The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1896-08-27
BURGESS BURNS A BIFFER.
The Official Too Much For a First
Ward Man.
BUTLER WENT DOWN THREE TIMES
He Blackguarded the Burgess Because the
official Refused to Pay Him Fee-The
official Says 1t is One of the
Dollar Snapper" Cases

An unusual scene was witnessed at the
corner of Main and Centre streets last even
ing and for hours after it was the subject of
discussion among the citizens. The scene
was personal encounter between Chief
Burgess James Burns and a resident of the
First ward named Michael Butler Ofcourse
the more the matter became discussed and the
wider the story spread the more the facts in
the case became distorted and on this account
the chief officer of the town was subjected
uujustly to rather severe criticism for his
action in the matter. One of the stories that
gained circulation was that the Chief Burgess
was intoxicated and assaulted a citizen with
out provocation. The Burgess subsequently
ran down this story and the party who was
responsible for it made a retuction in the
presence Of a reporter and number Of citizens.
The Chief Burgess was standing at the
corner of Main and Centre streets at about
$50 o'clock last evening when Butler ac-
companied by friend, approached and de-
manded a fee of 81 for having assisted in
making arrests in the First ward "a few weeks
ago. The Burgess replied that there was no
fee due Butler and the latter called the on-
cial liar. The Burgess paid no attention to
the challenge, but answered that he had no
fee for him and Butler then called the Bur
CESS -- --o of liar This was too
much for Burns and he struck out Butler
was evidently ready for fight and for minute
or two there was pretty hot bout, but the
Chief Burgess was by far the heavier of the
two and Butler went down three or four
times under the strong arm of the law before
Special Officers Sadusky and Kane ran up.
They took Butler into custody and escorted
him before Justice Lawlor upon instructions
from the Burgess. When before the Justice,
Chief Burns said it was not his desire to
prosecute the man if he would promise to
behave himself Justice Lawlor thcreupun
advised Butler to go home and the office was
cleared of the crowd that had assembled.
1t was subsequently learned that Buffers
claim is a branch of Il matter that was
brought before meeting of the Borough
| Council recently, when Councilman Coaklcy
stated that several special police complained
that they had not been paid for assisting in
making arrests, Chief Burgess Burns was
present at the time and stated that in the
case referred to thirteen men were arrested
in the First ward for making disturbance (;
that several served time and only s15 had
been collected in fines and costs, but an army
Of special officers were clamoring for fees
Council took no action in the matter.
Chief Burns and other officials say that the
whole trouble arises from desire on the part
Of some people to try and make living by
acting as special police and ina great many
cases where fees are asked the service has
been purely voluntary. 1t is known in some
cases that three, and as many as four men
have gathered about prisoner and escorted
him when one officer was sufficient. These
over-zealous people have become known,
through q remark made by Councilman
Englert, as dollar snappers." Chief of
Police Tosh speaks Of one case in which he
and Policeman Lee were Obliged to fight
crowd in a house and only one man from
mob Of about 200 assembled outside volun-
teered to assist the officers but as soon as the
prisoners wele brought out on the pavement
crowd rushed forward and in a twikle there
were three to four officers for each prisoner,