The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-03-11
Proceedings in the Devin- Case
Become Interesting.
WAS ABSENT FROM FIRES
THE CHIEF SPENT MUCH TINE IN
LOBBYING.
When Absent from Headquarters, He
Left Word that He Could Ee
Called Up by Telephone at p. H.
Lannan's Residence-Judge Judd's
Vigorous Methods.


sumed last night before a full attend
ance of the police and fire board. The
prosecution evidently believes in the
maxim "once we'll done, twice done"
for the progress was very slow, and it
will require one more session at least
for the prosecution to finish its case.
The developments at last nights
hearing were a substantiation of the
charges that the chief did not attend
several fires during the present two
months. The specification charging
habitual absence from the headquar-
ters, where he properly belongs, was
not more than taken up, but the prose-
cution promised to furnish abundant
proof that Mr. Devine would rather be
in consultation with politicians than
attend to his duties.
The case is warming up and from the
vigorous and frequent objections by
the chiefs counsel, it is evident the
testimony so far given is far from
what the defense had expected. The
prosecution is equally persistent and
has been allowed considerable scope
for it's examination, the commission
evidently being bent on getting down
to the root of the whole affair.
ACTING CHIEF DONOVAN.
When the hearing was resumed last
night Acting Chief Donovan was
placed on the stand Before proceed
ing with the taking of testimony how
ever, Judge Judd made a. sort of open
ing statement, in which he outlined
what he expected to prove. 1t was
the intention, he said, when they got
f1 01o,, 10 f1ak 1Sf 10 III
ally absent from the department be
tween January and February 13. for
the purpose of influencing the legisla-
tors on the fire and police bill, to not
only touch on the chiefs habits during
that time, but go back over his career
for years in the department and show
what his habits have been. The charges
were not specific, but he contended
that, and would announce, then, that
the purpose was to cover the ground
in a general way.
Mr.. Stephens objected to any further
statement in this direction at this time
and the commission concurreG with
him.
The hearing then went on upon the
charge of absence from a fire in a two
story brick residence at 1856 Third
street ON January 10, this year. Mr..
Donovan testified that he responded to
the fire, but the fire was extinguished
before the department arrived on the
scene Witness did not see Chief De-
vine either at the fire or at the sta
ton.
P. j. SULLIVAN.
P. ]. Sullivan, fireman of No. 2
station, responded to headquarters
when the alarm was turned in about
8 -oclock in the afternoon. Sullivan
,-Ix
hour while Assistant Chief Donovan
was to the fore, but did not in all that
time see the chief himself around
headquarters.
NJ. w EARL.
NJ. w Earl driver of the chiefs
buggy did not know where the chief
was when the alarm came in. He saw
the chief about twenty or thirty min
utes before the fire, when he drove off
in his buggy.
Mr.. Stephens objected at this point,
saying it was immaterial what the chief
had done previously. 1t was charged
that the chief was not present at the
fire and what he had done previously
did not matter.
Judd-But I intend to show that the
chief was absent from headquarters
the greater part Of the day.
The objection was overruled and the
examination proceeded Mr.. Earl said
Assistant Chief Donovan came over
from No. 2 and the witness jumped
into Donovan's buggy and went to the
fire, the chiefs buggy being away
Witness could not recollect whether the
chief was present at headquarters
when the boys returned from the fire.
CHARLES T. VAIL.
Charles T. Vail, another fireman.
corroborated the preceding witness rel
ative to Earl going with Donovan to
the fire, after the latter was told the
chief was not present. Witnes said
the chief returned to headquarters
about o'clock that afternoon
g. w MQUEEN.
G. W. Mcqueen was in the hall when
the alarm came in. Did not see Chief
Devine around. The alarm was turned
in at 1920 o'clock and the boys did not
return from the fire until 4:30 Witness
could not remember whether he saw
the chief at all or not, although he re-
manned at headquarters until the de-
partment came back from the blaze.
SPECIFICATION 3.
Specification No was then taken
up, that of the chief failing to re-
spond to the fire at the Lincoln school
building.
Mr. Stephens objected to any testi-
mony on this charge, for the reason
the district was within the limits of
No. 2. Judge Judd maintained that the
chief should be at all fires, no matter
in which district.
The commission decided that the
rules provided in a general way that
the chief should be present, and so
Assistant Chief Donovan was again
placed on the stand. He responded to
the fire alarm from box 342 on January
Is, and found the blaze had been in the
school building.
Judge Judd began to ask how many
school children were about the
premises.
Stephens objected.
Judd contended that the evidence
was necessary to show that the neglect
of duty would be greater in the case
of school house than if an ash bar
rel had been on fire.
Chairman Var.an sustained the OBJ
jections, but Judd persisted, saying it
had been his intention to call the SUI
perfntendent of that school to show
how many rooms there were in the
building, etc. The ruling of the chair,
however, was sustained by the other
members of the board
Mr. Donovan then stated that the
fire had been put out by the 5anitor
before the department arrived. He
also stated that as the fire was within
the district of department No. 2, 1t was
the rule to signal the chief in such
cases. which was not done in this case