St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-08-03
A. p. A. POLICE APPOINTED IN
OMAHA, BUT NOT IN POSSES
SION.
OLD FORCE HOLDS THE FORT
BONDS OF THE NEW COMMISSION
APPROVED, DESPITE AN IN
JUNCTION.
AN ARMED GUARD OF CITIZENS
Volunteers Assisting in Maintain
ing Order-The New Police
EnjOined.

OMAHA, Neb., Aug. 2.-Three pO-
lice commissioners, acting under the
A. P. A. police law, are doing busi-
ness in Omaha tonight, regardless of
the fact that the district court re-
strained the city council from ap-
proving their bonds. The oath bound
organization in the council has
working majority, and the courts
order was ignored. AS a result, a
citizens volunteer armed guard is
on duty at the police stations tonight
to maintain peace and assist the reg
ular police force in holding possess
sion of the city property. Messrs.
Broatch, Vandervoort and Foster
were given their certificates as po-
lice commissioners at noon by the
attorney general and commissioners
of public lands and buildings. The
governor refused to sit with them,
and warned them that their course
was illegal. The Omaha council held
a special session at 4:30 to approve
the bonds, but they were met with
an injunction returnable tomorrow
from the district court. The order
was ignored with a hurrah, and the
police commissioners appointed a
full police force. They will make no
effort to get possession of the city
property before morning. At an ear
ly hour tomorrow the district court
will take up the matter of the coun-
Gil proceedings in contempt and will
probably annul it's work. There is
much infammatory talk, and sew
eral companies of militia in differ
ent parts of the state have been no.
titled to be in readiness to move to
Omaha in the event of trouble. Gov.
Holcomb is prepared to maintain
the law, and is tonight using all
means in his power to conserve peace
and have the whole Squabble car
ried to the supreme court. When
asked what action he proposed to
take in the matter in case of an at
tempt to take forcible possession of
the department of police, he said to-
night that he would see that there
was no rfoting, and that the laws
would be enforced. He did not an
ticipate any violence, but would be
ness that might come up.
A. P. A. DEFIANT.
1t was evident from the first that it
was the intention of the A. P. A.
majority in the city council to carry
out their plans, irrespective of the
order Of Judge Hopewell. President
Edwards refused to receive the tele-
gram from the district judge, which
was handed him, and this action was
followed by the majority. 1t appeared
that one or two of the members, who
were ready to vote for any measure
that would aid the A. P. A in their
plans, were little doubtful as to the
propriety of a direct violation of the
order of injunction. Consequently, the
majority took possession of the private
office of the president, where the
doubtful votes were looked after until
ten members were ready to defy the
court. The majority called for an
opinion from the city attorney as to
whether the council was bound to obey
the injunction. City Attorney Connell
is out of the city, and left Frank Ran
son to advise the council in his alb
sence. He advised the council that it
might, with entire propriety, ignore
the injunction. He declared that
since the order had been issued at Ia
kamah, the injunction was not in
force in this county. More than that,
he was informed that no petition had
been filed in the district court and
no bond approved by the clerk of the
court. Until this was done, the iniunc-
ton was not in force and the coun-
Gil was under no obligation to con-
slider it. President Edwards then de-
clared the bonds of the new commits
sion approved. During the roll call a
member asked the attorney to state
whether the new law repealed the law
which stated that all the commissions
must be signed by the governor.
Ransom relieved himself by the assur-
ance that there was no necessity for
any commission at all. The law had
designated the appointing board and
this carried with it every power to
give proper notification of the an
pointments. 1t was not necessary that
the governor should issue any com
mission, nor was it even necessary
that it should bear the seal of the
state. A resolution was passed bv
the council stating the new police
board would be the only one recog-
nized by the council.
HOLCOMB URGES PEACE.
AT noon today Gov. Holcomb sent
this letter to Attorney General
Churchill:
Dear Sir: have just been inform
ed that Messrs. A. c. Foster. Paul
Vandervoort and W. J. Broatch have
been appointed members of the board
of fire and police commissioners of the
city of Omaha, by the attorney gem
eral and commissioner Of public lands
and buildings, acting as members of
the appointing board under the pro-
visions of chapter TO- of the sessions
laws of 1895, and, fearing that an effort
will be made to obtain possession of
the Office to which they have been an
pointed without an appeal to the
courts for the purpose of determining
the title to the offices now claimed by
the present police commissioners. and
thereby endangering the peace and
good order of the city, I, as chief ex-
ecutive of the state, respectfully and
most earnestly urge you to begin quo
warranto proceedings in the supreme
court at the earliest possible date. in
order to try the title OF the respective
claimants to said offices, and that, by
proper collateral proceedings YOU will
restrain any effort which may be
made to take possession of said offices
by force, surreptitiously or in any
other manner. In order to obtain an
early presentation of the ease to the