The herald., 1897-09-01

been made, Mr. Wyman stated that he
desired to hear further evidence in the
matter, and on his motion the hearing
was continued for one week, in order
to secure further witnesses.
JOHNSON CENsURED
| At the conclusion of the saloon mans
hearing, the case Of Officer johnson was
called up. The report made by the Of
ficer was read, and Mr.. Gibbon, as father
Of the resolution citing johnson to ap-
pear and explain why he had not demand
| ed an entrance into the saloon when he
was satisfied the law was being violated,
opened the ball by asking the officer for
statement of his side of the matter.
Johnson went over the incidents Of his
visit to the saloon. He did not force the
| door because he had no orders to act in
that manner unless he had substantial
evidence that the law was being violat-
! ed. Even had I been admitted" said
Johnson, II could not have Sc
cured evidence to convict" But"
had not been able to secure evi-
dence to convict, your action would at
least have had the effect of stopping,
IOT the LlIQ6 DelUSs dl any Tdle, tHe NlO-
lation of the law"
| Proceeding, the commissioner put some
pointed questions to the officer, but was
Interrupted by Mayor Snyder, who OBJ
jected to the method in which Mr.. Glib
bon propounded his questions, stating
that as an attorney he might lead wit
ness into a quandary" unless he had
some one to look out for his interests.
This provoked an animated discussion
between the mayor and Mr.. Gibbon, the
latter replying that if his honor thought
Johnson needed counsel he, himself
should represent him, as he was willing
A lively discussion resulted, in which
Mr.. McLain, Mayor Snyder and Mr..
Gibbon engaged. Mr.. Gibbon asserted
very vigorously that he did not believe
the officer did his duty and should be
reprimanded. The Mayor accused Mr.
Gibbon of making fine speeches
but without regard to the injury done
the police officers by snap motions He
declared that the policemen were not
slaves, although they were public SER
wants.
At this point Mr. Gibbon Offered the
following resolution, standing to his guns
despite the combined onslaught of
Messrs. Snyder and McLain:
Resolved, That it is the sense of this
commission that where an officer believes
that the law is being violated behind
closed csoor and fails to attempt to Sc
cure an entrance, to the extent Of de-
manding the same in the name Of his
authority, he is guilty of a censurable
failure to do his official duty, and the
chief is hereby directed to reprimand
Officer Johnson for his failure to demand
an entrance into the 400 saloon in the
name of his official power, believing as
he did that the law was being violated
there.
Again Mayor Snyder rushed into the
breach and with some heat declared that
he could not vote for the motion because
he did not believe the officer had been
derelict in his duty. To this Mr.. Gibbon
replied that he, perhaps, had an exalted
idea of the duties of the city's police Off
GERS, but he believed that each one rep
resented the majesty Of the law and
should see to it to the best of his ability
that the statutes were observed He was
perfectly willing to Immediately revoke
the license Of any saloonkeeper who re-
fused admittance to an officer in the dis
cNdTSe OIL HIS uuty. Alter IurLnef 01S-
cussion the resolution was seconded by
Commissioner Wyman and carried by
the following vote: Yeas, Gibbon, Wy
man and Preuss; nays, Snyder and Nc
Lain.
As closing motion Mr.. Gibbon asked
that the city attorney be requested TO
render the commission an opinion as to
how far an officer may go in securing an
entrance to place where he may know