Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-11-29
A CHIEF UNDER FIRE.
Head of One of the Allegheny De-
partments Placed on Trial
BEFORE HIS HONOR, MAYOR WYMAN
William Winn's Recital of How He Used to
Draw His Salary
WHEN BE WAS AN ALARM OPERATOR

Mayor Wyman yesterday began the in
vestigation of charges made against Fire
Chiet Jones, in Allegheny The room was
crowded. About 20 witnesses had been
summoned, and among them were ex-Mayor
Pearson. Controller Brown, Clerk of Select
Council White and number of other city
officials.
William Vim, who made the charges,
was represented by W. D. Moon, Esq, and
W. H. McGary, Esq. W. D. Porter, ESQ.,,
represented Chief Jones.
The prosecution opened by asking why it
was that Chief Jones was assessed as Robert
Jones. 1t was explained that the Chiefs
mother had been married twice, and had
always been known by his step-father's
name.
The first witness called was William
Winn. He will be 81 years old next JAN
uary. He is son of George H. Winn, City
Electrician of Allegheny, He testified that
on the 1st of September, 1889, he took con-
troll of the police patrol system at the in
stance of Chief Jones. On December 13,
| 1889, he received warrant from Controller
Brown. Jones said it would be for 5000.
After getting the warrant he and Jones
went to the German National Bank and got
| the warrant cashed.
AS TO HOW MUCH HE OWED.
AS they left the bank he gave the money
to Chief Jones. On the way to the City Hall
Jones said: "How much do owe you?"
'I'll leave that to yourself"
Then Jones gave Winn $50, and said the
next time he would give him S25 per
month, and in the spring he ought to take
all the money In May he got warrant
| for $150 and left town. When he came
| back Jones demanded the money he took
| away. Winn denied that any of the money
| in question belonged to him. After while
Jones demanded S85, which included $40 OF
borrowed money. The other S75 was half
| of the warrant. Winn said he was forbidden
to go into the battery room.
At first Winn thought he was working
for Jones, but when he saw in the news
papers that he had handed his resignation
to Mayor Pearson he became convinced that
he was an employe of the city.
In response to Mr.. Moore, Winn said:
"One day Jones came to the room, and
taking test box attached it to Box % and
pulled 1t. Jones said: Now, keep quiet
and get away from the window, and old man
Glenn Will not know enough to know the
thing is out of the way Thus false alarm
was mad. and false run resulted
1t seemed to the witness that Jones tam
pered with boxes out of deviltry. Jones
said: "Winn, if were you 1 would open
the boxes in Two or three places. and they'll
soon come to you to fix IT." This was on
the day Winn resigned. Several times
| after that Jones told him to do this, the wit
ness said.
PLACED UNDER FIRE.
Then Attorney Porter put the witness un-
| der fire of questions and developed the
| fact that Winn was first employed at 500
month to take crosses out of the lines. He
| admitted he had no experience except in the
battery room and in taking crosses out of
! lines. He knew about the fire boxes, but
| did know whether that was the Gameweli
| system. Winn said he could not help
Jones showing him, and that when Jones
looked into a box he knew all about it. The
witness said he had put up complete lines,
but moment later he recalled his state
| ment.
In answer to MIR. Porter's question Winn
| said he had to swear in the voucher that he
| had done the work tor which he was being
! paid. The voucher was then brought forth,
and Mr.. Porter tried to show that Winn had
perjured himself in swearing to such a
voucher, as it reads: mo Councilman,
official or other person in the employ Of the
city is interested in it." Mr.. Porter after
case of perjury against WInn.
Winn did not know that when Jones set
the idle box to box % and turned the dial to
! it was for test of line. He thought the
| operator ought to be able to understand that
| part of the business Winn said he had a
| private system of signals with the operator
at Central station. At suggestion of Jones
| in February or March Winn said he agreed
to quit the job, because of differences with
the operators. Then, he understood, Jones
told the Mayor that he (Winn) could not
get along with the operators and had quit.
| Ex-MAYoR PEARsoN's MEMORY.
| Ex-Mayor Pearson was sworn and testi-
| fed that he had conversation with Chief
Jones in August, 1889. ''He told me-" said
the ex-Mayor, "that he would have to give
the work up, and recommended Winn for
| the position, and L recommended him to the
| Police Committee, who ordered me to place
him in the position"
Mayor Pearson also stated that the Police
| Committee had directed him to employ Mr.
Winn. He stated that Winn had called on
him and had a conversation with him, in
| which he wanted to know what was the mat
ter, and he mayor Pearson) informed him
| that he had not been discharged but he was
given to understand that he (Wiun) had
| quit. He told him he was entitled to the
| $50 per month, as he was employed by the
| Police Committee. He also stated that
Jones had informed him that notwithstand-
| ing the outside talk, he had not received
any money from the position occupied by
| Mr.. Winn.
| George W. Winn, the boys father, took
the stand and corborated his sons evidence
in regard to the alleged advice about cutting
| the wires. That night the line was open for
q couple of hours. He thought his son was
fairly competent to take charge of the patrol
system. The witness saw Chief Jones con-
meet the line and pull the box to call out
| the wagon. Jones, on that occasion, said
they would fool the operator and send the
wagon up. Mr.. Winn said he never had
any trouble with Chief Jones except that
when his son went away, Chief Jones had
| accused the boy of taking $50 of his money
away with him.
WINN WAS IN CHARGE.
Charles Glenn, the ex-operator who was
referred to by young Winn as the man Jones
| meant as the one easily fooled on boxes, tes-
titled that after young Winn had been at
the work for two months, he considered him
as being in charge. He and Jones had not
been on good terms for some time. He said
that if a regular test call was sent over the
line he would think that some one was
tampering with the line.
A Gamewell box was exhibited by At
torney Porter; and the witness said he knew
nothing of those boxes and was not sum-