Evening journal., 1889-11-08
SWIGGETTS STATEMENT.
THE SANDWICH BILLS REFERRED
BACK TO POLICE COMMITTEE.

Law.
The first business that came before the
City Council last evening was the report
of the Police Committee on the investiga.
tion Of the bill of Chief of Police Will
liam T. Swiegett for meals for prisoners
for the month of September.
Mr.. Sawdon, chairman of the commit
tee presented the reported adopted by
the committee on Wednesday evening,
and printed in these columns yesterday,
and moved its adoption by Council. The
report was signed by Messrs. Sawdon,
Baugh Shea and White Of the commit
| tee.
Mr.. Mccall presented the following
minority report, signed by himself and
moved it's adoption as substitute to the
majority report
GENTLEMEN 1t becomes my duty as
member of the Police Committee of Coun-
Gil, to whom was referred the charges
preferred against w. Y. Swiggett, chief
of police, to submit minority report as
follows to wit: From the evidence pro.
duced before your committee Of inyesti-
cation of said charges, / am fully con-
vinced that while the said William "
Swiggett did wrong in taking and keeping
any sum or sums of money for food fur
nished for prisoners ! am fully convinced
that he did so ignorantly. as he believed
with the city solicitor, and citizens gen
orally, he was allowed 10 cents for each
meal furnished. But es IL appears there
| is no such ordinance in existence at this
time, the same having been repealed by
the city charter passed in 1888, | would
therefore recommend that the said
William T. Swiggett be exonerated for
his past actions and that hereafter the
meals be furnished by contract, to the
lowest bidder, and / would recommend
that an ordinance be prepared by the city
solicitor for that purpose,
Many members looked as if they
/ favored this view Of the situation and
matters began to get Interesting.
Mr. Cotton then read the following. and
submitted it as a statement from Mr.
Swiggett:
Major Swiggett has been advised by
counsel consulted by him (not the mayor
that he is not under any legal liability
to the city. Notwithstanding this advice
| tine chief purposes to pay into the CITY
| treasury all money received by him from
/ Mr.. Pyle, for the reason that If he had
understood the law he would not have re-
/ ceived anything, and now that he knows
the law he intends to put himself in the
position he would have occupied if he
had known it in the beginning. He would
have paid the money to-day but. as Mr..
Pyle claims from him the IS cents per
meal until the contract is changed, he
| waits TO see what action Council takes on
| the bills for September and October to
ascertain what is the exact sum to be
paid.
This had its effect on the members who
did not want to be hard on Mr Swiggett
and who believed that he was ignorant
of the law, and the situation grew still
more complicated.
Mr.. Chambers did not favor the report
Of the Police Committee at all and only
the minority report in part. He was in
favor of paying the whole bill because it
was contracted before the investigation.
He agreed that some effort should be
made to get meals cheaper. Four ffths
of the prisoners were drunken tramps
and scslawags and ought not to be fed as
daintily as they had been, Bread and
water was good enough for them.
Mr.. Mccall said he wished to exoner-
ate the chief, because by his sworn state
ment, he declared he did not know of the
law, and thought that Is cents a meal
was allowed by the Council the rebate
I
sors had received Mr.. Mccall believed
Mr.. Swiggett's motive as pure as any
member. Mr.. Turner also believed that
an ordinance existed allowing Is cents up
to twenty-four hours of the time the
charges were made
Mr.. Cotton said that he had had con
siderable conversation with Mr.. Swig
gett in regard to the matter. He was
very anxious to pay the money over into
the city treasury, believing that he had
no right to it. Mr. Cotton moved that
the whole matter be referred to a special
committee. The motion was seconded.
Mr.. johnson thought it would be a
reflection on the Police Committee to
take it out Of their hands, but he thought
it would be well to refer it back to the
Police Committee, who, with the new
light on the matter, would probably re-
turn different report.
Mr., McKenney's only objection to the
report was that it only referred to the
one bill for September.
Mr. Cotton had no desire to reflect on
the Police Committee, so he withdrew his
motion for a special committee and moved
that the September bills and the reports
be referred back to the Police Committee.
The ayes and nsys were called for
, Mr.. Lawson asked TO be excused from
voting, as he had preferred the charges
! Mr.. johnson sincerely and blunty hoped
that members would not excuse him. de
! made the charges and, If he had changed
! his mind in regard to them, he should
J not be afaaid to say so. Mr.. She's with
oil drew q motion to allow Mr.. Lawson to bt
excused and the motion to refer bacl
was carried by the following vote:
Ayes-Messrs. Ayars, Baugh, Besle
Chambers, ColeY, Cotton, Curren, Davis,
Forrest, Hawkins, johnson, Lawson
Mccall McKennev, Perkins, Roberts
Ryan, Sharkey, vandegrift and Presiden
| Farra, 20.
Nays-Dillin, sawdOn, Shea an,
White, A.
The city treasurer reported balanc
in bank to the credit of current expenses
of $145, ,007 SO; park fund, $2 500.04
received of Martin ]. Mealey, $3.50; E
p Moody. $500 Received Of city officer
for October; E. +. Kane, plumbing in
, spector, $3.50: w. Y. Swiggett, chief o
| police. dog tax. $24; W.B. Hyland
clerk of the Municipal Court, $693. 10
George Il. Baughmsn, chief engineer
$1934 49,
The pay roll of members of Counei
for the month of October, amounting t,
$39476, was passed as follows:
Regular Committee
/. meetings meetings.
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