Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1897-10-21
ar Police COMMISSIONERS

p,,pD OF POLICE COMMISSIONERS
MA meeting of the Board of Po-
A. I'm 5,mmissioners was held last night.
nee HtsrCr simpson presided and all the
ai"a;;mi.sioners were present.
c0' ,s ,1 me reading of the minutes CT
40 Inst meeting Mr.. Price. Commits
u. i'na 49,. from the Second ward, formally
:s,. oa charges against Sergeant Jas.
pp'oi'b the full text OF which have here
, a'D,, been published in the GAZETTE.
T ty'S' specifications, among other things,
80 ~ fortb that the Sergeant did in the
..ar ISS2 desert from the y. S. man-of-
!r.r Tennessee in New York. Mr..
p pL, held that the Sergeant had per-
ia ',s himself when he took the oath of
osico as a policeman as he swore he was
r;,iyap OF the United States when cog
";y'ol Of the fact that by his desertion
Ss ra, debarred from holding office and
irom voting. la presenting the charges
Mr. Mr. Price said personally he had moth
mo against the Sergeant, but as sworn
nti;ceT he regarded it as a duty he ow-
I'd TO those he represented to bring
those facts before the board. The lat
fer could do what they pleased with
them
He maintained that man who had
deserted MS country and perjured him
self was an unsafe person to be an OH
Ger of the police force.
Mayor simpson suggested that the act
said TO have been committed by the
Sergeant was when he was in his mi.
nori,y. and that there were extenuating
circumstances connected with ii; for in-
stance he had widowed mother he
desired TO help to support.
Mr.. Price said he was acquainted
with the circumstances of the case. The
Sergeant afforded no aid whatever to
his mother. brother beipg the respon-
sibe one of the family; that he Mr..
Pfic-D contributed financially to the
comfort of the accused when he ap-
pe.red here after deserving his ship,
besides using his influence in get.
ti1g him on the police force and in SUBJ
seQuenlly advancing him.
The Mavor referred to State law
under which the Sergeant, he thought,
escaped the consequences of desertion,
so far as his citizenship was concerned.
NIr. Price said he had always under
stood that The laws of Congress were
paramount and their provisions could
not be set aside by State ordinances,
and he urged that man who would
perjure himself on one occasion would
repeat the ottense. The speaker would
protest against such person swearing
in case in which he was interested,
and appealed to the Mayor if he. too,
would not object to his testimony under
similar circumstances.
Messrs. Lindsey, Bryant and Tackett
conceded with the Mayor in the view
he took of the case, and the debate
which followed was exciting.
Mr.. Price said no meeting of the
board had been held for three months,
although he endeavored to it them
and it looked to him as
though some members did not care to
SOunC tvbctuol Wuiio no MdS u lUSAUCl.
MIR. Bryant said the board had no
aversion to any one thai Council might
elect as Commissioner, and whoever
came 10 the board with credentials as
such would be treated with proper def
erence. For himself he was glad his
term of office was short.
Mr.. Price finally moved that the
board fix a night for the investigation
Of the charges against Sergeant Smith.
This was voted down, Mr.. Price only
voting IN the affirmative.
The charge as presented was then
disposed Of by being laid on the table,
MIR. Price being the only Commission
er who voted in the negative.
The following was adopted
Resolved. That we have full conf
dence in the integrity, usefulness, and
citizenship OF Sergeant James L. Smith,
and that we find no foundation for the
charge that Sergeant Sm it'll has done
anything to impeach his character as