The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-01-18
BAKER NOT 70 BE BOUNCED.
The Investigation Results in His EX-
0ncTatiOn.

An 1nvestigation Of the Detective De-
partment Next on the Tapis-A Claim
That 1t is Corrupt TO the Core and
That the Police Commission VIII Also
Be Shown Up in Very Bad Light.
Tragic Encounters Looked for, But
They Have so Far Failed to Ma
terialize.
Atlanta, Jan. 1.-THE Bell committee's
!nvesugation OF the charges against Capt.
Amos Baker. clerk OF the police court.
was finished this afternoon. Col w. c.
Glenn spoke in support Of the charges
and In defense OF the detectives who
made them.
Attorneys b. H. Hin and L. 4. Rosser
argued for Capt. Baker. and gave the
detectives n most unmerciful roasting.
In this counter-investigation there has
been so much damaging evidence OF COR
ruption against Detectives Wright. Cason,
and Looney, that Chairman English OF
the police commission. the champion OF
the detectives. has announced himself in
favor of searching investigation of
the police department. This investiga-
1t Will be begun without unnecessary
delay. Those who ought to know claim
that the department Is rotten through
and through, and that the police commis-
sion Itself Will be caught In the mire.
Another sensational turn taken by the
investigation Is against the city court
officials Dives were accused Of being in
colusion with the officials working up
gaming cases for the benent OF Solicitor
Thomas insolvent costs and doing a
generally disreputable business for that
court.
There were several sensational Incl
dents during the session OF the commits
tee to-day although the testimony intro
duced was pretty much OF the same
character as already given
The first sensational occurrence was the
imposition Of a fine Of $40 upon w IL
Barnes, son OF Sheriff Barnes, because
ne refused 20 obey a witness subpoena.
Barnes was brought In by a bailif un-
der attachment. Later he apologized to
the committee and the fine was remitted.
Fred Cooper, the witness for the de-
tcctyes. who gave the inside work.
inEs and history OF the National hotel
dive, where he worked and loafed be-
fore he reformed, was put back on the
stand to rebut the statement OF Bill Hall,
the proprietor. that he never practiced
the "nm fam" trick there
While on the stand Cooper appealed 10
the committee TO protect him from the
sarcasm OF Lawyer Rosser. A contro-
versy arose between the lawyer and
Cooper, the latter eXclaiming to Mr.
Rosser: Yes, sir. and you have said
things here that were not true" Mr..
Rosser replied to the effect that he would
say what he pleased, at which Cooper re-
torted, as he was leaving the stand:
And If you do IN be outside waiting for
you, too" Everybody expected to see a
fight between the two after the session,
but when Mr.. Rosser left tho chamber,
Cooper was no where In sight.
When Hall was put up he pronounced
Coopers statement about the "1im fam
gamo an infamous lie. Cooper and HALL
are both regarded as dangerous charac-
ters, and when the latter went up Pryor
street in the direction Cooper had taken
"a few minutes before, holding some-
thing In his hand in his pocket. presuma-
bly, pistol the crowd followed, expect-
ing to see blood spilled, but up to date
Cooper and Hall have not come together.
The keepers Of nearly all the notorious
houses In town were summoned as wit
nesses against the detectives to-day, but
they were not put on the stand.
The Bell committee made up its report
OF the Baker case for the city council at II
O'Clock tonight. The report exhonerates
Capt Baker and recommends the appoints
ment of a committee OF five from the coun-
Gil TO make n sweeping investigation OF
the whole police department Pending
this investigation. It is recommended that
Chief Detective Wright and Detectives
Looney and Cason be suspended from Of
fee. Tho fact that the council is asked
to make the investigation is a sensational
reflection on the board OF police commis-
sioners and indicates that that body will
have to face trouble.