's nothln' to do wild the
case"
Comfort then told Mr.. Hoffman, that
he did not notice whether Stephens had
his badge on or not, and he paralyzsd
every one by telling Colonel Miller at this
stage OF the proceedings that 1t was on
Thursday night that he saw Stephens In
the saloon. He had said in the first place
that 1t was on Friday night.
why TIE MAYOR MADE III CHARGE.
Stephens asked why he had not made
the charge himself. Mayor Grub asked
permission to answer that question, and
said that Comfort had told him about the
matter and said that he did not know how
to make the charge. The Mayor had told
him that he would make 1t for him II he
would swear to 1t. This Comfort had
agreed to do.
This ended tina evidence against Ste
phens. John Weisgerber and Thomas
Truschel were sworn. They were playing
chess In the saloon Friday night. About
twenty minutes after eleven o'clock Ste
phens came In and looking wei their
shoulders said that was q game he could
not understand. He had also gone TO q
table where seven.up was being played
and picked up a hand that had been play.
ed and looked at It. They we're engaged
in their games and paid no particular at
tention TO him and could not testify as to
his uniform. Officer Jack West knew
nothing about the case, but knew con-
siderable about Comforts general charaC.
ter which the Board did not care to hear.
Stephens was sworn. He had gone off
duty and was on bis way home, when a
friend asked him into Gavin's TO take q
drink. He went In, but pulled of his
badge before he did 80. Did not play
cards; did watch them play a few min.
utes; Comfort came in and got some
whisky; did not know that 1t was against
the ordinance 10 allow card playing when
money was at stake, in a saloon.
This was the substance OF the evidence.
The Board went into executive session
after inducing Chief Smith to vaCate his
Office for that purpose. In about ten min.
utes Stephens was called In and presum-
ably given some kind advice, and then
Board declared the charge, mot gus.