The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-05-02

IafkmenE sHafFa last night D tat q ts'ft
Of Mayor Phelps in suspeua3ng Flre COM
missioner George T. Masal and appoint
fng Josiah Collins 30 iii his place. 40
charges we're EIed bat when they are II
viii be alleged. 81 accordance with a p4,tl-
ton in fhe mayor = petition from reEuia-
bic citizens. that Mr.. MaEsl j. not free
holdeg. II viii also Bs said that he r.
usAdler. anu asg9mes powers he has 10
right To. Immediately after cir. Masel
was notified OF his suspension hs was re-
qHested politely sy the mayor 10 give ~
hlx chair 90 Dir. Collins. who had come
forward. II looked a. II there might he
some fun. bat Sir. MaseI retired 10 the
back room % the city clerks office. where
the meeting vas being held. with Com
rnizsioaers Meek and kaaaiey. a mo
msnt later they all walked out OF the
meeting. saying. a. they did 50: Good
evening gent5en1eu.' The mayor then
called the meeting 10 order. and business
was transacted
The circumstances that led up 10 the
unexpected and extraordinary events Of
last evening cover a long period. AM in
voIve many side issues with greater or
less bearing on the affair. Ever since
Mayor Phelps took office he has declared
that ne will stand hy the chief Of the IRE
department. as long - that official does
his work IN satisfactory manner ana
attends 10 his own business, The incl
EDfflFEAft
against ex1chlef Hunt are already known
by the general reading public. and since
Alexander Allen was elected % succeed
Hunt his position has not been very
pleasapt one His accommodation for
subordinate officers were turned down by
the votes OF Meek. Maaei and kshaley-
while Mayor Phelps has not said any
thing about the matter. Il has been evi-
Gent from his utterances AZ the commits
s,on meetings that he did not think Ger
tain of the commissioners were doing
their duty In supporting the chief OF the
Ere department Ia his position. ne
mayor believes that the chief shonid ne
allowed 20 select those who are 20 serve
as his aids. and looks upon the contlrma-
five powet Of toe commission as pre-
yentivs OF any fagrantly offensive ap-
pointment while things we're In THIS
rosttion a petition was brought INTO the
uavor's Office ny well-known clttAehS ana
signed by AlonZo HUI. G. T. stone, Il. A
,rreeu 4 " Wallingford z T. knipe.
Adam I. Ihrig. 4. \. Guernsey, l. y
Uooper. II. q. Benedict, James Leddy
and many others asking for the removal
NJ Commissioner Masel on the gfound
that he was not n freeholder. inc ptt-
ton reads as follows
1--WE. the underssr1d. residents ana
electors Of the city or Seattle 90 most
,e~neetf,iiv represent and show 10 your
at,le requires. among other qualifications
prescFlbed that the members OF the hre
commission shalt be freeholders within
the city 81 Seattle.
..Thaf George T. Masel, now acting as
n member % the FIRE commission. does
not possess the qualifications made nee
essarv bv the charter for member OF
me commission. "a this, that George T.
NtaSel T. not nor has he ever been.
franhoider wlvlln the city % Seattle, nor
within the county OF King. "a disclosed
hy the records Of the county. Wherefore
we respectfully ask that such steps he
taken a. will remove George T. Masel
from the IRE commission. and that his
piaca be filled In the manner provided by
charter by a duly qualified citizen"
II Is not probable that Masel knew that
such a petition Was IN existence. for he
Joined with Meek and Kahaiey In calling
for y special meeting last night. There
was nothing said In the cali 20 Indicate
what WAS going TO be done. but iidid cot
take long for the friends Of Allen To get
hold OF the assumed fact that there was
plot on hand 20 cut hts head of. make
Assistant chief J }. Sullivan chief ana
George MARROW assistant. Then Fire
Commissioner kahalsy was quoted IN thc
Evening News as saying that q young
giri named Hat. whose first name ia
Grace. wa lured into Hre department
headquarters AMI ruined II was evident
that the ease was % he uscd to reflect on
the morals II the flre department ANA 70
show that discipline VAS tax
As matter Of fact this case was In
vesilgatel by chief Of Police Rogers or
April - az police headquarters. Al the
firemeu supposed 20 be Implicated Werr
on hand. also the girl The glrl'4 story
did mex bold together well under the
chiefs searching c~oSs-Que sttoufng and in
the end the chief became satisfied that