The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-09-09
MAGuIRE's FATE IN THE BALANCE.
Fire Commission May Not Decide for
some Days Yet.

The meeting of the fire commission, at
which the fate of Fire Chief Mcguire is to
be settled. continues to be an event of the
dim and misty future. There is apparent
~ every desire on the part of the commits
sioners to have the Investigation termin-
ated. They were tired of hearing and read
ing evidence and would like TO be able to
arrive at a conclusion. Ii looked last Mon
day as II their decision would have be-
come at least a matter of the more imme-
diate future, but the meeting that had
been called for that day did not material
ize. This was owing to the illness of Com
missioner Parish. Another meeting was
called for Tuesday afternoon, but the only
commissioner who put in an appearance
was Mr.. Nell. Chairman Grayson was I'M
able TO attend on account of pressing bust
ness of private nature, and the illness Of
Commissioner Parish continued Though
reported yesterday as resting more easily,
Commissioner Parish was not able TO at
tend a meeting, and it is thought that he
win be unable to get out for several days.
In the meantime things are likely TO
rest strictly in statu quo A meeting Will
not be held with a member of the com
mission absent. In order for decision
to be reached the unanimous vote OF the
commission is necessary, and the absence
of any one of the members from the next
meeting would deprive him of the oppor
tunity of going over the evidence In COM
pany with his colleagues and comforting
with them upon the decision. The evil
dence remaining for the examination of
the commission is yoluminous, filling many
closely written pages of typewriter mat
ter. This has just been submitted to
Ia fcef b4rt no 81
it's reading will be a task demanding some
little time. 1t is hardly likely, Chairman
Grayson states, that the commission will
be able TO conclude all of this evidence
at one session. SO that the anxiously
awaited meeting, even when IL IS held,
Is not likely to conclude the investiga>
ton. An additional meeting, and posi-
bly, more than one, will be necessary n
order for a decision to be reached. For
this reason the end is not yet in sight,
and the natural uneasiness that one head
feels the relief of the commission and the
interest felt by the public in the out
come of the investigation are not to reach
a period for some time IL seems,
There is, of course, a great deal of dis
cussion as to the probable result, some
maintaining that the chief is doomed,
while others insist that the action of the
commission will be favorable. Some
even go so far as to assert that the verdict
has already been practically reached, and
that off must come the head
of the chief. The wise ones
say that there are two of the
commissioners against the head of the
department, and that the third man will
have a very uphill fight of it if his de-
cision is TO become that Of the three. They
say that Commissioners Nell and Parish
see the evidence in different light from
that in which it is viewed by Chairman
Grayson. The latter is said to be the fac
tor that is TO try to keep the chief from
going TO the block, but the chairman does
not let out anything about the probable
result. He and the other commissioners
keep their own counsels, and let the busy
tongues wag. 1t is also talked that the
report of the chairman being on the point
OF resigning has truth back of it. They
say that the chairman would resign be-
fore he would be a member of a commits
sion that would remove his friend, the
chief, from office.
Chief Mcguire says he wishes the thing
over, let the result be what it may. He
is rather tired of living in the state of
uncertainty that has hung about his posi-
ton for so long, and would like to see 1t
terminated, even if the decision is against
him