The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-03-26
ATLANTAS POLICE BOARD ROW
A FIGHT IMMINENT At YEsTER-
DAYS MEETING.

4
After sIurring Remark From
Mayor INSTRUMENTATION Eng
Iish, VenabIe and BrannOn Re-
fuse TO Recognize the Mayor as
Chairman ofs the BOard-The
Hoard Evenly Divided and Moth
ing Accomplished.
Atlanta, Ca. March 25.-The board OF
police commissioners, which has been in
turmoil Of discord since the installa-
ton Of the present municipal administra-
ton. on account Of the fight between the
two rival political factions, Mayor King
on one side and J. w. English. ex-chair-
man Of the police board. on the other. met
to-day and for the second time failed to
organize, the board being equally divided.
three on each side. neither side being able
to elect officers and neither being will
ing to give in.
AS a result OF the action Of the city
council last week in declaring Mayor King
the temporary head Of the board, the
English faction felt deeply incensed and
to-day when Mayor King undertook to
preside a most dlsgraceful scene ensued.
EX-Chairman English. with Mr.. venable
and Mr.. Brannon, his followers, refused
TO recognize Mayor Kings authority TO
preside. Mr.. Brannon. who had been ap-
pointed temporary secretary by the may
or. refused to serve. and Mr.. Venable, af-
ter red-hot speech, delivered without
addressing the mayor as chairman, de-
clared that he would not recognize the
mayor as chairman.
Mayor King ordered Chief Of Police
Connolly to arrest Mr.. Venable and force
him to sit down.
Chief Connolly refused to obey the
mayor.
Ex-Chairman English then arose and de-
clared that the mayor had no right to pre-
side, that the council meant to insult him
by passing the obnoxious ordinance, but
such men could not rise to the dignity of
Offering him an insult.
When Capt English declared that he
would not recognize the mayor as chair
men. Mayor King ordered him TO sit down.
lie refused and the mayor then ordered
Chief Connolly to arrest him.
Chief Connolly refused to obey, and was
trying 70 explain himself when Mayor
King declared that he would hear mem
bers Of the board, but mo underling"
would speak.
Chief Connolly. clnching his fist declar-
ed in the uproar that while he was the
creature of the board ne did not propose
to be insulted by the mayor or anybody
else.
NFavo,. zinc ft,o, o,5oro1 cant rr,hor,,v,
son and Seargant Slaughter, who we're
present, to put Chief Connolly out Of the
room.
Capt. English told him not to go. Alder
man Calvin, who was In the crowd, also
shouted 10 him not to go
The chief excitedly said he would not
leave. The officers were about to obey
the order Of the mayor by force. when the
chief retired remaining outside.
The board continued to ggrangle for
half an hour more Capt. English said
he would consider himself perjured II he
recognized Mayor King as chairman. and
the mayor declared that he would preside
II 1t was the last thing he ever did. He
ruled that the three commissioners who
refused to acknowledge him were not
members of the board until they did.
If the King side is successful Chief
Connolly win probably be suspended from
office 'and when the election occurs next
Saturday, lose his position
By mutual consent the board deferred
any further attempt to organize and pro
ceeded with the inspection of candidates
for places on the force. which work oc-
cupied the balance Of the day.
The trouble in the police board is the
| biggest political sensation that has oc-
CURED in municipal politics in ten years.
1t is not unlikely that the council will
have 70 interfere further before a new
police force can be elected the division on
the board being three and three. The
election occurs next Saturday II it goes
TO council the English faction will be
turned down. which would mean an entire
new deal of the officers on the force
This afternoon the preparation Of an
injunction seeking to restrain Mayor King
from occupying the position of temporary
chairman OF the board was begun by Hop
lkns q Son. It will be presented to the
reached and who is qualified to act in the
premises. Judge Lumpkm is not qualified
to act because he Is related to Mayor King.
AS Judge Richard Clark Is out of the
city, IN Covington, IL Is probable that
the injunction win be taken before Judge
Gober at Marietta. An immediate consid-
Grafton Of the matter will be urged in
order to have It decided before Saturday
which IS the day fixed for the election of
the police officers and policemen by the
board
Just what effect this proceeding viii
have on the police muddle no one seems
to know. The courts viii finally have To
settle the matter, but in case they fail TO
settle it before the police election, how
that election viii be conducted is a matter
upon which no one seems to be Informed.
The board sat all day and the members
mad no lunch. Each member Of the board
seemed afraid to move for fear the other
side would elect a chairman while he
was absent. If one man left the room IL
would have been possible for the other
side to have elected a permanent chair
man, as three members Of the board con-
gtitute a quorum for the transaction Of
business. In case the board falls to elect
members Of the force on Saturday, Mayor
King viii, according to the opinion OF the
city attorney. have the authority to sp-
point the whole force 10 serve until one
IS regularly elected, and that he viii DO
SO no one now doubts
Atlanta, Ca, March %, I a. m.-At ]
O'Clock this morning the board Of police
commissioners IS gtill IN session, balloting
on the election OF a chairman, with no
prospect Of an election and the members
determined 70 make Il q fight 10 q finish
The bali0tlng waa begun about Z O'Clock
at which hour the English faction yr-
fually submitted 10 the authority Of Mayor