The Wilmington daily Republican., 1895-08-15
A CONFLICT AVERTED
In the Omaha Police Commission
Controversy,
THE SUPREME COURT TO DECIDE

The Contesting Bodies Como Together and
Decide to Prevent a Resort to Arms by
Final Appeal, Though Both Claim to
be Legal.
OMAHA, Aug 15.-All probability Of re-
sort to arms to settle the municipal mud
die over the rival police commissions is
now very remote, but for two hours yes
terday 1t looked very much as though q
serious collision was inevitable. The side
walks and streets surrounding the city
hall were crowded with people, and the
interior Of the building was crowded with
sheriffs and offA,ers. The American Pro
tective association commission convened
Mt 10 a. IN. In this city, amid considerable
excitement. The members wore encour-
aged with cheers from 200 A. p. AS pres
ent. They were expected to at onoe place
rival police force on the streets of the
city, attempt to oust Chief of Police White
and storm the city jail
This was the schedule as given by the
A. r. A. 3 pretending to be on the inside.
The situation was intensified by tho re-
port from Kansas City that the A. p. A.
councils had 200 armed men ready to
send to Omaha to maintain tho A. e. A.
commission. At the same time the old
commission was in the mayors office,
ready to issue orders to repel any force
necessary to maintain Its position.
After brief conference the A. p. A.
committee concluded to confer with the
old board before resorting to arms. The
conference was the result of aletter which
Mayor Bemis sent to the A. p. A. board
Thursday night, asking the members to
meet the old board and endeavor to reach
a peaceable settlement OF the controversy.
The members Of the now board replied
that they had decided to meet Mayor
Bemis and his colleagues, and the mayor
replied that they were ready. The two
boards remained closeted for an hour or
more. When the door was opened It was
announced that an agreement had been
reached. Mayor Bemis then sent tele-
gram, signed by himself as chairman Of
tho old board, and by w. j. Broatch as
chairman of the new board, to Governor
Holcomb and A. s. Churchill, attorney
general:
"lf the supreme court will meet at an
early date all the members of the two
boards of fire and police commissioners
will unto in request for an early hear
ing. Can you get,the court to fix a short
dateP Answer"
This telegram was sent to each Of the
justices of the supreme court:
"All parties agree to submit the police
matter to supreme court ii early hearing
can be had
This was also signed by the chairman
of each board. They wanted il understood
that neither board had made any conces-
sion. Each side stood as it stood before,
and in that respect there was no change
in the situation. They had simply agreed
that the best interest of all concerned
would be served by submitting the case to
the court. When Mr.. Kandervoort was
asked whether members would proceed to
organize u police force in opposition to
that controlled by the old board, he would
not answer directly, but stated that
neither board was going te be very strict
ON the other while the matter was pend
ing before the supreme court.
Chief Justice Novel, of tho supreme
court, announced late last night that a
special session of the court would be held
this afternoon to settle the case.