St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-02-09
The Margaret Street Police
officers Are Yet on the
Pay Roll,
And the Assembly Commit
tee Is Undecided What
Step TO Take.
Ramsey Solons Confer With
County officers on Pend
ing Bills.
The Charge of a Fence Against
Lazarus Fails to
Hold.

The assembly committee on police
net Yesterday afternoon. and, after
considerable sparring, adjourned for
Two weeks. The matter under conSid-
grafton was the communication from
Mayor Wright announcing the discharge
of Capt. Hanft, Sergeant Dowlan and
Patrolman Conroy.
When the communication was read In
the assembly, at the last meeting of that
body, the matter was referred 10 the
committee, with the understanding that
The officers discharged would be given a
hearing. AsSemblyman DOran, when
the meeting was called to order yester-
day, said there were no charges
TO Investigate, as the may
Dr's communication simply said
The three men were discharged,
for the good of the service. In order to
hear the officers side of the case and
enter into an investigation it would be
necessary, he SAID, TO assume or presume
that some charges had been made to the
may0r against them. While it was I'M
derStoOd the men were discharged for
the manner in which they testified as to
the character of a disoIderly saloon on
East Seventh street, there was nothing
in the mayors communication which
could be SO construed, and there might
have been other reasons which led to
their dismissal. Attorney j. w. Pinch,
who appeared for the discharged Otfi-
cials. said I. ID. O'Brien, who has been
retained as counsel, was busy in court,
and the understanding was there would
be nothing done until charges were laid
before the committee. If the COM
mittee desired to hear the men at
This time, they were ready. He had
looked the charter through, and while it
did not say how the charges should be
presented, it was only fair and justice
to the officers discharged that the
charges should be in writing. 1t would
then enable the persons against whom
charges had been made to meet them.
Mr.. WOlterStOrtf suggested a report to
the assembly, with the statement that
no charges having been presented there
was nothing to investigate. The assem-
bly, he thought would then notify the
mayor 10 send in the charges Oh which
he discharged the men, and an investi-
CATION would then follow as matter of
course.
Mr.. Van Slyke thought the matter
had better rest in the hands of the conf
mittee for couple of weeks. Suppose,
said he, the committee report back as
suggested by Mr.. Wolterstorff, and the
assembly confirm the action of the
mayor. The men would then be left
without a chance to be heard. Mr..
Doran thought as matter of economy
the men should be taken off the pay
roll. Mr.. Van Slyke said if they were
others would be Immediately appointed,
INo tC M. oif y-
Mr. DOran thought the mayor was under
Of the police departmental had the right
to discharge. Chief Garvin came
in at this point in the discussion, and in
answer to questions said the men were
discharged owing to the evidence given
by them before the license committee.
He was asked if he considered the rea-
SONS sufficient TO cause their discharge,
but before he could answer even if he
intended to, member of the committee
interpOSed an objection. 1t was an
nounced by the chief that there was no
record of the testimony taken before
he license committee, but that Mr..
tombstone, the mayors secretary, had
The testimony taken at the investigation
acid before the mayor. Mr.. Wolter-
storff withdrew his motion to report
10 the assembly that there were no
charges before the committee to investi-
gate, and on emotion of Mr.. Van Slyke
The matter was laid over two weeks.
Fhe question was raised as to whether
it would be necessary to request the
mayor to furnish the chargessou which
the officers were discharged. Mr.. VOL
terstorff thought the mayor had better
be allowed to do as he pleased in the
matter, and this seemed to strike the
committee very favorably.
In the meantime, the discharged Off
Gals. while in state of suspense as to
how the affair will turn out, are still
drawing the scheduled salaries.