The herald., 1897-05-26
Kolle's Case Before the
Police Board
ALL ABOUT THE SIXTEEN LIST
THE OFFICER TELLS WHO GAVE
HIM THE NAMES
Other Officers Detail How They Sc
cured Peep at 1.-THE Matter
Taken Under Amusement

At the meeting of the police commits
sioners yesterday morning all of the
members of the board were in attend
ance, with the chief and large number
of officers who were present as wit
nesses in the investigation of the charges
of characterization against Officer Kolle,
the insubordination consisting of circu-
lating what purported to be list of Of
ficers who had been marked for the
slaughter in case that General Forman
had not been removed before the guilo-
tine could be set in operation.
The Kolle matter was called up i'm
mediately after the reading Of the min
autes, and the chief stated that much de-
moralization had been caused by the
officers passing around what purported
to be list of officers marked for dismis-
sal, which list had been traced back to
Kolle. The circulation of this list was
the worst sort of INSTRUMENTATION, for
the reason that it caused hard feelings
and a.ised dissensions among the MEM
bers o. the force, destroying all proper
discipline.
officer Kolle wac then sworn, and
told his story. He said that on the day
that General Forman had been removed
he had been sent out on official duty,
and on returning had met a saloon
keeper, whose place is at Washington
and Main streets, personal friend of the
chief, who told him that he had a list of
the men who were to be removed. and
that he (Kolle) was among them. He
naturally asked to see the list, and was
interested enough to make copy. He
did not, however, take any pains to cir
culate, this list among the men, but he
did show it to several who asked to see
it, and he also took occasion to make
inquiries as to who prepared the list, and
the eource of his information. He nat
urally took more than ordinary interest
in the matter, for the reason that he was
continually hearing that he was ION the
list"
After some talk card bearing sixteen
names was produced, and officer Kolle
admitted that he had shown this list TO
a number of officers, stating that
he had been informed that these
men had been marked for dis
missal If General Forman had not
been removed. There wac no dispute
as to this list being in Kolles possession.
and that it had been shown. Following
are the names: Woodward, Ditiwig
Kolle, Matuskiewicz, Pawling, Miller,
Martin, Hill. Conley, Neighbors, Baker
Stevenson, Shannon, Holleran, Johnson
and Dixon. In answer to further ques-
tions, Kolle stated that he had heard
1;s-t 80; to-
the names of officers Williams, Fay,
Captain Roberts and Sergeant Jeffries
Kolle was questioned at considerable
length by the commissioners, Mr. Glib
bon, as rule. taking the lead, as to his
motives in passing around this liz. The
accused denied that he was in any way
actuated by malice or by any desire to
demoralize the force. He had meant to
do no harm, and but rarely showed the
card unless he was approached
by other officers and asked to
be allowed to see it. He point
blank denied that he had ever
spoken disrespectfully of his superior
officers, and explained that it was more
curiosity than anything else which first
prompted him to get the list from the
saloon keeper. II challenge any coun-
Gilman to say that l approached him in
regard to the police commission or its
acts" said Kolle. Il also positively as
sert that 1 did not show this list until
after General Forman's dismissal, and
only then when officers came to me and
asked to see it,
Officer Harris testified that it was
common talk on the street about a list
being in existence of officers that the
commissioners had determined to dis
miss from the force. He had heard the
matter talked about in the assembly
room at police headquarters, where
Kolle had the list He had also heard
talk to the effect that there were other
lists
Officer johnson was the next witness
He had been standing in the assembly
room with four or five other officers
around and it had been mentioned that
his name wae on the list. He had asked
Kolle If such was the case, when he re-
piled that it was, and he had then asked
to see it. He had then taken the list and
copied four names from it. There was
come discussion about this, as well as
other lists.
he had ever carried about or circulated
his list among the members of the police
department.
There was more talk about this list and
other lists when Commissioner Gibbon
turned to Mayor Snyder, saying: There
are some good men on this list When
this matter came up / was not a mem
Der of the commission and for the sake
of getting information I would ask
whether any list of officers to be dismiss
ed was ever prepared by the COM
missionerS. If such was the case. | would
like to know it, and think that.it is due
to these men that they should know it,
Mayor Snyder promptly dsclaimed
any knowledge of any such list. as did
the other commissioners, and the ex-
animation proceeded.
D. r. Gates, private detective, stated
that eight or ten days ago he had met
Kolle on First street, and the latter had
shown him the list. In answer to uues-
tions, Gatee admitted that he had, ap-
preached Kolle with the remark, "Weu
you are on the force yet" Gates further
stated that Kolle had not spoken dis
respectfully of the commissioners or crit
icised their acts, nor had made any
accusations against any one.
Officer Stevenson saw Kolle pull the
card from his pocket in the assembly
room, and say, this is the list of sixteen.
He was not cloee enough to see any of