The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1896-02-04
The Metropolitan Police
CHARLESTON UNDER THE BAN.
Governor Evans Has Appointed Commis-
soners to Direct the Police Departments
How Charleston Received the News.

How Charleston Received the News.
Charleston is under the mctropol
tan police. Governor Evans has al
poin ted q board of police commission
ers, and the commissioners have me
and appointed j. Elmore Martin chic
OF police. No other changes have bee
made as yet. BY an act of the Legis
lature passed in 1894, the Governor @
the State was empowered to place an
city under metropolitan police when
ever 1t was deemed necessary to tn
enforcement of the dispensary law b.
State board of comm issioners, con
sisting of himself, tho Secretary o
State and the Comptroller General
The people of Charleston are bitterl,
opposed to the metropolitan system
and they believe that Governor Evan,
is prompted in his action simply by
the determination to keep a persona
friend and follower in Office. In De-
cember q nov municipal administra
tion went into Office. When the time
for appointing a chief OF police came
Mayor Smyth appointed 1ngraham
Hasell, who had been opposed to him
politically, but man in whom every
one had great confidence. j. Elmorc
Martin, who had been chief of police
under the previous administration, was
a personal friend and follower of Gov
Evans and one OF the very few Tillman,
ties in Charleston. His opponents
claimed that ho had been bitter par
tisan and for that reason he was un-
qualified to hold Office. Martin has
made u good police officer outside of
political considerations, and he had
strong friends in the city. Two of the
aldermen selected with Mayor Smyth
being sick when he appointed Hasell,
his opponents had Il majority of ono in
council and refused to confirm the APP
pOintment.
1t was after this that Governor
Evans began to threaten that unless
Martin was rcappointcd he would put
the metropolitan bill in force. This
he did by appointing j. NJ. Eason, ~.
S. Wilbur and Edward Anderson al
tho local board OF commissioners. This
board met and organized, and their
only action besides the transaction OF
routine business was to appoint j. Ell
more Martin, the man whom Governor
Evans is accused Of trying to Keep in
job, marshal or chief OF police of the
city. The city council met and Mayor
Smyth again appointed Hasell chief Of
police. Tho appointment was ut once
confirmed, n Smyth alderman having
recovered from his illness and one of
the opponents of the administration
voting with the mayor.
Mr.. James M. EaSOn, the president
of the board, was asked about the situ-
alton. He said that Capt. Martin had
been appointed chief, aud further than
this nothing had becn done at the po-
lice station. The other officers and
they were for the present. Tho board,
he said, had full power to remove any
or all members of the force, but had
not made any removals or appoint
ment5 as yet, except as stated in the
appointment Of u chief. Chief Martin
had taken charge, and cummunica-
tion to that effect had hcon addressed
to the Mayor and city council by the
board.
At the meeting OF the city council,
after Mr.. Hasell had been re-appointed
and confirmed, and official notices had
been read from the board of police
commissioners and the chief of police,
Mayor Smyth said that he had some
correspondence that he would like to
lay before council, and requested the
clerk to read the following letters. He
said he would call particular attention
to the dates of the letters
CHARLESTON, S. G., Jan. l6, 1896.
Hon. John Gary Evans, Chairman
State Board of Police Commissioners,
Columbia, S. C.--Sir; ; 1t came to my
knowledge ycsteI day evening, through
McCrady from Mr.. Thomas w. Ba-
cot, that it was in your contempla-
tion, or that of the State board Of po-
lice commissioners, to SO far insist upon
the appointment by the Mayor of
Charleston OF Mr.. j. Elmoro Martin as
chief OF police OF that city that in the
event Of his non-appointmenL the law
providing for metropolitan police
would be put into effect against the
city Of Charleston.
/ was, of course, naturally quite sur
prised and concerned at the grave and
extreme alternative which might be
brought upon this community so sud
denly, and therefore requested Gen.
McCrady to telegraph at once to Mr..
Bacot, asking tho latter to say that
parties here were now in conference,
and suggesting that any action be de-
layed until you could be further com
municated with upon the subject.
Fully impressed with the gravity Of
the situation | was arranging to see If
| could, with your permission, have an
interview with you some time to-day
or tomorrow on the subject, but unfOr-
tunately / am this morning i'll in bed
at homo. with every apparent likeli-
hood OF being SO for one or two days If
not longer.
Under these circumstances | deem it
best at once to write and see whether
yourself and the gentlemen OF the
board of police commissioners are
willing to accord to me q conference,
either as an individual, or as the
Mayor in his official capacity, SO that
we could freely talk over what seems
to be q threatening and certainly is q
most unexpected condition OF affairs.
III you and the gentlemen of the
board desire this Interview, then
shall ask favor at your hands, name.
ly, that you will do me the courtesy tC
permit this interview to be made at q
somewhat deferred date, 90 be arrang-
ed with you as soon as the improve
ment in my health will enable me II
make an engagement with certainty
This, hope, will be in the course O
the next day or two.
In the meantime, of course, the situ
alton here In Charleston would remair
unchanged, or II there was any neces
sity or purpose to change 1t you will
be duly notified In advance.
can not but feel that an interview
with you an | the gentlemen composin,
the board Of police commissioners coul,
not fail to be productive of good result;
or il not OF that at least of a definit