The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1896-01-11
Luton Charges.
The city council held its first regular
for three weeks Tuesday even

The city council held its first regular
meeting for three weeks Tuesday even
ing, fourteen aldermen being present.
| Considerable routine business was
transacted, after which Aid. Green's
| charges against Chief of Police Luton,
which have been hanging fire for the
past three months. were taken up.
Aid. Beardsley raised a point of order
that the charges had been before the
council once and could not come up
again as the ten days limit had expired.
The mayor sustained the point made by
Aid. Beardsley and the matter was
dropped for the time being.
Aid. Green got the floor soon after,
however; and addressed the council in
reference to his charges. He said that
upon two occasions he had lied charges
and that nothing had been done. He
said he did not believe that any officer
was so pure that he could do nothing
wrong. An investigation would be no
more than justice to all concerned; but
there seemed to be a disposition on the
part of the council TO ignore the charges
lie did not wish to have the matter left
in that form, and asked permission to
withdraw the charges. 1t was granted
cheer!ully.
Aid. Green Immediately re-intro-
duced the charges against the chief,
which are briefly as follows:
First-That the chief has permitted
gambling devices, such as roulette
wheels, faro banks and crap tables, to
run within the city contrary to the state
laws and city ordinances, and that he
neglected to prosecute the keepers and
proprietors.
Second-That Luton disobeyed the
orders of the mayor, ordering that
gambling be suppressed, but permitted
gambling houses to be operated at 4O2
Tower avenue, 72i Tower avenue and
292 W Fifth street.
Third-That Luton wrote evasive,
equivocal and insubordinate answers to
the mayors orders, tending to the det-
riment, lack of discipline and general
inetiiciency Of the police force.
Fourth-That Luton received brides
for permitting gambling houses to run.
Fith-Thst Luton has disgraeed his
Office by habitual outbursts Of profane
and obscene language while on duty,
and that he has thereby become the OBJ
ject of public disrespect and contempt
Sixth-That Luton has caused the ar
rest of various persons, maliciously and
illegally, with intent to injure, harass
and Cypress.
Seventh-That Luton made violent
and unprovoked attack upon John En-
MS on Oct. 6. 1895, for which said Lut-
ton MAS convicted, in the Municipal
court, of assault and battery and fined,
thus degrading his office.
Aid. Beardsley moved that the chaIg-
es be deferred until the next regular
meeting, which motion was promptly
ruled out of order.
Aid. Green then moved an adjourn
ment to this Friday evening when the
charges should be taken up.
Then followed a lot of fiIibustering
during which nearly everyone present
had something to say until the numer-
Gus motions to adjourn, points of order,
calls of the house, etc, so completely
tangled the aldermen and mayor that it
required all the latters knowledge of
the rules to unite the knot
Aid. Beardslcy suggested 4 happy
solution to the tanglc in which the
council had got itself, by adiourning to
Friday evening, without specifying
what business should be transacted
After adjournment the aldermen
gathered in groups and discussed the
situation. City Attorney Reed eX
pressed the opinion, of-hand, that
nothing else could be done until the
proceedings under the call of the house
had been disposed of. Mayor Howe,
President Rogers, and, in fact, nearly
every member of the council, thought
that Chief Luton, if innocent, should
be as anxious for the investigation as
anybody. The general sentiment
! seems to be that the charges would be
taken up tonight and disposed of III
one way or the other.
/