Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-08-07
INVESTIGATING CHARGES
Mixed Condition of Engine Company
No. 4.
Alleged Drinking by the Company
Thefts of Money From
Lockers.

pany NO. IS IN very mixed state Oh al
fairs at present. Sunday morning last.
when Fireman II. L. Pierce looked in his
locker. where he usually keeps his val
uables, he found that the sum of $45 had
been distracted during the night. AS no
one entered the room, to the knowledge of
any of the men, during the night, it was
naturally supposed that a member of the
company had taken the cash. Quite a stir
was made about 1t in the engine house.
the affair was reported to the police and
the case.
After dilige7t inquiry the mystery SEEM
ed no nearer solution than before, although
the firemen suspected one man. Yesterday
afternoon about l o'clock Fireman Pierce
had occasion to go to his locker, and to
his surprise saw the money lying intact IN
the bottom of the receptacle. The find
vas Immediately reported. Pierce is sure,
however, that the moley was stolen in the
first place, as he almost took his locker
to pieces in the effort 10 fine it. thinking
that perhaps mouse had selected the wad
for its nest.
During the course of the investigation
some of the men were of the opinion that
one of their number had taken the money.
Yesterday afternoon Fireman Sauer APP
peared In the office of the chief engineer
of the fire department and made a state
ment. citing that liquor had been brought
into the premises Saturday night last, and
that five men. by name Fl. L. Pierce, c.
W. Buhlcr H. F. Mcconnell A. Malone
and himself had partaken of beer, six bot
ties having been brought in by a man
name1 Kelly.
The statement Went to say that this
thing had happened a few times in the
past 1t recites that the beer was drunk in
the bunk room and that Kelly made away
with the bottles. The men were lying in
bed and upon a suggestion that beer would
be acceptable Pierce SPOKE up and said that
hn hl6 hn 60 fori IL n
dollar to Sauer. VINO passed the money to
Kelly downstairs, and the latter brought
in the beer.
This afternoon Prosecuting Attorney
Pugh. who has recently taken hold of the
trials in the police and fire departments.
conducted an investigation into the affairs
of Engine Company No. 4, at the engine
house near the corner of Az street and
Virginia avenue southwest. The larceny
of the money was not the subject of the
investigation. but the charges of drinking
liquor on the premises filed against the
five men mentioned above.
When 1t came to the time for the men to
plead all but Sauer emphatically denied the
charge. They were each put upon the
stand, and under oath denied in toto all of
SauerS statements, except that he had re-
ceived a dollar from Pierce. The story
they told seemed straight so far as out
ward appearances were concerned, and the
speedily resolved itself into a
state of affairs where one mans word was
pitted against eight or nine as several wit
nesses were summoned for the defense.
Sauer was the only witness for the prose-
cCtion. the man Kelly having gone to Bal
timOrs some time ago.
Ss.uer was put on the stand and confirm
ed all of the statements made in his affi-
davit the day before. He also stated that
if Foreman w. T. Sorrell had not been
away on a vacation the affair would not
have happened. Foreman Proctor of chem
ical engine No. l, who was acting as fore
man Ct No. 4. in the absence of Foreman
Sorrell took exception to this.
Questioned by Pierce, Proctor and one or
two others. Sauer appeared to have erred
little in his direct testimony, and several
times became so tied up that he had to
stop. Pierce and Sauer had quite a little
tilt, the former asking some pertinent ques-
lions, one of which was Did you make
the statement that you would get even
with the boys because they suspected you
of taking the money! This Sauer denied
emphatically.
Engineer Donnelly was called, and he
stated that Kelly had not gone from the
building until 10 o'clock.
Foreman Proctor also testified that Kelly
was with him the entire evening, and that
he saw him go home and not come back
to the engine house again.
Detectives Horne and Weldon were call
ed upon to testify as to the veracity and
truth of Sauer, but could say nothing
against him, they had not known him
previous to being assigned to the larceny
case.
fute1 some of Sauer's all egations. He said
that Kelly came to the engine house be-
tween Z and o'clock; that he talked with
him the whole evening up to about .
o'clock, when he went upstairs to get Il
cigar. and that soon after that occurrence
Kelly took his departure. He said that 10
his knowledge there had been no drinking
going on in the engine house, and that ii
there had been he would, of course. have
known, as it was his business, while in
charge of the establishment, to see that
everything went straight.
At this point Mr.. Pugh closed the dis
cussion and the investigation. The case
Is as difficult a one as could be devised
to tax the energies of trial board. as
there are many phases to it and each
credible as the other.
Assistant Chief Belt was an interested
spt ctator of the investigation, but did not
take an active part in it.
The charge that drinking had been car
ried on in times past on the premises of the
engine house denied by Foreman Sor-
rell. He said that he lad never seen any
thing of the kind, and had not even heard
such a thing mentioned with his admins
tration of the affairs of the company.