The San Francisco call., 1895-12-18
Foreman of Engine Nine
and Four Extramen
Suspended.
TO BE CALLED FOR TRIAL
Chief Sullivan Says No Man Who
Steals Can Remain in
" the Department.
-,
A DENIAL OF THE CHARGE.
First Time in Over Two Years That
Members Have Been Charged
With Plundering.
a DENIAL OF THE CHARGE

NO man who steals can be member of
this department, and no member of the
department who steals can remain in it
While have anything to do with it''
This: remark was made DIV Chief En-
gineer Sullivan last night, and it was
uttered in a manner so emphatic that there
was no mistaking that he meant what he
said. e
There has not been a charge of theft
against any member of the department for
: more than two years, and you may Judge
Of my surprise" continued the Chief,
when late Saturday night 1 was told that
several members of Engine Company 9
had committed a theft at the fire in the
. clearinghouse, corner of Bush and Bat
terry streets, a short time since.
- mem ber of the company told me that
he had seen several of the men with panta-
looms stolen from that fire and several with
vests that came from the same place, and
as l sized it up there must have been a
sackful of clothes.
"A wagon-load of clothes stolen from
thereY repeated the Chief. mo, that's a
mistake; there was not more than a sack
ful. L questioned my informant very
closely and told him he was making a
serious accusation against me, so l wanted
him to be sure as to what he was talking
about. He repeated what he had said. and
after further investigation [ became con-
vinced that he was telling the truth.
4 discovered that neither the driver nor
the engineer were i'm plicated in the matter,
so | interviewed the stoker, who was trans
ferred to the company on the first of the
month, for the purpose OF finding out If
any one at the fire had thrown or placed
any clothing in his wagon to take to the
engine-house. He said that he had not
carried anything unusual in his wagon,
and believe he told the truth.
Il notified Commissioner Bohen, the
president Of the board. and also spoke to
other Commissioners, and they at once
desired me to investigate the charge and
II the facts warranted it, to suspend the
men and then prefer charges against them
before the board.
the following dav being Sunday, but
little could be done; but on Monday I
went at it bright and early, and by the
time | got through, James w. Buchanan,
the foreman Of the company, and Extra
men w. H. Cronan, Mulyaney, Holmes
and Cullenden were suspended. They
will be charged and ordered to appear for
trial before the board
Before suspending the men, the Chief
sent for them and told them of the accusa-
l''Each and every one of them,'' said the
Chief, denied the charge, as it was to be
expected they would. This is a serious
matter, and the officers of the department
do not want to keep it dark, for they do
not want any crooked work. 1t is unfor-
tunate that such thing should have oc-
CURED, and particularly at this time when
this man Wiley has been making so many
charges that were without any basis of
truth,
The Chief stated further that search
had been made, for the clothing, but it
could not be discovered.
Buchanan, who keeps a saloon on Mis-
Sion street, was not at his place Of business
last evening, and it was stated there that
he had said in the afternoon that he had a
little business to attend to and would not
return TO the saloon