The record-union., 1895-01-18
THE RUTHERFORD CASE REFERRED.
Must be Acted on by the Mayor and
Chief of Police.
The Trustees Intimate, However. That
Action by Them Might be Taken
If Necessary.

JouEuSQ meeting laSt uiBHts 1IuSIeeS
Lawton, Wachhorst, Davis, Devine,
Bragg, Leonard and Tozer being present,
to investigate the charges against Officer
w. z. Rutherford.
Leonard was called to the chair by
President Lawton.
The following communication from
Mayor Steinman was read:
To the Board Of Trustees: I am in
iormed by your clerk that an adjourned
meeting Of your board will be held this
evening for the purpose Of investigating
certain charges preferred by Daniel Nc
Cabe against w. z. rutherford, a mem
Der of the police force.
In my judgment, Section 124 of the
charter contemplates that charges against
q member of the police force shall not be
made directly to your board, but shall be
made through the Chief of Police and the
Mayor. The section referred TO provides
as follows:
1.-The Chief of Police shall have COM
mand and control of the police force, sub
Ject to the general supervision of the
Mayor. he shall have power to suspend
any policeman for diSobedience Of any
lawful order, for the violation of the
rules of the department. neglect of duty,
drunkenness or misconduct as a police
man; and he shall, upon suspending any
policeman, promptly certify the fact,
Will ID0 cause Lu6TSOI. 10 Lu0 Mayor, VINO
shall forthwith report the same, in writ
ing. together with the charges preferred
against such policeman, to the Board Of
trustees, and if such policeman be found
guilty by the board he shall be dismissed
from the police force"
l think, therefore, your board should
not consider the charges referred to, as
the matter is not properly before you.
The complainant who prefers the charge
should be compelled to do 1t in the man
ner prescribed by the charter.
Any policeman who performs his duty
well will necessarily incur the enmity
and i'll feeling of those whom he may ar
rest. The charter evidently contemDlates
that the Chief of Police and the Mayor
should in the first instance pass on the
sutticiency OF the charges.
Ii the present practice is continued, the
time of the board will be consumed very
often in the investigation of trivial mat
ters; and. furthermore, the efficiency of
The Police Department Will be destroyed.
No charge should be transmitted 10
your board unless it is well grounded.
Respectfully submitted,
3. L. STEINMAN, Mayor.
Lawton said he thought the position
taken by the Mayor to be the correct one.
There is no evidence that the Mayor or
Chief of Police have refused to listen to
tbs complaint before bringing it before
the board. He moved that the matter be
referred TO the Mayor.
ToZer said he would like to know from
the complainant whether he had first gone
to the Mayor or Chief OF Police.
, Devlne said he would also like to be in-
formed on the same point. In the past
such occurrences have been ignored,
notably in the Raten case. He thought
that an investigation by somebody should
be had and the police force purified if ne
cessary. If no action Is taken by the
Mayor or Chief of Police, he should favor
the board taking 1t up.
Kent held the same idea and said that
he favored thorough investigation.
There were other cases, he thought, that
would need future investigation.
Lawton's motion was carried.
Kent moved that the Mayor be REQUEST
ed to Investigate the case, and report The
findings to the board by next Monday
night. Carried, Tozer and Devine voting
no.
Devine favored The case coming UP be-
fore the board again in case the complain
ant does not feel that justice has been
done him, and Kent felt the same way.
ALL-NIGHT LICENSES.
The applications of A. Clacy, sos X
street; George Wissemann, 100 J;
Cummings Il McGinniss, 325 x:
w. Jackson, 7Ol j; kentucky Liquor
Company, 800 K; Lazarini IL Sechitini,
Third and L, were read.
Devine moved that they be granted.
Lawton did not see the object of the or
dinance in referring these matters to the
board. lie favored resolution directing
the Collector to grant all-night licenses to
all who apply for them. He did not know
many Of these people, and did not feel
like voting for them in a bunch.
Devine and Davis thought any man
who bad a day license should have a
Ha oh
voking all all-night licenses after April
1st.
Tozer and Davis declined to vote and
Bragg voted no.
Kent, Davis and Wachhorst thought as
some had been granted licenses these ap-
plicants should also have them.
Considerable discussion was INDUCED
in on the subject.
Davis moved that the applications be
referred to the Police Committee. 10 be
acted on next Monday night with the
three that were so referred last Monday
night. Carried.
FLOODED STREETS.
Kent said that residents on Twenty
filth street, between j and l., ask that
the Street Superintendent be instructed
to buy some lumber to lay down on the
flooded sidewalks there. He moved that
the Street superintendent be so in
structed.
Ld"kOu Sdlu lIdO IL luulD6T Is TO De
bought there are twenty other blocks
needing it. The water will run off
through the sewers within Q day or two.
Besides, there is lumber ON hand now
that will do. He thought that probably
Kent and Devine would be willing now
to vote for submitting the sewerage bond
question to the people.
Kent suggested that the Superintend-
ent OF Streets could be authorized to pur-
chase a Wagon-load OF lumber for these
people, and it could be used for some
thing else afterwards. He would never
vote for the bonds for sewers.
Lawton said every one was complain
ing Of the heavy taxes and the board
should now, at the beginning of the year.
exercise the utmost economy The
trouble with these streets is that no pro-
vision has been made for the water to
run off.
Deyine agreed with him.
The motion of Kent was lost, he alone
voting for it.
LABHARD'S WATER BILL.
Davis brought up the matter of Theo-
dore Labhard, who bought soIae prop
erty with water lien against it under
the ordinance. He moved that the Col
lector be instructed to receive the wafer
rent since July 1st, when the ordinance
was passed.
ToZer said that the law has been in
force for the past two years.
Kent moved that the matter lie over till
Monday night. Carried.
Lawton referred to the resolution di
recting that the engineer of the water