The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-10-09
TURNED IN HIS UNIFORM.
PATROLMAN REILLY FIRED BY
THE POLICE COMMISSION.


nectiOn with the Clearing of the
sidewalks at the Court House Tn
founded-The Commission Gave n'
Orders to That Eject.
The police commission was in session
last night until nearly midnight investt
eating the police row at the court house
Wednesday, which came very near being
q riot.
Charges were preferred against three Of
GERS, Patrolmen Guy Norris, J. B. York
and John D. Reilly. The charges against
Norris were "honorably dismissed thar
being the entry on the docket. The
charges against York We're dismissed, "he
being In the rightful discharge of bis
duty" Reilly was dismissed from the
force for interfering with another Off
Ger while in the discharge of his duty
A number of policemen and several cit
liens were before the commission as Wit
nesses, prominent members of both fac
tons being among the citizen witnesses.
The investigation was private, and re-
porters were not admitted. The three or
ficers against whom the charges were
preferred were present during the hear
ing, however.
As the action of the board is certain
to be criticised. the difficulty having its
origin in political feeling, a Morning News
reporter asked Mai. Karow, chairman OF
the board, for statement of the reasons
for its action.
The reasons are exactly what you see
stated on the docket" said Mai Karow.
Reilly is dismissed for interfering with
another officer while in the discharge of
his duty. The Interference was entirely
unnecessary and unjustifiable, and result
ed in bringing on a most disgraceful row
among the police, which came very near
being bloody riot The facts as brought
out in the evidence are simply these: A
Liberal Club worker named Dyer had
slipped into line A deputy sheriff tried
TO make him come out of the line and he
refused to do so. York's attention was
called to it. He told Dyer that he had
no business in the line and that he must
come out. York knew that Dyer did not
belong in the line because he had only
passed there a short while before and he
was not there then. In fact, the evidence
made it very plain that Dyer had slipped
into the line. Dyer refused to come out
OF the line and called York liar. York
then undertook to arrest him. When he
seized hold of Dyer, Reilly rushed up and
seized York showing him back, at the
same time making a remark which show
ed he was actuated by partisan feeling
The two men struggled together until Po-
liceman Norris rushed up and separa ted
them. All the other police in the neigh
borhood rushed to the scene and political
workers Joined in hustling and striking
policemen. 1t is remarkable that a serious
riot was averted."
Reilly" continued Maj. Karow, com
mitted his offense in attacking York and
thus bringing on the trouble. If he
thought York was acting as a partisan,
and If he had seen him doing
anything wrong, it was his duty
TO report the matter to the
sergeant or to the chief Reilly should
have attended to his own portion Of the
line and left York to attend to his. The
investigation showed that York was sim
ply obeying Instructions and doing his
duty in removing Dyer from the line"
Reilly was notified OF his discharge by
the chief and at once turned In his arms
and uniform. He has been a member of
the force since Nov. 49, 1883, and has a
good record. THE statement that l grab
bed York by the throat is wrong" he said
20 a Morning News reporter. 1T was
York that grabbed at my throat. He
made pass to strike Dyer and ] seized
him by the shoulders and showed him
back. York was then pulled back by
others. l prevented York from hitting
Dyer l told him that he had been doing
too much of that sort of thing. York had
been acting in a partisan manner all day
He and two other policemen, Atkinson
and Christie, interfered with the chat
lengers at the Fourth district box and
tried to pull John ]. Sullivan the Liberal
Club challenger, down from the box.
was simply acting under the instructions
II 10 Oh aE,. .Ql.s..
the line. / have always obeyed instruc-
tons and tried to do my duty"
The commission had no other charges
before 1t. There was a rumor that charg.
es had been preferred against Chief Nc
Dermott for failure to obey instructions
to clear the pavement at the court house
on the morning of the election. Mai
Karow was asked about this. He seemed
surprised at the question.
There are no charges against The
chief" he said. '"rhe commission has nt
charges to make against him He haC
no instructions from the commission Will
regard to clearing the sidewalks at tn,
court house. 1t was none of his business
TO clear them unless he had orders to d,
so, and we gave no such orders. know
there are a lot of rumors around town
but they are not worth listening to-"
Chief McDermott was asked about thi
matter He said that he had been in
formed indN tneIe was ali SORTS OF TAN
about him going around and members o
the Citizens Club had charged that he hat
betrayed them in not clearing the side
walks at Z o'clock, as had been agreed
upon.
Anybody who makes any such state
ment as that lies" said the chief hotly
II never had any such understanding
with the Citizens Club and would 70
have under any consideration Yo,
quoted me as saying before the election
that the police would maintain order II
an entirely impartial manner. withou
favoritism to either faction, and l mean
what ] said. I am not here to be uset
by either side. i have been a partisan al
my life but l made up my mind when
entered this department that / would on
force the law mpartially, and have trieC
TO do so. II would have been nice sor
OF thing for me to do TO have taken tn
police force 10 the court house to driv,
away the Liberal Club people. Tn,
result would have been riot aut
several people might have been killed.
would have been held Responsible. kney
that If the police kept away from Their
there would be no trouble. and the resul
was Just as ] anticipated. 1t has Away
been the custom in previous elections 70
any crowd that Wuufpd IN do en - s,a ~, a.,