The herald., 1896-07-16
TROUBLES Of THE F|REMEN
Lively Session of the Fire
Commissioners
The charges AGAINST LANDElL
The Story of His Difficulty With
CaIIman Lee
WAS FINED TEN DOLLARS
While the Man Who Brought the Charges
Was Severely Reprlmanded
Estimate Of Expenses Of the Department for
the Coming Year
The Total Amount Asked for Is SI2S,i@o-A
New Truck Is Absolutely Necessary.
Increase In the Pay OF the Eiec.
trlcian Recommended
While the Man Who Brought the Charges
Was Severely Reprlmanded
Estimate Of Expenses Of the Department for
the Coming Year

| triCtuN kcCUmfuSuNSh
TRe business-like fire commission met
in the mayors office yesterday morning,
with his honor presiding and the full
board, with Chief Moore, in attendance.
A numerously signed protest of resi-
dents and property owners on San Pedro
street, between Seventh and Eighth
streets, against allowing Chinese
laundry to be operated on that block,
was read. and one of the protestants ap-
peared before the board to urge that
some action be taken. The ordinance
was read, which developed the fact that
it was defective, for the reason that
while a permit is necessary to erect
building for a laundry, as well as num-
Der of other businesses, nothing is said
| about maintaining the same, so that
nothing could be done. The matter was
referred to the chief for investigation.
The chief presented his report, trans
mitting the charges preferred by Call
man ]. ]. Lee against Foreman John
Landell 70 engine company NO.
6. Lee accused Landell of hav-
ing been under the influence of
liquor while at a fire, and while in that
condition using profane language and
striking at him with spanner. The chief
stated that he had investigated the mat
| ter and made a statement of the diff
| Guilty as he had found it.
| Callman Lee appeared before the board
and gave his version of the trouble He
said that Landell was drunk and had
| abused himself as we'll as other men,
/ hers of the nSinR nrOf9np lam
| guage, and when they got back to the
house the foreman assaulted him, Strik-
| ing at him three times with spanner.
| He had warded off the blows and made
no effort to strike back. He had fire.
| quently seen Landell under the influence
of liquor and on the morning in question
! the cart was detained for five minutes
| waiting for Landell. Lee denied that
there was any feeling on his part against
| Landell, who, he said, boarded with him
at the time, and who was a very good
man and easy to get along with when
he was sober. Lee insisted that he had
| always done his duty as a fireman and
| was always in condition to do so. Lee
| then went on to say that Chief Moore
had accused him of various things. and
| a few days ago had ripped him up the
| back" in great shape.
| There was some little hilarity over the
| colloquy between Chief Moore and Lee,
and when the merriment subsided En-
| gineer Rohrer was called in. He stated
| that Landell sometimes got little fun
ny. but he could not say whether he was
drunk on the morning in question or not.
Rohrer witnessed the assault at the en-
! gine house and considered Landell to
| blame for that affair.
Driver Home of the hose cart of No.
| 6 was the next witness. He too wit
! messed the assault, and also heard Lee
ask Assistant Chief Sslith if the men
| were expected to take abuse from Lam
| dell, and Smith had replied that if they
| were being abused to prefer charges.
Home said that he had seen both Ian
| dell and Lee under the influence of IL
quor, and on the morning of the diff
Guilty the former had evidently been
drinking. Home further said that he
had only been detained about fortyf five
| seconds waiting for Landell on the morn
ing of the fire.
Callman Todd of engine company No.
6 testified briefly to the facts of the diff
Guilty and then Foreman Landell told
his story. Landell is q big bluff fire
man and told his story in a very straight
! forward manner. He did not deny any
, thing except that he was drunk, and his
frank answers frequently caused laugh
ter. He said that on the morning in ques-
ton he was quite emphatic in his Ian
| guage, when Lee took the matter up.
When the men got back to the house he
| had called Lee into the back yard to pun
ish him. He thought that was better
than to Chew the rag" on the street in
the presence of a number of citizens. He
insisted that Lee was a very poor fire
man, besides which he was IL liar and a
| coward. Landell admitted that he some
times SWore at the men, because he
thought he could be more emphatic. He
meant nothing in particular about this,
and in the excitement such things were
liable to happen.
Driver Conart also testified, after
| which, on motion of Commissioner
Kuhrts, the charges We're filed and Lam
dell was fined SO. Commissioner Vet
ter said that the only thing he found any
fault with Landell for was in renewing
the trouble at the engine house. The evil
dence showed that Landeil was not
drunk and that he had not delayed the
apparatus.
A general talk followed, in which the
! commissioners stated that Lee was a
mischief-maker and a general nuisance.
and Mr.. kuhrts said that if there were
any charges against him he OWuld vote
to dismiss him. Messrs. Grider and
Bolts thought he should be fired anyway.
The whole matter was finally settled by
the chief being instructed to reprimand
Lee, using such language as he thinks
proper, even to the extent of swearing,
If he thinks it proper and to further no.
tify Lee that if he did not stop his talk
ing and mischief making he would be
summarily dismissed.
On the report of the chief, the peti-
tions of the Crystal Salt mining com
pany to be allowed to use petroleum for
fuel, and the Western Electroplate and
Manufacturing company, to operate a
boiler and engine at Nos. 612 and GA
North Main street, We're granted
The chief also reported on several mi
The chief also reported on several min
or matters, and submitted a list of build
ings not provided with fire escapes Tn
most instances the owners will at once
comply with the ordinance, and in many
cases the contracts have already been
let and the work is in progress. Two
weeks further time was granted in
which to look up delinquents who have
not been located.
The chief presented his estimate of the
expenses of the department for the com.
ing year, which was approved by the
commission and ordered filed with the
city auditor, as required by the charter
| The report is as follows:
LOS ANGELES, July Is.
] 10 the Hon. Board Of Fire Commis.