The San Francisco call., 1896-01-11

turned to charity. The fremen, who are
TAR and frank about the matter, are very
much worked up over this manner of
handling the fund, and no man who has
any regard for his dead companions
widow likes to see her deprived cf money
that was intended for her.
In the case of the Page-street fire, when
three men were killed, we subscri bed about
$780, yet only $500 OF ii went to the three
widows. The other $500 went into the
reserve fund, which was used for heaven
knows what, and the families of the dead
hremen did not get what was intended for
them.
During the whole twenty years of Chief
Scannels reign as the head of the Fire
Department nothing OF that kind was ever
heard of, and if he was alive to-day every
widow would get the full amount. Not
long ago q paper was brought around to
the foremen asking them to sign it and
thus authorize the heads of the Fire
Department to expend something like
$1,000 for the purpose of employing special
counsel. This SPECIAL counsel was en-
ployed about the time the Legislature vas
in session, and the tiremen who put it up
are wondering where II went.
"Do you suppose it would be possible
for anybody to think that the Fire Com
missioners thought it good plan to get
rid of me because l opposed taking that
money from the widows and orphans?"
Foreman Buchanan looked out OF the cor
ner OF his eye and puffed on the cigar be-
tween his teeth.
LET me give you another sample of
how true Chief Sullivan is to his dead
superior, David Scannell. When Assistant
Chief James Reilly died. Sullivan, who
succeeded him, Immediately made mo-
tion as Chief of the department, acting in
that capacity during Scannel's illness, to
erect, with money from the reserve fund,
a monument over Reilly's grave. Inside
of sixty days after Reilly's funeral the
stone was in place and the fremen had
paid for it. Shortly after that the brave
Scannell passed away, and Sullivan, who
took his place, thought nothing of him.
Last Decoration day. when we were out to
the cemetery, noticed that Dave Scan
nelFs grave had no monument over it, and
at the next meeting | protested against
such treatment of the best Chief San Fran
cisco ever had. said in my remarks
that we ought to erect monument to
Dave Scan nell, dead nearly three years,
before the newspapers observed the ab-
sence of one, as it would reflect discredit
upon the firemen who pretended to be his
friends. The result of this is known to
the people of this City, as next Sunday a
handsome stone will mark his resting
place, but it will be through no action of
Chief Sullivan.
Certainly. we propose to settle this case
of dismissal in the right courts. We have
employed an attorney to sue the Commis-
sioners for back salary and reinstatement,
to say nothing OF suit for damages to our
regulations. We intend to see whether or
not the Board of Fire Commissioners are
better legal bodies TO handle the law than
the Superior Court. arm not so anxious
about that as | am about the money for
the widows and orphans, whom the fire
men want to see treated properly, regard
less of any views the Chief or any other
member of the board of Fire Department
heads may have. All l want is justice to
all hands, and particularly to the wives
and children of the dead heroes who died
doing their duty"