The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-07-13

Developments in the case of Chief
Donovan against his officers came
oner than expected.
The first blow was delivered yester-
day. Ever since the meeting OF the
com nissioners on Monday evening,
when the chief declared that it was alb
solu tely necessary for his own peace
Of mind and the harmony of the de-
pantment that he have a new set OF
higher officials under him, those on the
inside have been looking for something
to drop. 1t is known that the commits
sion, by its decision in the Devine case
and private opinions entertained, mas
given reason for the chief to believe
that it IS prepared to stand by him to
the bitter end The only question SO
Tar has been just how to get at the mat
ter II was not known at first just
what charges would be made. 1t was
debated whether ito open up a long ca Sc
and take the record OF the officers and
their dOings while supposedly in pri-
vate or transgressions of rules in many
different ways, or whether to make
direct attack on general inefficiency
and let the whole thing rest at that.
A decision was arrived g { on Thursday
night and the charges prepared yes
terday morning in Chief Devine'S best
Spencerian hand.
The First Move.
In the morning Assistant Chief Mix
Donovan was summoned from house
No{2. He came up Immediately and
YES called into the chiefs office and
xxre served with written notice of his
pension without pay and the charg-
8fSfied against him. Later in the
day Chief Devine went down to engine
holsIse No. and presented Captain p
L witt 0f
suspension and, copy Of charges
1t is a curious thing that the chief
has chosen TO bring his charges al
most wholly on the matter brought out
in his own trial. While he processes
entire freedom from all such feelings
it gives the charges an All = retalia-
ton and revenge. The first charge is
based on his testimony as to the plac-
ing of men on the apparatus. The sec
ond and third are that he has failed to
keep good order and discipline among
the men and has not reported their in
subordination. With Captain Sullivan
the charge is on the evidence ait the
hearing that there were only two men
at house No. > during meal hours. The
lase charge in each case is that their
removal would be for the goOd of the
DEPARTMENT.
1t is on ,the latter charge that the
sStrongest effort is to r. made Those
idea for some time. The principal sug-
gestiOn in regard to it came fr, m O1na-
ha, where the board of police and fire
commissioners recently discharged a
captain, sergeant and sixteen patrol
men The idea has been worked on and
jt.has been decided if that charge will
stick as being sufficient cause il will
put both the police and fire chiefs in
position to govern their men without
letting them have 'cinch on their
The Charges.
The charges as filed with the COM
missionerS against the two men are as
follows:
Gentlemen:-In compliance with rule
10. page Is, rules governing the chief
engineer, / beg leave 20 report that NJ
M Donovan, assistant chief of the de-
partmeDt, is incompetent to ill the DO
fSStlcn he now holds in said fire depart
tylent, in that he IS ignorant of how to
place men to man the apparatus.
This disqualification is specified in
rule 3. page SO, under "Ofenses and
penalties" rules governing the depart
ment.
Charge 2-He has violated rule 4,
chapter l, page A, rules governing as
sistant engineer, in that he has failed
to see that good order and proper dis
partment are maintained.
Charge 81 charge that he has vio-
lated rule 16, page So, chapter 10 of
Rules Governing the Department"
This rule. as well as the preceding one.
he has violated on several occasions,
b. more particularly during the month
of June OF the present year.
Charge Al further charge that for
the good of the service said NJ. NJ.
Donovan should be retired from the
department.
JAMES DEvINE,
Chief Engineer.
SuIIivan's Case.
Gentlemen:-I beg to report that
have this day suspended from duty in
the fire department, 2. J. Sullivan, of
engine hose No. ,, on the following
charges, to-wit: % While acting in the
capacity of captain of engine hose No.
2. he Violated rule Is. on page ~.
chapter 3, rules prescribing the duties
of captain.
1 also charge that he has violated
rule on pag- 6, under head of regular
absence Tie particular violation is
specified as follows: That on or ibout
May 18th. 26th and 9th, 1895, the said
j.. j. Sullivan, while in charge of said
house as captain and responsible for
the Whereabouts of his men. permitted
the two pieces of apparatus then sta
toned in said house to be left with
only Two men during meal hours. (2)
further charge that the good of the
service demands his removal from the
fire department.
JAMES -DEVINE,
Chief Engineer.
The particular rule spoken of in
charge 3 against Donovan reads:
'(ShalD Not neglect, refuse or evade
any DUTY or fail to take notice of any
fnfrsction of the rules or of any con-
duct or action of any member of the
department. which he is in a position
10 see or of any language which he
may hear and which may be preju- |
diciah to The good order, welfare or
zsa5litation of the department and he
al ascertain the true facts and con-
Ions IN every case to which his at /