St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-03-24
THIS Is HOT.
His Friends Roast the Mayor-The
Matter Referred.

Matter deferred.
The police committee reported IN
favor of concurrence in the action OF
the mayor in dIscharging Capt. Haupt.
Sergeant Dowlan and Patrolman Con-
roy.
Mr.. Van Slvke submitted a minority
report recommending the action OF the
mayor be not cOncuTred in for the fol-
lowing reasons:
FirSt-That no charges have ever been
preferred against the men by any per-
son.
SecOnd-It was claimed the men were
discharged because of some alleged inn
propriety on their part in giving teStl-
mony before the license committee upon
the occasion Of an application OF one
Cooper for a renewal of his liquor
license. In support of this claim, a state,
ment was read puTpOrting to have been
made by the mayors secretary at the
time the men were discharged. 1t was
shown before the police committee that
the mayor and chief OF police had visited
Cooper's saloon during the summer ana
fall of 1892 and on Sundays and week
| DAYS a considerable number OF times.
| That on all occasions they had an op-
pOrtunitV of Judging of the character
| far as expressing any diSapproVal OF the
! method in which Mr.. Cooper conducted
| his saloon, both the mayor and chief
| expressed themselves as fully satisfied.
| They never at any time issued any order
or direction to Capt. Hanft with refer
| ence to COOper'S saloon, except perhaps
! a special order permitting the same to
! be kept open on one occasion after
| II O'Clock az night. That on one ocea-
sion Capt Hanft, in response to COM
| plants received from citizens, wrote
| officially to the chief of police, stating
| what the complaints were, and wrote
| formally in order that the complaints
| and letter might be brought formally
before the mayor and instructions given
! him. No attention was paid to the let
| ter by either the chief or mayor, and
the same remains unanswered to this
! daY. 1t appears further, by the uncOn-
| tradicted testimony of every witness
| who appeared before the police commit
tee, including Assemblyman Sandell
| and Aid. Zimmerman (whO subsequently
voted for the discharge OF the mem, that
the police officers when before the
license committee answered truthfully
every question put to them. That no
fact or circumstance with reference to
the character of the saloon conducted
bY Cooper or the persons who reSOrted
to it was concealed.
Further than this it appeared by the
uncontradicted testimony produced be-
fore the committee that upon the testl-
mony of the three officers alone the
| committee on licenses would have been
bound to refuse to grant Cooper re-
newal of his license. AsSemblyman
Sandell, who was present as member
of the committee on license at the time
the officers testified, admitted at the
I hearing before the police committee
that he knew of no reason for the dis
charge of these. officers. Aid. thinner
man testified to the same effect, but
stated further that he thought the of
ficers seemed reluctant TO testify.
Upon this state of facts / am forced
to the conclusion that the mayor of this
city never intended to interfere with
the management and operation OF
Cooper's place That when the COM
mittee on license refused to renew
| Cooper's license it was considered by
the mayor as reflection upon
the administration for having up tC
tina. time refused to regulate this place.
| That thereupOn it became necessary Ia
shield the administration from this i'm
puted neglect and that the three officers.
Hanft, DOWlan anu COnrOy were fixed
upon as victims, and upon whom should
be cast the stigma of official miscon-
duct In my judgment a great wrong
and injustice has been done these men.
Not only are they deprived of their
! positions and means of livelihood with
out cause. but in addition their char
acters are attempted to be taken away
and stigma put upon them which can
never be removed, and from the effects
of which not only themselves bur their
family and children will most unjuStly
suffer. | cannot therefore, under my
oath as a member of the council. give
my vote to sustain what the evidence
proves TO be a crying injustice.
As soon as the minority report had
been read. Mr. Van Slyke asked that
! the attorney for the discharged men be
heard. Mr.. Lightner objected to this,
and said the right had been extended at
the last meeting and had not been ac-
cepted. Nj. DOran also objected to the
matter being rehashed again. The nj
nority report was, he claimed, unfair.
1t made the allegation that the mayor
and chief of police had visited the Cooper
place several times. He had the mayors
word for il that he had never visited the