The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-03-11
CHIEF AND RECORDER DIFFER.
LIVELY TILT OVER INVEsTIGAT-
ING SUNDAY LAW VIOLATIONS.

Chief McDermOtt Refuses TO Have the
Statements of Certain Negro Wit
nesses as to Violations of the Liz
uor Law Investigated as Instructed
by Recorder WiIsOn-A Vigorous
CoIIoquy After Adjournment of
Police Court-ChIef McDermOtt An
nounees That He is Running the
Police Department-The Matter
May Come Before the Police Com
mission.
Recorder Wilson and Chief Of Police
McDermott had tilt at the police bar
racks yesterday morning which was quite
lively while II lasted, and had very much
the appearance of a serious rupture,
though the indications later in the day
were that It would be smoothed over.
The trouble grew out of difference Of
opinion between the two officials as to the
methods OF conducting the police depart
ment The recorder wished some evidence
Investigated which he believed would lead
to charges of violation of the Sunday
law, but Chief McDermott did not con-
slider the evidence of sufficient value to
merit investigation. and he countermand-
ed the recorders instructions to a detec-
to have the investigation made.
In the usual large batch of cases in
police court Monday morning were two
negroes j. H. Taylor and Pearcy Will
Jams, who were charged with drunken
ness and disorderly conduct on Sunday.
The recorder always has an eye open TO
the enforcement Of the Sunday law, and
he questioned the two prisoners as to
where they got their Sunday booze. They
gave the location of three places where
they said they had obtained drinks on
Sunday, but claimed to be unable to
give the names of the proprietors of these
places or of the persons from whom they
obtained their drinks The recorder inn
posed fines on the men on the charges
against them and ordered them held as
witnesses. Detective Godbold was in the
court room and the recorder instructed
him to take the negroes to Yamacraw and
let them point out the places at which
they had obtained their drinks.
When Recorder Wilson went to the bar
racks to hold court yesterday morning he
found that nothing had been done in the
cases. He inquired of Detective Godbold
why he had not carried out his instruc-
fions, and the detective replied that the
chief had instructed him not to work on
the case Recorder Wilson then sent for
the chief and when the latter came into
the court room, asked him IL the detec-
ttves statement was correct: The chief
replied that 1t was, and when the re-
| corder asked why he had done so, the
chief replied that he had other work for
the detectives to do. The recorder sug-
| gested that policeman might be assign
| ed to look after the case but the chief
did not appear inclined to take the sug-
gestion.
Nothing more was said about the matter
| in the court room, but Recorder Wilson
called on Chief McDermott in
| his office after court was over. Re-
corder Wilson desired to know of the chief
| If he intended to send a detective with the
| negro witnesses to find out where they
had purchased liquor on Sunday. The
| chief stated emphatically that he did not
| intend to do anything of the kind He
| said that the detectives had more import
ant matters 10 look after than to spend
| their time investigating the statements of
| every drunken negro who was brought
| into court.
Both recorder and chief became some
| what excited, according to all reports. In
answer to further questions by the re-
| corder the chief announced that he was
| running the police department and did not
| need to be told his business by the re-
| corder or anyone else. The recorder stated
| his intention to report the matter to the
commission, and the chief replied that he
was perfectly welcome to do so. The in
| terview ended in this unsatisfactory way
Recorder Wilson was determined not to
/ be baked In his effort to ferret out the
| Sunday liquor dealers, and after further
| investigation of the stories of the negro
witnesses. instructed the clerk to place
| William Mccormick, George w. Bandy and
j. Nj. Denmark, all Yamacraw saloon
| keepers, on the docket. The cases will
| probably be taken up in police court this
| morning. The negro Taylor was allowed
| to be bonded out, but the recorder ordered
| that Williams be held at the barracks and
/ that no one should be allowed to see him.
| Desperate efforts were made by interested
| parties to get Williams out on bond but
| without success.
The report of the tilt between the re-
| corder and the chief caused considerable
| talk around town Both officials were
| seen by a Morning News reporter, but
| neither was inclined to discuss the matter
| to any extent. Recorder Wilson confirmed
the facts as stated above. He did not say
! whether he intended to bring the matter
to the attention of the police commission
| or not.
| The recorder had an interview with the
mayor in the afternoon Mayor Myers
said when seen that the matter had been
exaggerated and that it was simply a mis-
| understanding between the chief and the
recorder. Chief McDermott, when seen,
repeated his statement to Recorder VIII
son, with regard to investigating the
cases.
Il am at the head of this department. .
said he, land l do not need to be told
how to run II. We would have nice time
of it investigating the statements of ev-
cry drunken negro who comes up in po-
lice court. The detectives have better
! work to do than to be going around town
I looking up cases with this sort of evil
dence. What is such evidence worth, even
when a, case is made? These negroes who
are brought up in police court are liable
to tell any sort of a story
The matter will hardly be allowed to
| rest as it stands now. The question of
the authority of the recorder and of the
chief of police will have to be settled or
such clashes may occur again.