Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-12-02
AN OFFICER SUSPENDED.
Ie Tries to Work Up n Case for
Himself,

Upon the adjournment Of the Board of
Fire Commissioners yesterday, a special
meeting of the Board of Police Commits
sioners was called to investigate the
charges made against Officer G. B.
Fitch. 1t was charged that Officer Fitch
had played cards in the barroom of the
Southern Hotel on the morning of No
vember 30th from 2:l5 until o'clock.
Sergeant L. B. Harris stated that the
attention of the officers had been di-
rscted to Fitch by the receipt of an anon.
ymous note addressed to Captain Loomis.
The note ran as follows:
CAPTAIN LooMIs-Yo on can find Officer
Fitch sleeping in a Southern Pacific
coach any night after II O'Clock if you
look for him."
Captain Loomis gave the note to Ser
geant Harris, who went to look for Fitch
and found him playing cards in the
southern Hotel barroom. The Sergeant
with Officer Lee (who corroborates his
account) walked up and down in front of
the hotel from 2:15 A. NJ. till 4 A. N be-
fore Fitch came out, when they reported
him at headquarters.
Officer Fitch said that on the morning
in question he was going through the
barroom to the lunch counter at the rear
OF the room, when the bartender, by a
motion, called his attention to man
who was standing by the bar exhibiting
to some bystanders pair of gold plated
sleeve buttons, which he wished to sell
for twenty-five cents. Fitch, after watch
ing this man from the outside of the
house, came in and engaged stranger
in game OF cards, thinking that he could
thus watch the man whom he suspected
more easily. He played for about an
hour and a half and then went to the
lunch counter to eat piece of pie and
drink cup of coffee. While he was
eating, the man who had the sleeve but
tons went out and the officer followed
him, leaving his partially eaten pie upon
the counter. He followed the man as
far as Ann street and then went to the
police Office. Fitch, at this time, was
dressed in civilian clothes and says he
did all this in an official way, intending
to arrest the man if he tried to sell the
buttons.
Morris Abrahams, the man in charge
Of the lunch counter at the hotel, testi-
fed that on the morning in question, the
man had approached him with the but
tons, saying that he was broke and that
he had recently arrived from Kansas
City. He saw the bartender call the
attention of the officer to this man.
Card-playing is not allowed at the hotel,
but they had permitted the officer to
play that he might watch this party.
Nothing new was introduced 10y E. D.
Harris, the barkeeper, who was next
called, or by j. ID. Custen, one of the
visitors to the room on the morning of
November 30th.
Chief Benedict and Sergeant Harris
stated that an officer could not leave his
post to do detective work, and that there
was no reason for leaving post for an
hour and a half in this instance.
The Board here dismissed the wit
nesses and after consultation declared
Officer Fitch Suspended until further
orders.
Chief Benedict stated, after this case
had been disposed Of, that there should
be an investigation made of the trouble
which occurred at the Police Station
night before last, when Harris ordered
Loomis out of the office. Benedict says
that he left Loomis in charge during his
absence and that his authority was dis
puted by Harris. Tuesday, at p. NJ,
was appointed as the hour for the inves-
tigation.
Arrest of Wilson. the