Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1895-08-15
RIVAL Police BOARDS
Agreed to Submit Their Grievances to
the Nebraska Supreme Court.
Long Threatened Bloodshed
Is Thus Averted.
Things Looked SquaIly Until a Temporary
Truce Was Agreed Upon.

OMAHA, Aug. 15.-Two police boards in
two different parts Of city hall assumed to
be In power yesterday morning. 1t is diff
fcult to see how bloodshed could have been
averted IL the programs made out by the
rival boards were adhered to. These con-
templated separate police forces arresting
one another for impersonating officers.
All probability of resort to arms Is now,
however, very remote, but for two hours
yesterday morning 1t looked very much as
though serious collision was inevitable.
The sidewalks and streets surrounding
the city hall were crowded with people,
and the interior of the building was
crowded with sheriffs and officers. The
A. p. A. commission convened at 10 a. m.
In this city amid considerable excitement.
The members were encouraged with
cheers from 200 A. p. AS present. They
were expected to ut once put rival police
force on the streets of the city, attempt to
Gust Chief Of Police White and storm the
Ctty jail This was the schedule as given
out by the A. p. AS pretending to be on
the inside
The situation was intensified by the re-
port from Kansas City that the A. p. A.
counsels had 100000 armed men ready to
send to Omaha to maintain the A. p. A.
commission. At the same time the old COM
mittee was in the mayors office ready to
issue orders and repel any force necessary
To Maintain Its Position.
After conference the A p. A. committee
concluded to confer with the old board be-
fore resorting to arms The conference
was the result Of letter which Mayor
Bemis sent to the A. p. A. board Tuesday
night, asking the members to meet the
old board and endeavor to reach q peace
able settlement Of the controversy. The
members Of the new board declared 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, 1t was announced that an agree |
ment had been reached. Mayor Bemis |
then sent a. telegram signed by himself |
as chairman Of the old board, and by |
w. j. Broatch as chairman Of the new
board, to Governor Holcomb and A. S.
Churchill, attorney general:
II the supreme court win meet at an early
date. all the members of the two boards Of fire
and police commissioners will unite In q re-
quest for an early hearing. Can you get the
court TO fix short date? Answer.
This telegram was sent to each Of the
justices Of the supreme court:
All parties agree to submit police matters to
supreme court, II an early hearing can be had.
Signed by Both Boards.
This was also signed by the chairman of
each board. They wanted 1t understood
that neither board had made any conces-
sions. Each side stood as 1t had before.
and In that respect there was no change In
the situation. They had simply agreed
chat the best interests Of all concerned
woula e served by an immediate submis
don of the c.~ptrQversy to the supreme
court, and they had suited to that end.
Members Of the new bosA wore retioehf
in regard to what their next procedure
would be. When A. r. VandervooYt w&s
asked whether members would proceed to
organize a police force in opposition to
that controlled by the old board, he
would not answer directly, but stated
that neither board was going to be very
strict on the other while the matter was
pending before the supreme court.
Chief Justice Novel of the supreme court
,,-onnced late last evening that q special J
session OF cou-s will ss bold 1t once to
settle the Omaha police case.