The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1895-10-12
Chief Luton Investigation.


George ". Luton. The charges as set
forth at length are as follows. Read
| them and see what manner of man We
have here in Superior Tor our chief o!
police:
First hereby charge that the said
| George. w Luton did during the
months of Nav, June, July, August,
! September, and October, OF the year
! 1898, knowingly, willingly and corruptlv
| consent and permit certain roulette
| wheels, faro banks, crap tables and
other gambling devices, schemes and
cOntriyances to be set up and run with
/ in the city of Superior, and more par
! tiCularly at No. 72t Tower avenue and
! No. 4U2 Tower avenue, and at other
I places in the city. contrary to the pro-
/ visions of section + so of the revised
/ statutes of Wisconsin and the amend
! ment5 thereto, and the ordinance of
said city relative to gambling; and that
! he did then and there during said time
! utterly and wllllully neglect and refused
to prosecute thu owners, keepers and
managers Of such gambling devlses or to
cause them to be prosecuted; and that
he did then and there during said time
wiIfully and corruptly neglect and re-
fuse to enforce the provisions of section
| i,329 of the revised statutes of WisCon-
SIN and the ordinances of said city re-
iauVe to the keeping, setting up or us
ing gaming devices.
''Second-I hereby charge that said
George W. Luton did on and between
the 9th day of September, 1873, and the
oth day OF October, 1898, willingly and
knowingly neglect and fail 10 carry out
ami obey orders and directions made to
and gwen to him by Albion Howe. as
mayor OF the city Of Superior, relative
to the suppression of gambling and the
enforcement of the law and ordinance
thereon, and the prosecution of per
son guilty of gam bling otfenScs; in that
he dld then and there during said times
and since knowingly, utterly fail and
neglect to cause the arrest OF certain
persons guilty OF setting up and running
certain roulette wheels. faro banks, crap
tables and other gambling devices,
schemes and COntrlVanccs within said
city, TO wit, The keepers, owners and
managers OF such gambling devices or
= aces 402 Tower avenue and 124 Tower
avenue and 292 West Fifth street, and
III that he did then and there at said
times Wilhngl V and knowingly and cor
ruptly neglect and fail to suppress said
gambling and close said places of busl-
mass and enforce the provisions of sec
ton ,029 of the revised statutes of Wis
consin or the ordinances of the city of
superior relative to the keeping, setting
up or using gaming devices.
''Third-l hereby charge that the said
George w Luton has been and now is
guilty of wiliul insUb ,rdiuation of office
and Intentional diSObedicnce of the
orders and directions Of his superior of
tCer, the mayor of the city OF Superior,
III that he did between the 9th day OF
September ,lS93, and the Sth day OF DC
tober, 1888, willingly fail and neglect
TO carry out the orders and directions of
Albion Howe, as mayor of said city,
relative TO the sUpprt ssion of gambling
and prosecutions Of persons guilty of
gambling otienscs within said city and
IN that he did Wilfully envadc SAID or
ders and directions, plainly given to
hInl, ami made eVasIyc, equIvOcal and
lnsubordlnate replies To the same; and
IN that he did make and write insOlent,
sarcastic and other improper answers
and replies to said orders, not compat-
able with official respect and subordina-
ton and tending to the det:iment, lack
of discipline and general inelficiency of
OF the police service of said city.
'Fourth-l hereby charge upon infor-
nation and believe that the SAID George
W. Luton did between various times
between the LIST day of MAY, 1898, and
and the Sth day OF October, 1883, cor
rupuy accept aId receive money. goods
gifts and other things of value, under
agreements and understandings that
his official action as city marshall of said
city upon questions, matters, cases and
proceedings which might then be
pending or which might by law come
or be brought before him i'll his official
capacity, should be thereby influenced,
III that he has as such officer accepted
and received various eUms Of money.
goods ana things OF value from various
persons engaged III running gambling
places and devices within said city and
guilty OF gambling uhcn>cs under the
laws OF state and ordinances OF the cltv,
and of persons guilty of other otlenses
violating the laws of Wisconsin and
the ordinances OF said city.
Fifth hereby charge that the said
George W. Luton has demeaned linn
self III his Office and degraded the Office
OF city marshall by habitual outbursts
and expressions Of profanity while on
duty during the period embraced with
IN the LIST day of May, 1898, and the Sth
day OF October, 1898, and in that he has
during said period been guilty of using
vulgar, indecent and obscene language
at many times while on duty in the
presence OF various citizens and police
men, and has At such times referred to
and spoken of and concerning various
persons by the words and bv
other vile and obscene words and Ian
guage, tending t. breach OF the peace
and other crime, and tending to the
pubic dlsrespcct Tor the Office of city
marshall and police officers and regula-
tons, and tending to the DEGRADATION of
that department of the city, lack of Of
fetal respect for superior officers there
III and general corruption ami democrat
ration of the same; and said Luton
has thereby, and on account of other
charges made known, become the
object of general public disTespect and
contempt.
sixth hereby charge that the said
George w. Luton has Il various times
since the LIST day of Nav, 1895. willingly,
malicious!y and illegally and with in.
tent TO ihjure, harass and Cypress, cause
the arrest and prosecution within SAID
ely of various persons, not guilty of any
crime OF otfense, and that he has there
by ma.iciously used his said office as an
Instruments of oppression and wrong TO
gratitIy personal spite and viudictive-
ness, and has brought himself as such
officer under public odium, disrespect
and cotempt.
seventh hereby charge that the
said George W. Luton has been guilty
Of a violent and DANCE rOus ourburst of
temper, in that he did on the 9Th day of
October, 1s95, while on duty at the
police headquarters of said city, without
cause or proyacation, in the presence of
other members Of the police depart
ment Of said city, violently assault and
beat, bruise, wound and lnjure one
John Ennis, then and there being.
against the peace and dignity of the
state Of Wisconsin; and has hereby and
by other acts of violence and miscon-
duct proven himself an unfit. unsafe
and dangerous person to hold the office
- rn... IL, & L =.