The San Francisco call., 1896-02-09
Accuses Officer John McGlauain
of Being Drunk While on
Duty.
THE CHARGE STRONGLY DENIED
Demands the Officers Star, Gets 1t
and Also Stiff Blow on the
Neck.

Cook, one of the recent promotions of the
Police Commissioners. has brought down
on his head that which may mean severe
censure, if nothing worse, from the powers
that be. The direct cause of his trouble
was a fight between him and another
officer on Morton street.
1t all depends on his ability to establish
the fact that Officer John McGlauf1in was
not only drunk while on duty, but used
vulgar and oisrespectful language to his
superior Back of this is story OF official
authority which began Thursday night on
Morton street and ended at the California
street station, at least for the time being.
On Thursday night Officer McGlaufin
was in charge of that part of Morton street
lying between Kearny street and Grant
avenue With all the vigilance of which
he is capable according to his story, he
patrolled the shady thoroughfare, not
leaving his beat from the time he went on
duty until requested to do SO by Sergeant
Cook. Then he went, with many pretesta-
tions, into which crept. unwittingly, he
saws, some pretty strong language.
At exactly $3.50 o'clock, as McGlaufin
was nearing the Grant-avenue end of bis
beat, the sergeant came upon him, though
from what point of the compass the officer
does not know. Anyway, Cook, so Nc
Glauf1in says, Immediately accused him,
in language much stronger than the occa-
sion demanded, of being drunk, following
this up by demanding his pistol and club.
These weapons were protestingly handed
over, but the sergeant was not satisfied.
He wanted the officers star, and nothing
short of that would satisfy him.
McGlauhin curtly but firmly refused to
x,,al tla init frnr arir OF
the same time that he was not drunk and
did not propose to be degraded any
| further. This enraged Cook apparently
| beyond control, for he sprang at the now
! defiant officer, and then followed as pretty
| rough and tumble tussle as the most
ended by McGlaufin landing half-arm
upper-cut on the sergeant's neck, COM
peiling the latter to cali in assistance.
| Officers Young and Floyd responded,
| and McGlauf1in asked them to substantiate
his oft-repeated statement that he was not
drunk Or even drinking. The belligerent
officer was then persuaded to accompany
Floyd and Sergeant Cook to the California
street station.
| On the way McGlaufin met several
friends and he called on them to make
note OF the fact that he was not intoxi-
Gated. AT the station he loudly protested
against the indignity to which he had
| been subjected by the new sergeant, and
those who saw and heard him, among
whom were Officers Mulender and Murphy,
were compelled to admit that he was ap-
| parently perfectly sober.
| McGlaudin stated at the station that
Cook had used violent and vulgar Ian
guage. calling him among other things
| -- native son, He said
| further that he had noticed the sergeant
in the nelghborhood for over an hour, and
was greatly surprised when the latter came
up and accused him of being drunk. He
had not taken a drink in weeks he said.
Just here comes one OF the most peculiar
| features connected with the incident.
| McGlauhin was relieved of his star and
after few moments detention was al
| lowed to go. No charge of drunkenness
was placed against him at the police sta
| tion then or afterward.
The next day he was given back his club,
pistol and star. and last night was back on
his old beat, Morton street. If MeGlaufin
| was drunk there IS no apparent reason why
he should not have been locked up like
any other man charged with a similar
| offense.
Officers and patrolmen around the Cali
fornia-street station declare that Nc
Glaufn gave no evidence of being intoxl-
Gated when he arrived there. He was very
much excited, and insisted on asking
every person with whom he came in con-
tact if he looked like a drunken man.
Officer Floyd. who accompanied the semi
prisoner to the station, entertains the
same opinion. IF McGiaufin was drunk"
he said last night, ''he certainly gave no
! outward evidence of it. He was very
much excited, but that was ell.
i A California-street station officer, in
| speaking about the matter last night, said
! 81 cannot understand the unWarrauted
| conduct of Sergeant Cook, unless he acted
on the suggestion of some possible enemy
of McGlaufln, and | was here when the
| latter came into the station Thursday
night, and will swear that he was not
even intoxicated. Cooki is an officious sort
of a fellow, and is not generally liked 1t
may be that, like other new men, he was
| after a record. If McGlaufin was drunk
why was he not locked up, or why was he
| placed on duty again before his case was
| investigated ?'
In the meantime Sergeant Cook has filed
a complaint against McGlaufiin charging
hlm with being drunk and >, insulting su-
perior officer. The case will be heard be-
| fore the Police Commissioners on Wednes-
! day next, and the accused man will be on
| hand with twelve or fifteen witnesses who
| will swear that the sergeant is wrong in
| his assumption.
Officer McGIauflin feels keenly the dis
| grace that has been brought upon him by
his superior, and, regardless Of the way
the case against him goes, will prefer
counter-charges against Sergeant Cook.
He has witnesses who will swear that the
sergeant used language unhecoming an
| officer.
Officer,John McGlauf1in has been on the
San Francisco police force for thirteen
years and this is the first time a charge of
any description has been made against
| him, and naturally he is not in happy
| frame of mind. and declares his intentio
of getting even" with the man who has
cast this blot on hitherto -unblemished
oficialrecor