The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-12-21
THE NEW CHIEF OF POLICE
Is Sworn In and Takes tho Onicc--Ch
Dclbrucpu Intuccu tn Ionyc

Is Sworn In and Takes tho Office Chief
Dclbruggo Induced to Leave.
Robert I. McNichol wasI duly in.
stalled in office Saturday afternoon as
chief of police OF the city Of Wheeling,
but not without some delay, which gave
promise at one timc OF being accom-.
panied by trouble. At g o'clock satur.
day afternoon the committee on police
approved the new chiefs bond, OIL which
were the names oil J. L. Hughes, Charles
II. Copp, John Waterhousc and John S.
Naylor. The reappointment of all the
old members OF the police force was also
sanctioned by the committee, and the
matter turned over to Council to act on.
Council was in session, and in very
few minutes tho bond was approved,
tho bondsmen qualified, tho now chief
sworn In, and the officers oath admin
istered to the police force. Council
then adjourned, and Mayor Seabright
accompanied Chief McNichol to the
! police office.
Captain" said Chief McNichol to
ex-Chief Delbrugge, who sat in the
private Office, Il have been duly elected
chief OF police by the City Council OF
Wheeling, and would ask you to turn
the office over to me"
81 am advised by cunsel," replied Mr..
Dclbrugce, "that l am the legal chief
Of police, and l do not propose to giveit
II don't want any trouble, captain,"'
rejoined Chief McNichol, "but OF course
propose to have the Office"
Here Mr.. Denis 0'Koefe spoke up,
and said ho had advised Captain Del
brugge that he was the legal chief OF
police, and 10 hold on to the Office.
Col. Arnett was sent for, and when he
arrived he and his colleague and City
Solicitor Riley occupied come time dis
cussing the merits OF the case. Tho
gist OF Mr.. Delbrugge's attorneys argu-
mcnts was that Captain Delbrugge had
withdrawn the resignation he had
placed in the hands Of the council COM
mittee on police, that council had no
right to act on it after its withdrawal,
and had acted illegally in elccting an
other chief. Mr.. McNichol could 20
into court, they said, and there test
the matter. Mr.. Riley claimed that all
the formalities had been complied with,
the new Chief sworn in, his appointees
on the police force approved, and that
they had all been sworn under Chief
McNichol.
This last information stumped Colonel
Arnett. He had been informcdby Cap
tain Delbruggc, he said, that eighteen
or nineteen OF the officers would con-
TIME to obey him, and that under those
circumstances he had advised him to
refuse to give up the Office, to which he
was legally entitled. II the officers had
all elected to obey Mr.. McNichol, he
would certainly not advise his client to
make fool of himself by retaining the
office by force, but would counsel him
to vacate quietly and seek redress in
the courts. Mr.. O'Keefc didn't want it
that way, and Mr.. Delbrugge and his
lawyers desiring to consult together, the
spectators withdrew to corner OF the
room. In about five minutes Mr.. Riley
was called over, and Mr.. OKeefe in
formed him, that they had advised their
client to leave quietly, but they wanted
sufficient force shown to eject him from
the Office.
Mr.. Riley replied that the new chief
would have no objection to Mr.. Del
brugge remaining III the Office room as
long as he pleased, and that, if an arrest
were made, the new chiefs bondsmen
would be responsible for tho legality OF
the act, and not the city, and that there
fore q iorciblc cjectmcnt would not ben
eft Captain Delbrugge's case before the
courts. This settled it, and the ex-
chiefs lawyers advised him to leave the
premises, and he could, ii he wished.
take his case into court. Mr.. Delbrucse
followed the advice, and after the crowd
in the corridors had lett, walked out OF
tho office.
AT six o'clock roll call Chief McNichol
mado little speech to his deputies. He
announced the appointment OF Officer
Gaus as night lieutenant, and that all
orders OF the lieutenant should be obey
ed as ii they came from the chief him
self. He also hoped that any ill feelings
or former animosities, if there wero
any, would be buried by the men, as
they would be by himself. ANY officer
becoming intoxicated while OH duty
would be dismissed, as also any officer
who visited 4 house of ill fame except
in the discharge OF his duty.
Officer Frohme will be placed on n
beat in the Fifth ward, relieving Officer
Watson, who will 90 to the Second ward,
to ill the vacancy occasioned by the
promotion OF Officer Gaus. The appoint
mcnt OF day lieutenant has not yet been
made,
MUSICAL DRAMA AT THE MOUNT.
a Successful Entertainment by tho Pupils
SATURDAY, Afternoon, which wns Largely