St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-07-18
WILL THIS EVER END?
TIE TRIAL Or C 9iEF ENGINEER RU.cE
ATLASTL IS 6EGUN.
LONG SUMMER,s JOB.

So Much Preliminary WrangIing
That But One Witness Is Ex-
amined. and Yet There Are
Sixty More of Them in
Sight.
Chief August 81. Runge is now Off
cially on the rack.
Last night the honorable city council
took the chief in tow and spent several
weary hours in quiZZing and muddling
witness in order that the charge
against him could be proved or dis
proved. Assistant City Attorney Dunn
had the prosecution i'll charge and eX-
amined just one of the sixty witnesses
which, it is claimed, will be arrayed
against the integrity of the chief.
Frank T. Davis took hold of the wit
ness, and succeeded in bringing out the
fact that there had been considerable
wind in the testimony taken previ-
ously before the investigating commit
Tee.
The council chamber was arranged
expressly for the occasion. The alder
! men were huddled together in a crowd
on the east side of the room. while the
balance of the space was fixed up for
the large crowd of spectators present
A witness stand was constructed by
Frank Gaylord out of a dry goods box
ami few of Gilmore's band advertising
slabs. and the mass was placed under
the eagle eye of President kIichli.
The atmosphere of the council cham
Der was sweltering, and the all was
quickly vitiated by the two hundred
persons i'll the room.
At s:l5 President Kiichli dropped his
wooden gaYel with a d. S. I. aunOunc-
| ing that the trial was at last ''On."
Every eye in the room lighted for an IN
slant upon the Suaye chief of the fire
| department, and noting all absolute I'M
! concern Oh the part of the latter, the
! chances went to President kiichli, who
asked the pleasure of the assembled al
dermen.
e. F. Hitchcock was elected official
sLenographer for the entire proceed
ingS. al a fixed salary.
The real interest in the proceedings
did not evince itself however, until
City Clerk Charles Haney arose to read
the answer to the charges made against
Chief Runge which the chief filed late
yesterday afternoon with the city clerk.
L
considerable comment on account of its
brevity. Chief Runge during the read
ing listened intently,a and smiled slightly
during the recital of his answer 10 the
ninth clause The answer was as fol-
lows:
"In the matter of certain charges of
the city council of the city of Minneap-
oils against A. II. Runge. chief engineer
Of the fire department of said city.
Now comes a. Ii. Runge, chief ell
gineer of the fire department of the
city of Minneapolis, and answering the
charges heretofore submitted against
him by the special committee or the
city council of the city of Minneapolis,
Mimi, says:
That as to the first, second. third,
fourth. fifth, sixth. seventh and eighth
Of said charges, he, the said A. II.
Runge denies the same and every part
| thereof, and every allegation therein
contained, charging him, the said y. ii.
Runge. with misconduct. incompetency
or lnetnciency i'll office, or the commits
sion OF any Otfense.
That as to the ninth of said charges,
he, the SAID A. ii. Runge, can make no
! answer in that the same is too indefinite,
| and charges no misconduct, inetficiency
| or OtfeHSe whatsoever.
Dated July II, 1898.
''Respectfully submitted.
"a. II. RUNGE,
''Chief Engineer Fire Department.
by f. f. Davis"
Aid. Harvey then offered for adoption
a set of prescribed rules governing the
mode Of procedure during the trial.
| The rules prescribed that the aldermen
| ShO uld take an oath to faithfully per-
| form their duties. which oath should be
! administered by the city clerk; thar all
witnesses should be sworn by oath; that
| the evidence should be taken in the fol-
| lowing order: Evidence for pTOsecu-
| ton. evidence for defense. rebuttal for
! prosecution, rebuttal for defense; that
| the president should rule in all points
| of evidence; that an appeal case
! he taken from the decision or the chair:
! that the attorneys would have power to
| object to testimony rulings and to state
reasons; also governing debate and
! discussions; that after the taking OF
testimony attorneys for each side wOuiG
| be allowed fifteen minutes in which TO
| sum up; that Frank P. Gaylord be elect
! ed seTgeant-at-armS with full authority
| TO preserve order.
Before the proceedings began there
was long and useless tight over the
| rules and over the number of attorneys
/ each side might have.
The Trial Begins