St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-07-06
Assistant Chief Canterbury
Placed on the Rack Of
Evidence.
Campbell Tells Some Stories
OF the Way His Superior
Did Business.
Allegations Made that He Was
Instructed to Steal on
Auspicious Occasions.
Indignant Denial Of the En-
tire Category Of Allega-
lions on Oath.


of Assistant Chief Canterbury, of the
fire department. in its hands, and which
has the power to remove him from Office
if the charges against him are sustained,
sat upon Canterbury's case yesterday
afternoon. The first witness called was
Thomas Campbell, pipe man at the
Cataract engine house on the East side.
Campbell gave his testimony in a
straightforward manner, saying that,
as he was under oath, lie had de-
cded to tell all. He admitted
to him at the fire at the New York
clothing house. Canterbury told him
that there were some good socks and
mittens in the burning building, and
that if he would hitch his horse and go
in that he would be we'll paid. Camp
bell was at the time driving Canter-
bury's rig. Campbell stated that he
went into the building, took several
pairs of socks and mittens and threw
them out of the window into
the alley 50 that no one would
see him, and that he afterward
gathered them up and placed
them In the assistant chiefs sleigh.
Campbell claimed IN his Testimony that
he received part of the spoils and that
Canterbury took the balance. Campbell
also stated that Canterbury pointed the
desirable gCcds out tC him, and that he
saw other firemen helping themselves.
1t was common practice, and no one
thought anything of it. The chiefs and
captains often ordered the men to help
themselves. The witness said that he
knew nothing about the alleged stealing
of the stalSkin caps at the Manhattan
fire until he heard the men talking about
il.
did you ever see Canterbury drunk
while Oh duty" was asked.
Il saw him take drink of beer at
fire. 1t was q private house though. |
have seen Canterbury chip i'll with the
boys, when one OF them would go out
10 buy quantity of beer"
Did the men and Canterbury drink
the beer in the engine house while on
duty?''
The keg was placed in the black
smith shop to the south of the engine
house."
Canterbury exercised the perrogatve
of his position, and asked the witness
| if lie was present at the fire at Shea's
| commission house last April. The wit
| ness replied that he was.
Did you take anything at that fire?"
asked the assistant.
That is for you to piove," replied
the witness.
PLEASE answer the question:" per-
sisted Canterbury.
81 took some oranges and ate them,
| but it was with the permission of Mr.
! Shea, and l can prove Ii by letter from
! him." answered Campbell.
Did you know it was Mr.. Shea at
the time?' asked Canterbury.
| Chairman ap4-nV haY.l intprOncpd
| saying that the witness was not on
trial and that the testimony regarding
| the Shea fire woaid be stricken out.
c. y. Mcdonald. an ex-tireman, was
| next sworn. In answer 10 the question
as TO what position lie had held III the
department the witness said that he had
| been everything from chief down to
hose cleaner. and that he had served
| with over two-thirds of the companies
| in the city. He was sub for TWO years.
and was dismissed four hours after he
was appointed regular fireman. Nc
| Donald was at the Manhattan fire and
told the following story:
Il was standing about ten feet from
the outside OF the door," he said, ''wnen
the fire was about over, when Canter-
| bury CAME up to me. He had in his
| hands lantern, which he placed i'll my
hands. and said that there were some
|
that L had better take the lantern and
get one. He told Inc that by get
ting on the counter and placing
| my foot on the shelf that L
could reach the caps. | put
the lantern back into his hand ard told
him that SealSkin caps We're little too
rich for lis blood. CanterUury's coat
was bulged out, and he looked like
man weighing 250 pounds. When | got
back to the engine house said to Nick
JurgenS, The chief tried to get me to
swipe sealskin cap aud Nick said
that every one knew that Canterbury
was one of the biggest thieves in the
| department."
The latter remark and the sentence
regarding McDonald's conversation
with Jurgens was ordered stricken out
Canterbury asked the witness if it was
dark when he spoke to him at the fire.
at was not so dark but that | could
recognize YOU" was the answer
Nicolay JurgenS, one of the sus-
pended men, and who is now under i'll
dictment, was the next man called.
JurgenS evidently has bitter hatred
for the preceding witness, Mcdonald, for
when he was asked if he had had any
conversation with the latter, he replied
Il should say not, for 10 one in the
department would stoUp SO low. He is
the dirteSt, the meanest, the most foul
mOuthed liar that we ever knew. He
has done dirty work against every MEM
Der OF the department, and he was
the man whose lying got Inc
| indicted" Jurgen'S testimony was
! of no especial importance, as
he claims TO know nothing concerning
! tie mutitudinouS offerings alleged to
have been going on in the department.
JurgenS was asked concerning the hat
lie gave to Canterbury, and replied that
he would have no objections TO telling
where he got it if he could remember
! where ne had bought il. lie persisted
that he came by it honestly.
The above concluded the prosecution
for the afternoon, and it may be that nC
additional witnesses Will be sworn fol
the committee. When the chairman
announced to Canterbury that he mao
no more witnesses, and that the latter
might testify in his own be-
half, the latter Scornfully asked il
the above testimony was the terrible
array Of evidence" against him, and all
the grand jury went by when it wrote
that great roast. Canterbury announced
that today at the morning session he
would have several reliable witnesses
present TO impeach the witness Melon
aid. The witnesses to be sworn this
morning will be Ben White, Dell David
son, Tom Collins, Fred johnson, Ser
geant Leonard and Charles Elliott, 6
bartender.
In his own testimony Canterbury SAID
that Campbell was the driver of hi:
own private rig, and that he had told 6
tissue Of deliberate lies. He had NJ
idea of what the intention of the wit
ness could have been unless he haC
joined issues with other Of the men il
an effort to GUST both Runge and him.
self. Canterbury denied ever having
taken anything at fires, and said that i
was not general practice, as had beer
claimed by some of the witnesses. Hs
denied having advised Mcdonald t.