The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-08-01
ON THE VERGE OF RIOT
Conflict of Police Boards at
Omaha Imminent.
Mayor Issues Riot Proclama-
tion COunseling Order.
A.P. BOARD READY.
All Preparations Made to Take
Possession.
The Old Board Is In and Will
Resist.

OMAHA, Ang. LIN view of the dis
turbed condition of affairs in the city at
noon today the mayor issued the follow
ing proclamation:
"By virtue of the authority vested in
me by the charter for metropolitan po-
lice, which designates the mayor as the
chief executive officer and conservator
of peace throughout the city, all persons
are hereby warned against acts of vio-
lence or unlawful assemblage tending
to provoke turbulence or create disturb
ance.
"Without touching upon the rights or
individual citizens peacefully to pursue
their vocations, l deem it my duty, IN
view of possible outbreaks. to impress
upon all good citizens the necessity of
desisting from any demonstration that Is
likely to bring about a breach OF the
peace, and to that end instructions have
been issued to the chief OF police to dis
perse unlawful gatherings upon the pub
lie thoroug ghfares, especially in the
vicinity of public buildings.
GEO. NJ. BEMIs, Mayo"
The threatened trouble is the out
growth of the SO called A. P. A police
law which was passed by the last Iegis-
lure. The law went into effect at mid
night last night and the new board is
expected to be appointed today.
The old fire aud police commits
sioners question the validity of the
new law and declare they will hold on to
their offices until the supreme court de-
cides the question. A petition signed
by 100 of the wealthiest tax payers was
sent to the state board last night
impIoring them to prevent trouble
and perhaps destruction of property
and bloodshed by deferring the APP
/ pointment of the new board until
! the laws validity had been tested, or to
prevent a clash at any rate. The attor-
ney general, who is a member OF the
state board, declared in a letter to the
| governor that the law is law and until
the supreme court decides differently the
old board must get out.
The A. P A's expect that the new
commissioners will be formally ap-
pointed this afternoon at Lincoln and
/ that their commissions and bonds will
/ be ready for presentation at the council
meeting tonight for approval of the
! bonds and the new board will be ready
! for business at once.
Their plans have already been decided
upon in a great measure Johnny Nc
Donald is slated for chief of police, ex-
! Chief Seavey having been turned down
| by the new hoard. Ex Sergeant Shoup
| is given an Office in the new makeup,
and all of the policemen who were re-
Gently dismissed for "the good of the
service" will be reinstated with two ex-
ceptions.
Ex-Sergeant Sigwart will be one of
the captains and ex-Chief Detective
Haze will probably be another 1t is also
said that when the new board calls upon
the present police force to obey the new
chief, that at least seventeen members
will respond to the call.
The present police force is on duty
and ready to retain possession. Captain
Palmer has taken the contract of seeing
that the business men of the city do not
take any decided stand in opposi-
ton to the plans of the A. P. A.
He was badly ratified by the
petition of the leading taxpayers and
business men of the city asking the
board of public lands and buildings to
jim with Governor Holcomb in securing
an adjudication of the vexed question by
the supreme court of the state.