The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-05-14
MORE TROUBLE.
PETITION TO THE FIRE AND PO-
LICE BOARD COMING.
Ex-firemen and Citizens Will Ask
the Board to Investigate the De-
partment-Charges of Bad Con-
duct on the Part of Some of the
Men Which Have Not Been Looked
Into.

If indications count for anything there
will be a Lively session of the fire and
police board at its next meeting. This
statement does not apply to any dispute
which may ensue between the members
OF that body as to the application of
rules, but to shaking up which will be
given the fire chief by the reading of
request from several citizens, one or
two exmembers of the department ac-
cording to the edicts of the chief. ask
ing the board to make a general in
vestigation of matters inside and beyond
the pale of it's official knowledge.
AT the last meeting of the board, Fire
man Burns, who was dismissed by the
chief some weeks ago, made a statement
in which he said that he had been or
dered TO undergo medical examination
and afterwards was compelled to buy
a UNIFORM and boots. When he was dis
missed the letter OF the chief was adj
dressed to him as substitute" He had
been on the department eight or nine
months and from the manner in which
his name was on the regular roll had
every reason 10 think he was perma-
nent man.
But, Burns case has furnished the
foundation for a sort of an investigation
and it is claimed that the chief is in
the habit OF placing men on the roll and
not reporting their names to the COM
mission for action; allowing them to re-
man on at his pleasure as 1t were, and
not at the pleasure of the board. Burns
was employed IN this manner and so
was Joe Smith No action was ever
taken in the commission on their names.
The rule il such cases has been that
where a man was hired ''on probation,
after he had served sixty days 10 the
satisfaction of the chief he was made
a regular"
1t is said there are two more on the
force who are hired in the same way,
and it is to this condition OF affairs
the commission will be invited to direct
their attention.
In connection with this general state
ment there will be some specific charges
made of irregularity in running the IN
side affairs of the department. 1t will
be remembered that when Amos More
ton was charged with having been in
toxicated he was reported by the Chief
and sentenced to suspension covering
about three months. But from the state
ments made now, it would seem the US
ual sentence has been mitigated. One
extra man, who has been on for about
eight months, got very drunk While OIL
at mealtime and did not return for two
days. When he did come back he was
merely reprimanded and told not TO 90
so again. This same fireman was intoXi-
Gated on the night of March 10 and April
3, and on one of the periodicals had TO
be carried upstairs from a hack, in
which he had been returned by an eX-
m0nlDer OF the department.
On the night of January 30, 1t is al
legged one of the officers in house No. l
was incapacitated from duty by reason
of too much Indulgence, and while IN
this condition an alarm was turned in,
to which he did not respond. 1t is stated
that the chief knew of this matter, but
nothing was said because he was IA
vorite.
1t is also alleged that on the night of
February II, this same officer was on
watch and that he left his post, putting
another man on while he was away,
and that he remained away until day.
light shaking dice in an adjacent saloon.
There is rule Of the department which
1orbids a fireman from entering a saloon
while in uniform, and while this is gen
orally obeyed, it is alleged that certain
members of the department can violate
it and nothing is said.
It is alleged that one man who was
recently put on the department, has been
of this state and is citizen of Evans
ton, Wyoming.
Aii these allegations will be crystal
lized into a specific charge and will be
attested and presented the. board for
its action. There will also be state
ment made that whereas Fitzgerald and
Splain were fined SIS each for indulging
in a scrap in the house while on duty,
recently two men, who happen to stand
we'll with the chief, got into wrangle
with hammer, which case was within
the knowledge of the head of the depart
ment, yet no action was taken although
charges were made to the chief by one
of the subordinate officers.
This paper cannot state definitely what
other charges will be made, but is given
to understand there are several more
coming and that they are being type
written for presentation to the meeting
of the board next Monday, if one is
be-d