Evening star., 1886-11-24
THE END AT LAST,
THE COMMISSIONERS DECIDE THE
ARNOLD CASE


Eesnt Diggins RedaceA.
The District Commissioners shut their door
AT O'clock to-day, not having up to that time
lnolcated what their verdict in the Arnold case
was. Ihey began at that hour q protracted
ssss'on. A fewminutes after II o'clock Assist
ant Attorney H. i. Davis arrived and Was ad-
mitted to the Commissioners conference. Out
sue the Commissioners door clerks and others
discussed the Arnold case Every new conner
aaea ;sara al, at once, us there any news yete but
tnere ,nei was no news. An elderly lady with o
tall form and long white curIs Startled the at
tenaants by attempting to effect an entrance
to the Commissioners room She had got the
aasee,S ,ast induced her 10 leave. About quarter
ppniform @ elock Major Walker appeared in full
"u.,ofh' opened the door and walked In.
hen the conference broke up a little after
ueioek t,.a & the Commissioners gave the reporters
Tue sup by escaping out OF the back door. 1t
a;ss MAS some time before those in the outer room
,, rLs,eoyersd that the Commissioners had gone.
Col. Ludlow and Mr. Wheatley went to the
iorIner Office. They said they had come to q
vision.
FINDING Of the District Commissioners.
The Commissioners at half-past two o'clock
gave OUT their report in the case. which is as
follows:
The Commissioners have considered the
ica preierred by the superintendent Of po-
grnn,a gravI,t4en OF the charges against Lieut.:
arnold consists in the allegation that
perintendent of police. and made him
SELF the responsible medium of conveying
20 Tue paoiic the false assertion that the super
!he personal acts of the members of Congress,
IN 9ruer 10 influence legislation.
tho Arnolds defense is that in point of fact
asp tfs superintendent, at meeting of the police
Omcers, viz: on October 1st, 1856. had actually
gwen instructions to the above effect or sugges-
lois equiValent thereto, and that his (ArnOld's)
conveyance of them to his sergeant was a
conndential communication, which he refers
Judgment OF the Commissioners,
Ihe testimony taken in the case is not suffi-
cient 10 sustain fully the technical charge or
which We're preferred. Ordinarily it is sufficient
IA Inc lrial OF an officer to determine whether
ne Is guilty or not guilty of the specific charges
mas Deen disclosed condition of affairs in the
police department that demands SERIOUS atten-
tlon ana the prompt application of remedial
Alter careful consideration of the established
tacts IN the case and OF the statements made In
Commissioners thereon is as follows:
FIRST. It Is untrue that Major Walker made or
as @as 80 h% sy
Arnold, and there is absolutely no just basis
whatever tor doubt of Major Walkers
statements. This is astablished by the greatly
preponderating weight Of evidence whether
numbers or disinterestedness be considered;
uls
Arnold. which Is not in all respects consistent
with itself, which contradicts both his written
and which form his status as an accused per,
son confessedly guilty of an indscretion, must
pc regarded cum grano sails. The con-
assertions of Lieut.. Kelly, who has likewise
seriously involved himself in contradictory
statements, both oral and written, under Cir
cumstances which required him to tell the
truth. Major Walkers suggestion to the lieu
tenants had reference solely to such personal
fatal error was in failing to see that the police
officials could legitimately commend Ihem-
selves to the favorable attention of the Com
miSsioners and of Congress by no other means
than the intelligent and faithful discharge of
Masr Makss Wae 1a
the Commissioners must, therefore, unhesi-
tatingly condemn his suggestion, however
fnnocently intended, OF the personal interyen-
ton of the police in matters OF legislation
Second. II follows from the above that Lieut.
Arnold did misrepresent the superintendent
purport OF the matter to Private Edelin and he
in turn to others; and so through the folly or
malice OF some, and the indiscriminate appe-
tite for sensations of Others a scandal has been
blown from grain OF fact to dimensions which
are unwisely proportional to its actual gravity.
The principal participants though not all aJ,-
pearing in the testimony are we'll known to be
nlalcOntents and discharged employees Of the
District service, who have seized upon the op-
portunity to avenge themselves and have
eagerly and assiduously propagated the scandal
to the tour winds of heaven through the me-
dunn OF the press
in communicating To his sergeant q false rendi-
ton OF the remarks of the superintendent of
police was IN ri IT'S essence malicious 1 or not and
view of the matter as to suppose that he has
honestly misunderstood the purport of
believed to be the truth in his testimony, not.
withstanding the partial inconsistency and en-
tire incompatibility with previous statements
f<,lb OF
communicating the imputation against his
superior officer of making suggestion which
bis own psoiongea ni 1d IN police affairs
aster and disgrace.
Furthermore, it appears indisputably in the
mold, in conversation with the other lieuten-
ants made an assertion conveying an infamous
and impossible accusation against prominent
is useless TO speculate upon his purpose in Civ
Ing utterance to this absurd slander.
The faG tha. hat he uttered It Is established and
cam cam be attributed to p th9 s9sTeanee e"nisTenee
almost sole offender, whose otfense, be it said
to the credit of the others, was generally and at
once rebuked by those who heard and under
Fourth. In making suggestions to other minds
than the one formulating them there is always
a with Of
translate the Suggestion shd into his own OWN
accustomed and habitual forms of thought, and
In all cases of Importance this possibility must
be allowed for. 1t may be that the remarks
Of the major, innocently intended to
tion with members OF Congress, in
some cases suggested to officers having no per-
sonal acquaintance with any of those gentle
men as q means whereby Influence might be
exerted; though it Is in evidence that
the greater number OF those present re-
jected the base proposition uttered by
Arnold, and gave no heed TO the suggestion of
making personal acts the basis of official in
duence.
1t may be that the evidence Of Lieut.. Kelly,
although seriously tainted by his false state
ments to the Commissioners, to whom his rep
RESERVATIONS as TO tact should not have needed
the sanction of an oath, is sincere In part in
that he mistranslated the purport Of the
superintendent's remarks. Upon no other
of deliberate, false swearing, and unfortunately
the somewhat superior experience and intelli-
gence Of these two bear against the more favor
able suppOsition. This question the Commits
sOners will not undertake to decide, their final
action being controlled by the facts as a whole,
and not by amy special aspect OF one or more.
MAJOR WALKERS RESIGNATION ACCEPTED.
It is therefore ordered: First. That the resig-
nation of Major Walker, which he has already
with good taste placed at the disposal of the
Commissioners Is accepted.
LIEUT. ARNOLD DISMISSED
Second. That Lieut.. Arnold is dismissed from
the service for gross indiscretion, false allega-
tions against public men and false statements to
the Commissioners.
LIEUT.. KELLY SUSPENDED FOR THREE MONTHS.
Third. That Lieut.. Kelly is reprimanded and