The Portland daily press., 1896-06-26


and Further Complications May Arise
Trouble Arose Over Treatment of a
Prisoner.
A special meeting of the mayor and
board of aldermen of Deering, held last
night, was sensational to the highest
degree and the sensation was exploded
by Alderman Aver of Ward 4, a member
of the committee on police.
Although the mayor and board of al
dermen seemed wholly prepared for
Alderman Ayers sensation, the people
OF Deering were not prepared for it and
to them it came with the unexpected
ness of bolt from clear sky. The or
dinanoe with which Alderman Aver
startled Deering was as follows:
"'Bs it ordained by the mayor and
board of Aldermen in city council as
sembled, that the ordinance by which
police department. Is established, passed
May 26. 1898, Is hereby repealed. This
ordinance to take effect as soon as it is
enacted
The trouble between the board of alder
men and the police department which
has been brewing for some months, came
to head about week ago. 1t seems
that man named Taylor, who had been
intoxicated the night before, was arrested
the next morning and confined in the
police station. On the morning follow
ing his arrest while being taken to the
police court, Taylor made an attempt to
escape. Officers Fred G. Haskell and
Fred r. Mitchell, who were at the police
station at the time succeeded in capt
uring Taylor and it WAS charged that
these officers used unnecessary violence
towards their prisoner, even going so
far, it is claimed by some of the alder
men, to kick and pound Taylor when
there was no occasion for it. This mat
ter, coming to the ears of the mayor and
Aldermen Aver and Small, of the COM
mittee on police. Mayor Mitchell, as he
has the authority to do so, ordered an
| investigation, and hearing was held
yesterday afternoon, when Officers Has
kell and Mitchell appeared before the
committee. II was stated by one of the
aldermen last night, that both of the
| officers, confessed to kicking and strik-
| ing Taylor, but they claimed did it in
the lawful discharge of their duty.
| But the police committee did not up
hold the officers in their action and were
to have reported the matter to the board
Of aldermen last night in way which
would have not been entirely satisfactory
| to Officers Mitchell and Haskell, when
these gent lemen rather took the wind
out of the sails of the police committee
by rendering their designations from the
force. The designations were at once
accepted by the aldermen, but this did
not end the matter. The aldermen de-
ided to legislate City Marshal ST. John
and the other 10 police officers who re-
manned on the force out of office, and
Alderman Ayers ordinance, printed
above, was the result.
When the ordinance was presented in
the board, ID was passed without dis.
senting vote, and was ordered to sec-
ond reading when it also passed. AL
derman Aver then moved that the ordi-
nance be taken from the table and passed
| to be engrossed. May or Mitchell thought
this was railroading the thing along toe
fast, and raised the point that before il
could be engrossed the bill must lay OF
| the table for seven days. Alderman
Aver did not think the delay was neces.
sary and appealed to City Solicitor
Matthews, who was present and wht
agreed that the delay was not necessary
urless the bill called for the appropria
tion Of money. The repeating ordinance
| was then passed to be engrossed ant
sometime after reported by the chairman
of the committee on engrossed bills, Al
derman Gowen, and passed to be enacted
The ordinance now only requires th,
mayors signature to become a law, an(
if he signs the bill this Deering polio,
| department will cease to exist.
But If all reports are true, Mayo
Mitchell will veto the bill. He stated to
PRESS reporter last night that he viii
take until the next regular meeting of tn,
city council to consider the matter and
would not sign it at once anyway, if a
all. If he vetoes the ordinance the boar(
of aldermen will probably pass the bill
over the veto and then enact new ordi
ance creating new police department.
This bill the mayor will probably sigi
and, it is stated, that az he uphoids Git.
Marshal st. John in this matter, he viii
Immediately appoint him city marsha
or chief of police Or whatever the tit Ii
of the new head Of the police depart
| ment may be.
The aldermen, who. it is said, hav'
declared war TO the knife against Mar
shall st. John, and the present police
force will, ID case he is re-appointed. re
fused to confirm his appointment. TIL,
Deering police has, in the past, consisted
Of 10 regular officers and a city marshal
who receive per diem pay when on duty
By the request of the Portland Rail
road Company, William B. Brown
Charles B. Halves and Neal d. Lun
were appointed special policemen a
Riyerton PARK.
| i Alpheus S. Leighton was elected as al
, extra constable in Ward z, to serve il