St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-02-26
He Tenders His Resignation
With a String on It to
the Board.
After a Heated Discussion Of
the Communication, 1t Is
Withdrawn.
The Old Battle will Be Fought
Again Next Friday
Night.

matters of routine business President
Warner passed to the clerk long COM
munication from the chief bearing upon
the Kelliher investigation, which was
read. 1t was as follows:
Office of Chief Engineer-To the
President aud Honorable Board of Fire
| Commissioners of st. Paul-tientlemen:
At the last meeting of your honorable
body. Friday evening, Feb. Ii. and at
an executive session, from which was
excluded, you reached the unanimous
| conclusion that | should reinState Sec
| Ond Assistant Chief keiliher,. SuS-
pended by ME for the use, of language
unbecoming an officer of this department.
and for connection with movement to
have me removed from my present posi-
ton by fair means or foul. In c0inmu-
nicating your decision to me you de-
sired that should ''take time to think
it over" and for that purpose adjourned
| until the last of this month. 1t is not
| necessary for me to withhold my reply
that length of time, since never have
had but one opinion on the issue raised,
and any change from that is Impossible.
In respectfully informing you tina
cannot reinstate Capt. either, and
that If your honorable body still further
insists upon his reinstatement, | must
herewith tender you my resignation to
take effect at your first meeting after
the receipt of this letter, wish frankly
to state to you my position. and to do it
i'll spirit OF honesty, without the least
ill-Will and with the full understanding
that your authority is unquestioned and
my action but an individual protest
against course which L
CONSIDER TO BE DANGEROUS
to the best interests of the department.
Six years ago this spring, on the s0lici-
tatiOn of the board of fire commission
efs of this city, and solely because of
the pledges noted below, | came to st.
Paul. and, under their authority, was
elected chief of this department. By
verbal agreements with the board. Off
cial resolutions and prompt indorSe-
ment of my action i'll the individual
eases, | was authorized to suspend MEN,
bers of the department guilty of DISC
bedience. neglect of duty, or who
would not act in harmony with the
chief as to the administration of the de-
partment. The following resolution
was passed unanimously by the board
May Ia, 1883:
.Resolved. That all the appointments
to positions in the fire department. sub
ordinate to lib at of chief, shall be rec
commended by him, and he is author
lied to transfer. reduce and promote
such members as he may deem for the
best interests of the department.
The resolution has never been re-
voked by your honorable body. nor has
any suspension of member of this de-
partme by me been unSuStained by
YOU until the case. now under discus
cir I I'M ny IA nj M mt inn. nd
precedentS of six years established by
You, and the distinct agreement when |
entered this department that | should
have this power, | have. suspended
and you have discharged members of the
department. guilty of conduct preiudi-
cal to its best interests. In the case of
j. j. Duggan, May 81. 1888. and Hide
brand, Oct. 20, 1884, both officers of this
department and removed under cireum-
stances somewhat similar to the present
case, the board sustained my course,
and has done so ever since. These
points are cited for the purpose of show
ing that in my own opinion l'have not
gone contrary to the
AUTHORITY VESTED IN ME
by you. and under which this depart
ment has operated for six years past
As YOU are aware. for some time past
an attempt has been made by a certain
faction to have me removed as chief.
1t is not for me TO discuss their motives
nor to notice the SANDER which has as
sailed me. except to say that | took
such means as [ had to expose the
character of my aSsailants. There are
no charges against me before you, and
the issue is purely-my reasons for
Suspending the second assistant chief.
Long before L did suspend him, had
in more than one way received intima-
ton that Capt. Kelliher was unfriendly
to my administration, and when | Sus-
pended | did so because of his use of
the following language Ill the Clarendon
hotel to one j. Ii. Burns and in the
presence of witness: go ahead and
get your warrant out and we will sub
p9na his wife my wife). We will put
her on the stand and ask her if her hus-
band (mel did not strike her. Then she
will have to tell the truth and we have got
the - of q -. Go and hire Erwin.
O'Brien, or some good attorney. | will
see that you are paid l called Capt.
Kelliher to my Office, accused him of
NAL, suspended him. He refused to
give up his badge, and after leaving
the Office, but still in fire headquarters,
said i'll the presence of reputable Wit
ness and to fireman, and in response
to the question, did the chief take
YOUR badgen' s'The - amt
big enough Two days later,
while in fire headquarters, Capt.
Kelliher said to several firemen
Il will do the yet" need not
go farther into details, | think, to show
that under no circumstances can | re-
instate Capt. KeIliher. To do so would
be for me tO.act against evidence which
j firmly believe, and set5an example to
the department which would forever
nullify the system of discipline now
maintained. As far as [ am concerned,
there is
NO Personal DIFFERENCE
between me and Capt Kelliher. The
question is one of discipline, to be de-
cided by you and upon, which hinges
the successful or unsuccessful opera
| tons of every department in this coun-
try. take the issue to be this-that if
| Capt. Kelliher is to be reinstated III the
| face of this evidence, then l am net
| chief under the authority vested in me
| by you for six years past. 1t is not the
custom. L believe, to call in question
the word of any of the heads of the
| departments of this city when subor-
! dinate is removed. His action is recog-
niZed as something necessary, since
upon him deyolves the efficiency of his
department and he is supposed to know
who best can serve him. The head him.
self is amenabIe for the operations of
| the department to the people. Always
| understanding it in this light | have
| tried to act for the best protection of
| the life and property entrusted to this
| department. But there are "a class
of men WHO unayoidably get into every
! department, who hate discipline and
who, when they feel its force, in
stantly become the enemies of the head
of the department. have had this bat
tie to fight and heretofore. thanks to
your aid, advice aud support, been able
| to maintain a degree of diScinline.