The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-02-12
The Citizens Will Discredit q
Report Manufactured Behind
Closed Doors.
THE MAYOR HAS BEEN SUMMONED
By THIS Purifying Committee Who are Fast
Becoming Insane From :.niIated Ideas Of
Self Importance Notes.

The star chamber investigation which
the committee on police OF the Board OF
Aldermen Is now pursuing is fast develop
ing into a farce. This committee has
taken unto themselves the task Of purify
ing the police force Of imaginary irreg-
nlarities, and have for their principal OBJ
ject the undermining OF Mayor Cots
chalk's popularity. In these maneuvres
they are not fooling the citizens Q parti-
Gle, for the animas Of their attacks Is well
known. It has been limited that this same
committee contemplates summoning the
Mayor before them In order to investigate
his administration. In other words, they
have become so inflated with the idea of
their own Importance that they are fast
losing what little common sense they were
threatened with possessing.
Trying to Hoodwink the Public.
In the first place the underhanded and
secret manner in which they have gone
about this investigation, so called, is de-
cdedIy wearisome. Usually when the city
officials are honest in investigating NUM-
cipal affairs the meetings are thrown open
to the press representatives, 30 that the &C
cused may have their side of the question
placed before the public In a truthful
manner. This committee has seen fit to
adopt a method, which on the face OF 1t,
smacks too much of dishonesty.
1t might be well to state right here for
the benefit of Alderman Eastwood, that no
member OF the police force intimated the
least thing about the secret meetings OF
the city purifiers. Chief Goldsmith and
Sergt. Louks did not nor would not tell a
reporter word about it. The information
came from another source, in fact, 1t came
from their own committee In an indirect
way, and whatever information Is pub
lished In the columns of the papers, comes
not from the police department.
OAcer Stafford on the stand.
Onicer Stafford was the first witness
and among other questions he was asked
il any prisoners had been released after
being arrested. Officer Stafford related an
occurrence which happened in jerks Park
one evening; in attempting to arrest a
man the officers clothes were badly torn,
but the man was finally landed in the
police station. Horror was pictured upon
the faces of Messrs. Keene, Eastwood and
Fontain when the officer informed them
that the prisoner was liberated by the
orders of the Mayor. Here was the golden
opportunity of life time; the questions
ceased for time in order to permit of no
mistake by the stenographer. The ques-
tion and answer are now in black and
white, bat the Joy will be short lived as
this incident occ' red under the admin
istration of ex- Mayor Moies.
The sum and total of the session was
the endeavor to find out what the Mayor
has done. The idea was to find some
excuse to ridicule the Mayors attempt at
enforcing the law. They are also anxious
to find out il the Mayor has recommended
the dropping Of any of the liquor cases.
The citizens are watching the antics of
these purifyers and when the proper time
comes they will receive their just rebuke.