Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1895-02-19

have drank more or less, but there have
been no cases of drunkenness which
have not been reported. 1t was custom
airy for the men TO drink right along.
The Chief has always uphe ne.
In reply to question, MIR. Rose said
one OF the men was off part Of several
days, just before the city election. He
said IL was by permission OF the Chlef.
There was no substitute in his place.
Asked about the wr' ckug OF the en-
CINE at Twenty-foui tn and Chapline
streets, Mr.. Rose said Stephens
drove the engine on that oc-
casion. He was "all right,
in the opinion OF the witness. Ia reply
To other questions, Rose SAID George
Butler was the best driver in the Eighth
ward, ana fine fireman. There are
some men in the house, however, who
are no more fit TO be fremen than one
OF those spittoons. There is one man
who will never get off the ground at
fire. lie does nothing but go through
the community mounting about what
other people do"
As ~ the habits OF the men in fire.
Quenting saloons. Mr.. Rose said he had
STOP ed ringing the bell after 9 p. m.
il the hope OF keeping the men close
about the house. This led TO more
grumbing and faut-hnding, led by
Nolte.
The Chair-There has never been
very strict discipline down there, ha;
there?"
A.-No; 1 never insisted upon that
I did not like TO be always growing and
grumbing at the men, like a Niger
driver. They all knew their duties
and if they would agree among them
selves there would be no trouble.
wanted to have as little difficulty with
them as possible.
DR.. Mccoy was called in as the next
witness, and in reply to questions, be
said he saw the fremen every
day, living just across the street
So far as my observation goes
the order there is goodwill
few exceptions. AL the mer
II the house drink too much. l have
seen that myself. include Mr.. Rose,
| but think he drinks less than the 9th
ers. l never saw him drunk. He i:
/ generally prompt and generally on
| duty" The witness mentioned one
! fire, when Mr.. Rose was the only mar
in the hose house when the alarm
came in. He hitched up the
teams. got the engine out, and made
the fire under the boiler. The witness
asked why he was doing all the work
and he said there was no one else to dc
it, Witness said he had seen the other
men at the house drunk on duty, and
mentioned names The witness spoke
very highly Of Mr.. Rose as a fireman.
Dr. Mccoy, in reply TO questions. de-
tailed the trouble at the Hahne fire,
saying great deal of bad language was
used, mainly by BowleS towards Mir.
| Rose. Mr.. Rose was clearly in the right.
Dr. Pipes was next called, and said he,
TOO, frequently observed how the men
taking the time, etc.
Capt. Otto-What has been the gen
eral conduct of the men in the house
as to drinking?
A.-There has been little too much
study OF astronomy down there.
| Laughter. think they were all
| pretty well tarred with the same stick.
/ He said Rose, however. was always al
| his post. He never saw hin
have TO run for the apparatus
but once, while frequently be went
out without driver. He
considered him a good fireman and a
man of good judgment. Sometimes the
apparatus had TO slack up to take a
man on. twas common saying down
there, when an alarm came in: well,
there's Rose; where's the rest OF them
He went over the Hahne fire incident,
and said he had seen Rose, many a
time, the only man on the engine or
reel. He said George Butler was fine
fireman and good driver, Butler,
with half a gallon OF beer in him, can
do better driving than any other
man sober" In the opin-
OF the speaker, Rose was only nomin-
a ly foreman. Sometimes it looked to
me as though when he tried to preserve
order be found be couldn't do much.
II one saloon got the patronage of ths
department down there. it would have a
petty good little trade"
Harry Stewart was next called, and
his evidence was about in line with the
others. new feature he added, how
ever, was complaints Of loud, foul, and
vulgar language in the house, often on
Sunday. There had been no trouble
since Mr.. Butler went in as foreman.
He had ordered one man out Of the
house for swearing and had surprised
the natives"
Charles Seybold's evidence was about
10 the same line. The conduct of the
men was very bad; swearing aud ours
ing and vile language went on all the
time. OF late it had been better. Some
times the racket was so great people
gathered across the street, and the fire.
men ought to have been arrested.
Charles Bryson said discipline at the
house had been bad.
The Chair-In what way?
Witness 49, Well. drinking, fighting
and everything else.
The witness gave lot OF very spicy
details. He never saw them all drunk
at once, but had seen them all drunk at
different times.
After all the evidence had been got
ten in, the Committee spent half an
hour in discussing the various phases
of the case. 1t was the unanimous SEN
timent OF the Committee, freely ex-
pressed, that the men had done far
from right. and there was very gen
eral and almost unanimous opinion that
the whole force should be fired out. To
this end, the Committee unanimously
sustained the Chief in dismissing Rose
and confirmed Butler as foreman, upon
a call OF the ayes and nays, by vote Of
5 to 0.
The Committee took no action as to
the rest Of the men, properly leaving
that in the hands of the Chief, but there
-, - ,,iotskinn the sentiment On