The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1895-09-25
THE POLICE MATTER
The Special Council Committee |nvesti.
gates the Charges Made by the Mayor.
MESSRS. BOLTON AND YERDlER EXPLAIN
They Tell About Their Connection
with the Police Hoard and De-
nouncc Some OF the Mayors Asscr-
tiOnS nv False The Aching Chicf
the Force.

Tho special committee appointed by
| the Councils 10 investigate the differ
| cnces between Mayor Petit ana McSsrs.
G. T.. Nerdier and J. Il. Bolton. Police
commissioners. met In the committee
rooms in the city T~reasufcr's office last
night. AIR. :. y. l~;rickhousc. the chair
Il OF the committee. was on the
ground very early. SO w "a Commissioner
Ncrdicr. Commissioned Bolton arriv-
ed soon after s o'clock. but before the
other members OF the committee al,,
Icurcd. Both seemed in good humor.
The letter If TN" Mayor WAS present
cd to the Councils In August and re-
fericG to II special committc" Compos
cd of Messrs. :. y. ~Rrickhousr. J. w.
lBOrum. ii. =. Herman. W. Il. Cooke and
y. Il. i:roughtun.
The Mayor, in his letter. called at
teution To the fact that officer Rich
nIdson had been suspended FOR shoot
Ing a colorcd woman In u raid: that he.
as Mayor. had suspended Richardson;
that McSsrS. Nordi"r II Bolton. slit
inr as the Board, had rcinstnted Rich
ardSon without Il trial. and recitcd how
the other men ON the force had been
kept out of their pay for several days.
Tie police force was characterized ms
being "a disorganl2cd and uudiScip-
lined condition. arising from the fact
that Tn" men do not know how to de
port themselves. whether 10 obey the
orders of the Mayor or the Commits
sioners."
1t was ncaly $50 o'clock when Mussrs.
Cook" ANA Herman appeared. preceded
a few minutes by the Mayor. Mr.. 10
ram was the last to arrive. Mr.. Trough
ton being absent.
Mr.. BriCkhuusc called the committee
to order. ana AT the request of MIR. Her
| mann tho NJ Nlt'G lAt Tor N,-pG ,4nt NJ tI,
clerk.
Mayor pcttit was first called upon to
supplement his statement. but did not
desire to do So. lie said he had not met
With the Board since July 18th and thai
the Richardson matter was partly the
Cnus" OF his refusal To meet with them.
There was bad feeling at the last meet.
ing n" attended; he had been ~insultcd
ana had decided not 10 attend any more
meetings.
When RAkcd how he had been insult.
ed he said he did not wish to remember
them. mat he always tried Ia forget tn,
past. Tie had no personal feeling
against he commissioners but as oil
cialH they had not treated him right
lie said he had always been treated as
q spy 10y the commissioners. who wcr,
afraid to trust him with anything.
Nrssrs. Smith and Rrickhousc said
that they desired tn get ut the bottom
OF tlt Ili'iAbti, bul ull non desire To Du1
amy unpleasant questions to him.
He said he could not repeat the i'm,
suitinG language used To him.
Mr.. Horum wanted To know IL the law
didn't compel the Mayors ]attendanc
at meetings.
Tn" Mayor--"I know of no law rcquir'
ing my presence
II" was not present nj the meeting al
which Richardson was rcins;utcd. bui
E.td only missed two meetings bpfor,
thai linz lie had understood thai
Richardson was r~rinstatcd without an,
trial OF the CHARGES against him and he
fore the court had taken any action OF
an Indictment over him. AS he under
stood the law. the police force was nm
dcrStOod to be under his control n
did not think the Board had Il right /,
issue orders direct To the police, hut the,
had don" So. He also said that tn,
Board had directed the movements %
the police fore" without his knowledge
The present chief. he believed. ac
ccptcd these orders, hut the last Chic
refused to accept orders unless the,
We're transmitted by The Mayor.
He had always carried out tn" order,
OF the Board with ON" exception. Thu
exception was In regard Ia a rule adopt
ed ordering policemen to arrest any
person Offering them liquor. IL,
thought this would cause trouble an,
did not promulgatc the order. In hi
opinion Richardson was arbitrarily re
instatcd by the Hoard.
In regard 10 the di-sorganization q
the force. the men had old him tina
they did not know who Ia obey. order.
had been given without his knowlcde,
and tile powers around the station
house wonld never let him know amy
thing. He considered when order.
We're issued by the commissioners Il
was an u"suvpatton OF authority. II,