Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1892-02-27
REINSTATED.
THE POLICE COMMITTEE INVESTIGATES Elk
OFFICER STANLEY,
And Reinsaies Him Upon the Police Foroe, Despite
His Discharge by the Chief-No Action
Taken in Marks Case

Chairman Happy, of the Council Com
mittee on Police, called that body to-
gether, last evening, at the request OF
Thomas Stanley. to investigate charges
alleged by Mr.. Stanley to have been
preferred against him by the Chief, who
discharged the officer from the force Oh
Wednesday. All the members OF the
Committee were present, and after a
desultory sort of time, extending over
about an hour and half, the Commit
tee. on motion Of Mr.. ZarnitZ, three
voting yes, two no, and three
not voting, or at least not audibly,
IL was decided that the Of
ticer was all right, and that he
be reinstated on the first day Of the
coming month. EXOnicer Marks was
also before the Committee, and his case
was gone into also, 10 some extent, but
no action was taken. rs he did not ask
TO be reinStated, but rather dropped
the hint that he was satisfied to stay
quit.
After the Committee got together
Chairman Happy stated the object OF
the meeting, and Mr.. Klein laid upon
the table paper from Mr.. Shanley, In
which that gentleman set forth that he
had been discharged:
81. For not arresting John Klieves, for
selling on Sunday.
40 For not arresting Jacob Vogler.
''3. For assaulting Frank Dixon.
~. The Chief charges that | was not
working for him, but for myself.
These charges are false. always did
my duty"
Several sections of the police Law
were read, bearing upon dereiction
Of duty on the part OF the officers, and
then Mr.. Jefferson said the charges
were a new thing to him; it was the
first ne had heard OF them. He would
like some information regarding them.
Mr.. O'Kane thought the duty of the
Committee was to see whether the Com
mittee had the right TO investigate a
complaint of the sort before the body,
and followed up this by reading several
sections of the police rules. lie wanted
10 know why the complaint OF Mr..
Dixon had not been entered in the COM
plant book, and went on to give
version of the trouble with Stanley.
There was a good deal of misceliane-
Gus talk about the rules, and what
course the Chief should have taken
under them, and finally Mr.. Jefferson
suggested that the best way to get at IL
was toinvitc Chief McNichOl in. This
was agreed TO, and the Chief appeared.
lie was asked regarding the Stanley
discharge, and said
Complaint after complaint has come in
to the Office regarding Officer Stanley. lie
is drunk nearly every night l made 1t my
business 10 watch him, ana found that he
loitered in saloons, from thirty TO forty
minutes i'm each, on several occasions.
watched him 20 into a nose house and stay
there an hour and q half Mr., Hoffman
came 20 me, on one occasion, and told me
that Stanley had abused him. He said
Snanley owed him two dollars, and when
ne asked him for it Stanley called aim an
insulting name, and wanted to lock Hoffman
ND. called Stanley into the Office and
told him about the complaint, and he said
he would pay him. Then the Dixon matter
came,up. Mr. Dixon came to me and said
that three weeks ago his wife and Mrs.
Vincent were standing in the door, and a
letter carrier came along and handed Mrs
Dixon u letter. She tore il open, Supposlng
It was for her, but when she saw IL ives not
she laid IL inside on stand, and then sent
her little girl into Shanley'S with 1t. Shan
lev came over and said she had commltteda
crime against the government, and gave
her talking TO. She was very nervous
about il, and told her husband. He and Shan
lev met, but nothing was said about 1t.
Wednesday morning Stanley and Dixon
met on Market street and spoke and Dixon
passed on, when Stanley called him back,
and said: What kind Of wife have you
cot! She must be Cd d-n ignorant
Can't she read! Don't you know I'm po-
lice officer. Dixon says he said she knew
IL. ana STANLEY said he was receiving let
ters from prominent detectives all over the
country, and she might open one and give
some criminal q tip and allow him 70 get
ont of town. / asked Dixon as TO Shaniey's
condition, and he said he was drunk"
The Chief read from his memoranda
book, giving days and dates and hours
when Suauley had gone into saloons anS
remained half an hour or more, anu
continued:
''These things came in after had given
him ali the chances. When l was sworn
in told him he could be an officer as long
Is he was a good officer. l had talked tt
him about il. He is not fit for an otiicse.|
As an instance, when Fitzgerald and
O'Brien went on duty Ia the Sixth told
them TO stir around and let the people see
them, and Stanley went 20 them and said
they were 'd-n fools to DO that. After
they had been on the force as long as he
mad they would get over it, l can bring a
responsible citizen who will testify that he
did duty from three TO four hours day
in Shorts saloon. | have done duty with
him as an officer, and if the committee
wants evidence il can be found
Mr.. Warneke-Are there any other
CHARGES except neglect OF duty:
The Chief-NO, sir.
Mr. O'Kane-What did you charge Shan
ley with:
The Chief made no charges. / called
him I'D, and told him wanted his resigna-
ton. He said he wouldn't resign and want
ed an investigation. Then l discharged
him.
Mr.. O'Kane-Didn'ty You tell him he was
DISCHARGED because he wouldn't arrest Sd
loon keepers.
The Ihief-No. I told him be was only
alert when he wanted 4 drink.
Mr.. O'kane-Do you instruct your De
puties TO 20 into saloons in citizens clothes!
The Chief-No, sir. That was an unfor-
tunate circumstance, and l can explain
it
Mr.. JefTerso7-It strikes me that has
nothing to do with this case.
The Chief-l can explain 1t satisfactor-
iIly.
Mr. O'Hane-I'll Withdraw the question.
The Chief-And can explain IL.
The Chair here read the paper sent in
by Stanley to the Chief, and the latter
Said;-
70 "Those are not the charges. l preferred
no such charges as are there
Stanley (whO had come into the room
That's what you told me.
The Chief-I did not.
MIR. JederSon-YoU say Stanley lcitered
about saloons. Was that while ne was in
uniform.