Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-12-18
THE COMMITTEE ACTS,
RY UNANIMOUSLY ACCEPTING THE RESIGNA-
TON OF CHEF DELBRUGGE.
Council Called to Meet in Special Session To-
Night to GOncur-Evidsnce Given BY
OfRcsrs-Ths Candidates
For the Place.
rho pol,ce Committee has accepted


The members OF the Committee have
called Council in special session Tor TO-
night to endorse their action.
They took this action after hearing
the evidence of Police officers Carney,
Buch, Wilkie and Daum.
There are eight candidates for the po-
sition to be filed: Messrs. Robert Nc
Nichols, William Carney, Smith Butler,
James Nichols, John A. Clark, George
Weisgerber, Porter Smith and John
Shorts.
The above epitomizes the situation
regarding the Police Department scan
dal, so fully and accurately detailed In
the REGISTER of yesterday morning.
To that record little could be added,
because the whole story OF the raid up
on the williams house and the result
ing scenes had been chronicled, and
even the evidence of the four officers
summoned before the Committee added
nothing to the stock Of knowledge al-
ready in the possession OF the Commit
teemen and the public. Some collateral
evidence was adduced, but only one
item was of particular Importance,
and that will be found duly chron-
icled below.
The matter of the Chiefs escapade
was naturally one Of the chief topics OF
conversation all over the city, yesterday,
and as the hour for the meeting OF the
committee approached, this interest
deepened, and about seven o'clock many
turned their steps toward the City Hall,
where there were soon gathered a dozen
or fifteen Councilmen, several candl-
dates and friends OF candidates, and
half dozen gentlemen more or less In
terested in saloons, gambling outfits,
ETC., and who accordingly had lively
interest In what was going on. They
made frequent inquiries as to who was
likely to be elected Chief, and were very
solictious as to how certain candidates
stood. Chief Delbrugge was not visible,
but was understood to be In his private
office.
About eight o'clock, all the members
OF the Committee having arrived, the
Committee repaired to committee
room on the second story, when Chair
man Happy called them to order and
stated the object of the meeting briefly.
Mr.. jefferson then moved to go into
an investigation of the newspaper
charges" made against the Chief.
The Chairman said he had summoned
Officers Carney, Buch, Wilkie and
Daum, and also Chief Delbrugge, to be
present, and this was ratified.
Mr.. O'Kane-Mr. Chairman, do you
suppose the Chief wants to go into this
matter?
The Chair-I couldn't say.
Mr.. O'Kane-It seems to me, after
what has been published, that there is
no necessity for evidence, as there has
been no denial. II he has desire to
go into it, let 1t 20 to Council. / think
all we can do is to act upen the case, as
we understand it.
Mr.. Jefferson-I moved that we go
into the matter, as 1t appeared in the
newspapers. We all believe their ac-
counts to be substantially correct-I do
but l thought, in view OF the import
ance of the matter, that we ought to
have some of the officers here and get
at the exact facts as to what took place
In May Williams house.
Mr.. JefferSon's resolution was then
adopted, and Officer Carney was sent
for. The officers evidence was in exact
keeping with the REGISTERS account,
including the revolver incident, the
pint Of whisky, and all. The only i'm
portant addition was that when the Of
ficer went through the house and the
girl Artie Taylor knocked at the front
room door, he had to wait several min
utes before he was admitted. Then the
Chief was up, while May Williams was
still in led.
Officer Lee Buch was the second wit
ness called. His evidence correspondent
with that Of Officer Carney, as did that
of Officer Wilkie and Officer Daum, who
followed in that order. Some new evil
dence adduced by Officer Daum was as
follows:-
Q.-Do you know anything OF the
Chiefs being frequently at that house?
Ayes; he was there Gu the morning
of the day we pulled the house; Officer
Desmond saw him in the front room, be-
tween twelve and one o'clock in the
morning-we went to the house that
following night-all on the same day.
When Desmond told me, l
went to the house, between two and
three o'clock In the morning, and peeped
through the window. Chief Delbrugge
was sitting on the edge of the bed in his
undershirt. l could see part of the way
down his body.
At the conclusion of the evidence,
City Solicitor Riley was consulted as to
the best method of procedure, and then
Mr.. Jefferson moved to take the resig-
nation Of the Chief from the table for
action. This was carried, and then It
was read by the Chair, as follows:
IL do hereby tender my resignation as
Sergeant OF the City of Wheeling.
'LOUIS DELBRUGGE."
Mr.. Jefferson-I movo that the resig-
nation be accepted, ana that our action
be reported to Council for confirmation.
This was unanimously adopted. A
call for special meeting of Council
was then drawn up and signed by all
the members of the Committee, and was
sent to the police office, for the notices
10 be sent out this morning. There was
some question as TO the power Of Coun-
Gil to dispose of the matter at special
session, and Solicitor Riley, after hasty
examination Of the Legislative Act and
OF the ordinance, said he saw no ob-
Stacle at the.moment. II, upon further
search, he found any room for doubt,
he would notify the Councilmen to-
day.
There was persistent rumor on the
streets, last evening, thai Chief Del
brugge meant TO fight the ease, ana
that he would not give up his Office
without a struggle. Just VIVA. basis
there Is for this rnnnrf cnnld mi ha q :