Los Angeles herald., 1892-06-09
POsTOFFICE BURGLARS.
OFFICER BOB MARTIN DID HIS
DUTY.
The investigation Into the Charges
Results in Their Dismissal.
Tho Employees Evidence.

The full board OF police commissioners
with Mayor Hazard in the chair, yester-
day afternoon proceeded to investigate
the charges Of incompetency and neglect
Of duty preferred by Chief Glass against
Officer r. Martin. 80
Tim Driscoll, foreman Of the night
mailing force in the postoffice, testified
that his attention was called on the
night of the Sd inst. to certain suspicious
noises in the basement of the postofice.
He went out to hunt an officer and met
Martin, who stated in reply to inquiries
| that there were no officers at the sta
ton who could be called to help in MAX
ing an investigation IN the cellars. Wit
ness then related how he and the other
employees of the Office and the police
man had gone into the cellar, az was re-
lated in the HERALD at the time of the
occurrence. 71 zss H
He believed that Martin had acted
= little recklessly, but in reply to q
question by the mayor, denied that the
inculpsted officer had acted in coward
ly manner or that he showed ei9ns of
having been drinking. Mr.. Driscoll
said that if he had known what he
knew now they would undoubtedly have
caught the burglars; but, although his
duties compelled him TO investigate the
noise, and he did GO, he thought then that
it was perfectly ridiculous to, imagine
that burglars whould be at work break
ing into the vault Of the postoffice at
8 O'Clock at night. When the door in
the basement was smashed in by the
witness the officer was standing on the
sidewalk. 81
E.. H. Baxter, one OF the night crew,
whose attention had been called to the
noise, went down stairs on tiptoe and
listened against o wood partition for five
minutes without hearing anything. He
then returned to his work and concluded
that he had been listening to bogie
man in the cellar. It was then that
Driscoll made his onslaught on the door
with baseball bat. All he knew about
the alleged attempted burglary was
what the milkman told him the next
morning. He thought it was q joke.
If burglar was really in the cellar on
the night of the Sd, there was enough
noise made in going into the cellar to
have given him ample warning to make
his escape.
Rufus Taylor. registry clerk, stated
that 1t was possible to hide in the cellar
so that three men could not find him in
an hour. No search was really made
for the man. As soon as the pick was
found, everybody came away. Martin
was very anxious to 60 down and get tie
burglar if he was there.
III. A. Shelton told in his own way
how they had hunted for q burglar and
found nothing but "jimmy." Nobody
but Taylor was convinced that there was
one in the cellar, working on the vault.
Officer Martin, in his own behalf, re-
lated how at the request of Mr.. Driscoll
he had investigated noise which ap-
peared to be the scratching OF q rat.
Nobody seemed to agree aH to the loca-
ton Of the noise, The door in the eel
lar had been burst open when he made
q search in the cellar. There were
marks on the brickwork of the vault as
if some one had worked on it with an
instrument. There were foot tracks of
man, and witness found the iron drill
produced in evidence, as well as small
piece of candle. When he returned to
the station he reported the matter. to
Detective Bosqui. He also made 9 ver-
bal report to Sergeant Fletcher at 8
o'clock. He authorized no one to break
open any doors'in the cellar, nor did he
break open any himself.
Sergeant Fletcher said Martin had
told him at 3 o'clock of the alleged at
tempted burglary. 1t is customary for
officers to make written reports in
similar. cases to their eergeants, but in
their absence they may report to the
clerk on duty, who informs the sergeant
on arrival. When witness found that
the matter had been Investigated by the
detectives he paid no further attention
to it. He had never seen the accused
under the influence of liquor while
serving in his watch.
All the evidence being then in, the
commissioners withdrew, and after q
short absence dismissed the charges.
The minority, consisting Of Commits.
sioners Lewis and Shatto, we're in favor