Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-06-03
POLICE and HIRE.
THESE COUNCIL COMMITTEES HAD LIVELY
SESSIONS LAST EVENING.
Police Officers Who Don't Pay Their Debts to Be
Dismissed From the Forcs-Ths Question Of
Killing DOgs-Ihe Old Wgilant
Engine to Be Repaired.


Both bodies had matters OF some i'm
portance up for consideration, the Fire
Committee dealing with the question OF
repairing the old Vigilant engine or
buying an entirely new machine, while
Police wrestled with the question OF
allowing the Chief of Police dollar for
each and every dog killed by his men,
and also what should be done with
police officers who refused to pay their
honest debts.
The Police Committee met in the pri-
vate Office of the Chief.
The auditing Of bills was proceeded
with quietly until an item OF S37, Tor
dogs killed during the month of May,
came up. This revived the talk which
has been heard in the Committee on
previous auditing days, as to the advls-
ability OF amending the existing ordi-
nance so as to Top of this perquisite OF
the Chiefs. and there was Il pretty gen.
eral and free interchange OF opinion.
An examination Of the ordinance book
showed that the law authorizing the
payment of the dollar for each dog
killed was passed by Council in 1881,
and has been in full force and effect
ever since. 1t was also found that the
ordinance required the Chief to either
bury the deceased canine or transport
the remains to the crematory. After
some talk Mr.. Brock made motion
that the Committee recommend TO
Council that the existing ordinance be
changed. The Chief was then called
In, and he stated that it cost him
anywhere from twenty-five to fifty
cents to dispose of a dog
after it had been been killed, but he
jokingly admitted that sometimes"
the dead animals were shipped out OF
town on the 3. 81 o. freight trains
Then there are the cartridges" said
the chief. 81 have to buy them, and
they use a good many" "Is that be-
cause the dogs are hard to kill or the
policemen are bad shots?" asked a
Committeeman. "Well," said the Chief,
Il suspect its because the dogs are
hard to kill" YES" said Superinten-
dent Maloney; II know of one who
stood nine bullets, and then we had to
kill him with a broom-stick." After u
good deal more talk, during which
considerable opposition was made 10 the
changing OF the ordinance during a
Chiefs term of Office, after the law had
been in effect so many years, the
pending resolution was laid on the table
The police bills, agsregating SlS1,3 IS.
were then ordered paid. The report
for April showed 100 arrests, 81, 213.40
assessed as fines and costs, and SS72, 10
of this sum paid. The patrol ans wered
65 calls, hauled 90 people, and Travelled
So miles.
Then another important matter was
reached. brought up through the read
ing OF communication from Mrs.
Louisa busch, a widow, who COM
planned that officer Jacob Watson
would not pay matter OF $40 OF rent
due her. He had owed $50 last fall, and
promised TO pay $40 per month. He
made one payment, and then stopped.
Several members Of the Committee said
they had been approached about this
matter, and other debts OF the same Of
ficer, and Mr.. Warneke said he had also
been requested TO bring up the matter
Of debt owed by Officer Conrad. The
Chief was called in, and said he had
spoken TO Officer Conrad about the mat
ter, and he had first said he didn't
know he owed this particular
debt, later that he would attend to it,
and finally he said the debtor might go TO
warm climate. Messrs. Robinson and
Irwin were in favor Of making non-pay-
ment of honest debts sufficient reason
for dismisslng officers from the force.
Mr.. Richards didn't believe In max
ing a collecting agency out OF the Com
mittee, and gave reasons for his belief.
Mr.. Irwin was surprised at some of the
things Mr.. Richards had said, but Mr.
Richards didn't see anything surprising
in his statements. After a bong dis
cussion resolution to make refusal or
failure to pay debts sufficient reason for
dismissal was adopted, and the Chief
was instructed to notify Officers Wat
son and Conrad.
City prison bills amounting to Sl57.64
were then ordered paid, and the Super
intsndent was instructed to take the
the natural gas out of the prison at
once.