The Washington times., 1894-08-17
TEN BLACK POLICE SHEEP
Summary Dismissal Of Officers Who
Have Betrayed Their Trusts.
TRIAL BOARD UNDULY LENIENT
Emphatic Statement That the Force Must Be
Believed Of Non Like These-They We're
Active Tools and Agents Of Lawbreakers-
No General investigation Win Follow.

The action Of the board Of Commissioners
yesterday in the police cases was an emphatic
warning that derelict officials will no longer
be tolerated, and that the faithful men in
service shall have proper support in the dis
charge Of their duties.
Ten members Of the police force, seven Of
them implicated in the sensational affair de-
veloped by Sergt. Daley in July, when meet
ing Of tho Fat Mems Beneficial Association
over Wells saloon in South Washington was
raided, were summarily dismissed, as re-
suit Of the Commissioners Investigation Of the
facts.
The Commissioners, by the way, avail them
selves OF the opportunity to give the board a
roasting" forcibly reminding that body that
In future there must be no more mild sem
tences for gross violations OF duty
There will be no general investigation Of
the police department at this time by the
Commissioners, it is officially declared, but
complaints received against individual mem
bers of the force will be referred in the usual
way to the trial board. Should charges be
preferred against any considerable number of
the policemen the Commissioners will make
the investigation as in the cases Of those dis
missed yesterday. They say they have not
the time to devote to these trials and will not
attempt to conduct an examination except
the gravity Of the offenses and the number
involved should demand it. Seven of the
men discharged yesterday were attached TO
the Fourth precinct, and as stated in the COM
munication addressed to Maj. Moore, they
were active members Of the Fat Mems Bene-
fetal Association.
LETTER TO MAJOR MOORE.
Major Mora was On vasterday fbe rocini-
ent OF the following official communication:
''DEAR SIR: The following named privates
of the Metropolitan Police force are hereby
from the force. viz: Washington Sanford. p.
]. Hayden, William Kemp, Z. E. Lee. Alex
ander McKie. ]. L. Hatton, James Fenton,
Alvin Bryan, j. II. Clements and ". I. Haw-
kins.
1.-The first seven are members Of the So
called Fat Mems Beneficial Association, hav-
ing its Headquarters over and directly con-
nected with Wells saloon at No. 1863 N street
southwest. The first five named were pres
ent on Sunday. although off duty. when that
place was raided by Sergt. Daley, and
were tried for entering bar-room premises
where the law in reference TO the sale of
liquor WIS being violated. The charges were
dismissed, it is presumed, upon technical
grounds only. The evidence shows that this
association was composed Of policemen,
saloon keepers. and others. the policemen
and saloon keepers being the active members,
and Mr.. Wells being the most active member
and chief beneficiary.
.'The association was organized at Gears.'s
saloon, the proprietor OF which was also a
member, and since then has met regularly
once week at Wells place. where a keg of
beer and refreshments were served to the
members at each meeting. On two occasions,
at least, the club, or a portion of it, met on
Sunday in a room over the barroom. which,
during the week. was used IN connection with
the latter for dispensing liquor to Wells pa
irons, and is practically part Of the saloon.
WHEN THE RAID WAS MADE.
ION the Sunday when the raid was made
the association was protected by locked
doors and the services of a sergeant-at-arms,
whose duty. it appears, was to assault and
eject any person, even officers Of the law, at
tempting to gain access. The beer and re-
freshments were concealed in the bathroom
and had evidently been removed from tine
refrigerator but a short time previous.
The association numbers thirty-six persons.
and the membership is limited to forty. The
beneficial features for which its organization
is claimed consists of assessments of 81 on
each member for the burial OF deceased men,
bers. 1t was claimed by Wells when Daley
entered the room that he had presented the
boys with a key of beer but in his testi-
mony. for obvious reasons. he thought it bet
ter to admit that the beer had been purchased
of him on the previous Thursday evening
and placed in the bathroom by him on Sat
urday evening. That one of the special OBJ
jects of the meeting on Sunday may have
been to make arrangements for an excursion
on the following day does not change the
fact that this combination of saloon-keepers
and policemen was undoubtedly organized as
nj ri ,l, oh fati,- f,,t.,
OF the saloon men and as means of enabling
them to evade the law or violate it with i'm
punity. The benefits in the event of death
derived from assessments OF Il from not to
exceed forty members are too Insignificant to
be seriously considered.
BAR REMOVED TO THE BATHROOM.
"The bar-room was carefully locked and
exposed to view on that Sunday, as required
by law, but the contents of the bar were re-
moved to the bathroom and dispensed TO the
persons gathered there in a room which was
used every day of the week as a part of the
saloon, and connected with the bar room,
with free access between them. While this
of law was going on in Wells place
Fenton. another member of the association,
was patrolling his beat outside, and knew
that the meeting was being held inside. No
wonder that when called upon to assist Sergt.
IN rafdlnR the place he gave no
intimation of what was going on inside. and
that wien called to the assistance of Sergt.
Daley he failed to respond. Could it be sup
posed for a moment that an officer who could
so far forget his duty as TO enter into such
relations with saloon-keepers whose places of
business he is especially charged with the
duty of watching and reporting those who
sell on Sunday, would give any information
that would lead to the conviction of the lat
ter no matter how fragrant their violation
might be? Surely not.
..These officers, when they joined that asso-
citation. deliberately betrayed the trust reposed
in them and became the active tools and
agents of men whose purpose was to violate
the law. They are veterans in the service and
have served long enough among law-breakers
10 enable them to avoid being deceived. They
were familiar with every technicality of the
liquor law and were knowingly aiding and
abetting Wells in violating it. The police
Torce must be relieved of such men, and those |
who might be weak enough to yield to similar
temptation warned that their punishment will |
be swift and sure after detection
REASON IR BRYAN's CASE.
"Bryan is dismissed for trying without the |
slightest reason to impeach and discredit the