St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-02-15
FUN HAS COMMENCED
The Fire Department Investi-
cation Begins in Spite of
the Chief.
Four of the Discharged Fire
men Give Evidence Be-
fore the Committee.
The Deadlock Is Broken and
Minneapolis Has a City
Physician.
The Board Of Education Opens
Bids for School House
Sites.

Bids for School House
Sites.
The fire department investigation
was commenced last night in the COM
mittee room of the city hall. CHIEF
| Runge was not present. Neither was
the chairman of the fire committee.
! Aid. Woodward. An attempt was made
in the afternoon to secure postpone
ment Of the investigation, but it was
not successful. Word was sent to the
city hall that Chief Runge was too i'll to
appear, and the same statement was
made before the committee last night
| The committee, however. had postponed
| the investigation once before, and did
not propose to do so again, so the
business was commenced IN spite
of the absence of Chief Runge. +. f.
Davis, the attorney, appeared as coun-
sci for the chief. 1t was the opinion of
everybody present that Chief Runge
| had prejudiced his case by sending an
attorney to conduct his side OF an inveS-
| tigation which he had asked for him
| self. The firemen had no lawyers,
though the committee looked to it that
they were not outraged. Only four or
the discharged tiremen were heard, the
committee adjourning at 10:45 until
next Monday night There was a large
audience present, the committee room
being crowded with firemen and their
friends.
Dennis Corey, the discharged tiller-
man of Truck 2, Engine House No. II.
was the first witness called. He stated
| he became a member of the fire depart
ment two years ago and was discharged
| Feb. l of the present year by Chief
Runge. The first intimation that he
was to be discharged was given him
through the newspapers. On the after
noon of the same day the captain of his
| company presented him with note
from Chief Runge stating he was dis
| charged. When he went to the chief
! and asked him why he was discharged,
| he was told it was none of his AFFAIR.
| Corey said he was fined by Runge, who
was acting chief, three years ago, for
| taking several drinks while sick and Off
duty.
In reply to Aid. Lackey, Corey stated
he had not been "called upon the car
| pet" by the chief or any superior officer
| duriDg the past two years. BY being
"calle6 upon the carpet he meant
reprimanded or called before the chief
to answer to charges. MI. Davis asked
Corey if be had not stated he would not
work under Runge if he was reelected.
| He replied he had not, neither had he
said disrespectful things of his chief: A
passage at arms enSued between Mr..
| Davis and the committee in regard to
| the extent OF cross examination. The
| committee having the upper hand, de-
cided to hold Mr.. Davis down bit.
G. N. Watts. The Veteran
engineer who formerly looked after the
| engine at No. 8, was next called. He
| stated he had been in the fire service
since the good old days of '69, when he
belonged to the volunteer department.
He joined the paid department in rs,
! and had been an active member ever
| since. He was notified of his discharge
| by Chief Runge by curt note, stat
| ing his services were no longer re-
| CURED. Watts could give no reason for
| his discharge. He had never been rep
rimanded nor had he ever been re-
ported for being drunk, for he never
| INDUCED in Intoxicating liquors. lie
was called before Chief Runge once for
declining to go through drill for Dec
| Grafton day exercises. He was not
! obliged to 90 through the drill, and the
matter was satisfactorily adjusted. Mr..
Davis then attempted to delve into the
DAYS of antiquity and force Watts to
| give in detail his conduct under the
| regime OF Winn Bracket, but the COM
mittee shut INN off.
Watts acknowledged that during the
Lumber Exchange fire he went into the
West hotel to warm his feet, and his
assistant allowed the engine to freeze
| up. He was never called 20 account for
| the affair, for it was not his fault. The
| weather was very severe, the thermom-
eter being fully 80 deg below zero. Sew
eral engines froze up that night.
did you ever say you would do up
Chief Runge?" asked Mr.. Davis.
| mo, Sir" was the emphatic reply. IL
will be remembered Chief Runge
gave voice to this statement when the
trouble first began. and the Journal
printed it. A few days later the Jour
nal retracted for Watts.
| Daniel A. NoOnan, the eX-pipeman of
Engine No. -, swore he had been with
the fire department eight years and
knew nothing of his discharge until he
| read of it in the GLOBE. The same day
Chief Runge said he did not need him
any more. He was discharged, the
chief said, not for politics, but because
better man could be secured. lie was
laid off for sixty days, after the Church
of the Redeemer fire, three years ago.
| He had been on duty seventeen hours
and on his way home had taken several
! drinks. He was overcome and several
days later laid off.
Noonan, in a rich brogue, told how ne
was reported for being in politics"
1t was a comedy all in itself, and the
committee had a good laugh when he
related that it all originated from the
Seventh ward. Aid. Miner asked him
if Aid. Woodward hal ever called at his
house. lie replied:
"ShuIe, an I've seen tn e althermaR
dhriyin' around a good dale"
1t appeared that two members of the
| department had occasioned most Of the
trouble regarding politics. They were
| promoted and Noonan was discharged.
One of them, Lieut.. Mccullough, Of
Chemical No. 5, kept his horse in the
barn of No. Is and part Of the time fed
him at the expense of the city. Aid.
Miner and Mr.. Davis FLASHED again over
eading questions put to the witness by
| he latter. Aid. Miner stated he did not
ropose to have the witness outraged.
he co mmittee was there for the pur-
| sc OF protecting the witnesses.
"The Supposed Chief"
E. c. Mayo, the ex-assistant engineer
| of Enpine No 10 whO fOllOwed Nom n