The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-02-14

fire department by Mayor GlehulnlllHS'
The communication notifying the chief
of the fact was transmitted to him
about O'Clock in the afternoon by
Archie Mckay. the mayors clerk ana
reads as fellows:
THE SUSPENSION.
Mayors Office,
Salt Lake City, Feb. Is, 1896
James Devine. Chief Engineer Fire
Department. Salt Lake City, Utah:
Dear Sir-For gross neglect of duty,
and other causes which appear salts
factory to me, you are hereby sus-
pended from Office as chief of the lire
department of this city
Charges will be preferred against
you and filed with the board of police
and fire commissioners in due season.
Respectfully.
JAMES GLENDINNING,
Mayor.
The above letter to the chief Of the
fire department was followed by an
other communication to Chairman
Jennings of the board of fire and po-
lice commissioners the text of which
is given below:
TO THE BOARD.
Mayors Office,
Salt Lake City, Feb. 13, 1896.
Frank Jennings. ESQ., Chairman
Board of Police and Fire Commits
sioners, Salt Lake City, Utah:
Sir:-Enclosed herewith please, find
copy of letter this day delivered to MIR.
Devine, chief Of the fire department.
Be kind enough to take such action
as may he necessary to turn over TO
the officer who succeeds Mr. DeVine,
all property belonging to the depart
ment.
Very respectfully yours.
JAMES GLENDINNING.
Mayor.
ASSISTANT CHIEF DONOVAN.
Mr.. Jennings being absent from the
city at the time the missive was deliv-
cred to Comm ssioner Empey, who i'm
inediately communicated with Chief
DeVine and instructed him to act in
accordance with the mayors decree.
MI. Devine at once notified the com
missioner that he had turned over to
Assistant Chief Donovan the affairs
OF the department as well as having
stripped himself of his official garb
ana was once more nothing but a
plain, common, every day citizen.
CHIEF DEVINE TALKS.
The action of the mayor in suspend
ing Chief Devine was considerable of
a surprise, though not entirely unex-
pected by those who have kent mace
with the drift Of affairs in municinal
circles Of late. The chief himself was
very much surprised man when tbe
news was delivered to him and cri+i-
clzed the action rather strongly in
Ni t.y OF the surrounding circumstances. |
nave not the slightest intimation
OF what the charges viii be he sajd
when seen by a Herald ~
porter. any further than what js
contained In the letter from the nnavor
IL looks TO me as if this comes at a
time when the mayor knows that
cannot get an immediate hearing. tbe
oHiy members OF the board of fire and
police commissioners now in the civ
belng chairman Jennings and Mr.. En-
pey. l am. however, prepared TO stand
lrldI on any charges that may be Dre-
ierred, anu hope that the hearing will
take place as early as possible"
The chief was asked some further
questions, but courteously declined to
talk until after he had been served
with a copy of the complaint. He re-
peatedly expressed the desire TO have
an early hearing and pointed to the
part Of the ordinance under which the
hearing will be had.
CHARGES NOT YET FILED.
Up to a late hour last night the
board had not received a COPY of the
charges, which is somewhat of VIC
lation of the following section of the
revised ordinances of the city:
The chief of police, the captain of
police the chief engineer of the fire
department and the first assistant of
the fire department each and all of
them, shall be subject to suspension
from office for cause by the mayor at
2ny time.
Any officer SO suspended shall at
once cease TO exercise the functions of
his Office until he shall be reinststed.
In case of such suspension the mayor
shall at once communicate to said
board the charges against the officer
suspended. and the board shall at
once consider and examine the same.
giving the suspended officer an oppor-
tunity to meet the charges and TO be
heard in his own defense. After hear
ing the matter the board shall deter
mine whether the charges are sus-
tanned
II the charges shall not be sustain
ed by the board the officer shall be
Immediately reinStated. If the board
shall determine that the charges are
sustained. it shall at once determine
whether the good of the service re-
quires that the suspended officer shall /
be removed from Office or shall be sus-
pended from Office without pay for a
fixed period. The board shall commu-
nicate its decision to the mayor in
writing. The mayor shall make it pub
lie and the decision shall be final and
conclusive in all cases"
It is expected, however. that the i'm
poptant document will be forthcoming
today. but as there are not sufficient |
members of the board in the city TO
constitute quorum. the prospects for J