St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-02-12
TURNING ON SCREWS
Chief Black Prefers Charges
Against Assistant Chief
Kelliher.
An Investigation Ordered by
the Fire Commits
SionepS.
Forced to Surrender the Keys
at the Command Of His
Superior.
A Proposed Reduction Of Fire
Fighters at Merriam
Park.


Second Assistant Chief Kelliher, accused
of using language against his chief UNI
becoming an officer of the department..
The report was accompanied by the fol-
lowing written statement by the chief
as to the language used and the circum-
stances leading to it:
'sMessrs. Burns, Kelliher and some
third party were talking when Mr..
Burns called Mr.. Quinlan. and asked
him if wife could testify against her
husband. He (Quinlan) said that de-
pended on the case. Burns explained
that it was Chief Blacks case. Quinlan
then said wife could, whereupon Kel-
liner said: Go ahead and get out your
warrant, and we will subpoena his wife.
We will put her on the stand, and then
she will have to tell the truth, and we
have got the son of b. Kelliher
said, further: Go and hire Erwin,
O'Brien or some other good attorney
Burns asked who would pay them. KEEL
liner said: Il will see that they are
paid"
Nh. Kelliher was present at the meet
ing with Attorney McCafferty. who
asked permission to address the board
briefly in behalf of
THE SUSPENDED FIREMAN.
The request was granted by PRESIDENT
Warner, and the attorney stated that
the charges preferred by Chief Black
were untrue. and asked hearing of the
case before the board.
rs the investigation asked for on
other than the charges stated in the
suspension?" asked President Warner.
mo, sir" SAID Mr.. McCatferty. "We
only wish to answer the charges of the
chief"
The president stated that he could
see no reasons why hearing should not
be granted, but requested an expression
of opinion from the members of the
board on the question. The commits
sioners seemed 10th to express an opin-
ion in the matter, and President War
ner finally called upon Commissioner
Prendergast, as the oldest member of
the board, who said:
81 have always held that the chief
should have full control of his men, for
the reason that it is necessary to main
tain proper discipline in the depart
ment. On the other hand, that any
member of the department, chief or
fireman. should have the privilege of
coming before the board in case of sus-
pension. consider it proper and just
that this man be heard"
Commissioner Freeman said: II CO.
incide with Mr.. Prendergast and be-
lieve that the chief has right to sus-
pend members of the department, and
also that the board has right to inyes-
tigate such suspensions. | have been a
member of the board for six years and
the matter has come up before, but the
board has always
Sustained THE CHIEF.
''lf any member wishes to appeal,
however, he should have the rightly The
chief has suspended this man for using
language unDecoming gentleman. L
claim that as we have done it before
il is the duty of the board to sustain
the suspension"
Commissioner Martini am willing
to trust the chief in his judgmentin thi
case.
ave do not understand whether you
mean that Keliher should have a hear
ing or not" said President Warner.
II don't think he should. 1t has been
| the custom since l have been here not
| to allow hearing. / hold that no as
sistant has right to use language diff
| ferent from other employees. 1t is es-
| tablishing a bad precedent to allow such
! proceedings"
Commissioner Mitsch-Being a COM
| paratively new member. l have little to
| say, but believe that the hearing should
| be given under the law which provides
| that the board shall discharge. Any
man is innocent until found guilty, and
l am in favor of giving him hearing.
| President Warner-I came into the
| board when it had on investigation of
this kind on its hands, and do not think
this could be called establishinga prece-
dent. | do think that as an American
citizen and
| ON AMERICAN PRINCIPLES
| this man should be heard, as shutting
off all chance of possible mistake-I
shall not call it error in Judgment, but a
mistake. Chiefs are supposed to be
| OF higher standing than members of the
force, and should certainly have hear
ing. | question very much whether the
citizens of st. Paul would sustain the
board in denying this hearing.
| A formal vote was taken on the mat
ter, Commissioners Prendergast, Free
| man and Mitsch voting in favor Of grant
| ing the hearing and Commissioner Mar
tin voting against it. The investigation
was set for Friday evening and it was
decided that the city attorney should be
| present.
Mr.. Kelliher arose to leave the hall
| with his attorney when Chief Black
said: "kelliher is provided with keys
for the opening of boxes and outside
| and inside keys to the building. de-
manded them OF him. but he refused to
| give them up, and as am supposed to
be responsible for city property
DON'T FEEL SAFE
| with them in his hands,"
President Warner suggested that Mr..
1 Kelliher give up the keys, and they
| were tn rned over to the board.
Another communication was received
| from the chief, reporting the resigna-
ton of H. G. Gilderman, w. NJ. Cooley
| and John McMurrough, and stating that
he had appointed Dennis Moore. August
A. Aamort and 0. D. Weyman TO fill the
vacancies. He also reported the ap-
porntment of Edward Trainor, vice
James Shearen, who was discharged for
neglect of duty.
Communication were read from the
city electricians OF the cities of Brook
lyn, Detroit and Chicago in response to
Inquiries by Supt. Jenkins as to the
workings of fire alarm wires III the Dor
sett conduitS used i'll those cities.
President Warner-I want to bring
up a matter that has never been before
the board, but concerning which have
talked personally with most of the mem-
beers. / refer to the force at Merriam
Park and Hamline, where we have a
third assistant chief, two captains, two
lieutenants and the regular number of
men. | believe that it is necessary that
this board should consider whether it is
advisable to keep SO many men there.
The chief was asked whether so many
men were actually needed out there.
and said:
LAS long as we don't get any fires we
would be all right with a smaller force,
but with fires we need all of our men"
| 1t was suggested that the chief be re-
leased and his duties
| DELEGATED TO A CAPTAIN.
| Mhereupon Chief Black stated that he