The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-11-17
BARRED UP THE CITY HALL.
4 BIG BOARD NAILED ACROSS THE
MAIN ENTRANCE

EIre Ch1ck HnSu1re ordered 1t
DOne-POIIccman Schroeder Found
the Doors Oren-Tbc Fire chief
Was Notified and Had Fireman
Taylor Nail Them 10 CITY OH
ciaIs Think II Very strnnge-Act-
ing Mayor Hamilton Con iucting
an Investigation.
Something of a sensation was caused in
the neighbOrhood of the city exchange yes
terday by the fact that the large doors of
the main entrance to the building were
found to be effectually closed by being
| nailed together with a big red plank,
which bore the letters IS. f. D." The large
black letters and the color of the plank in
dictated at once that the board was from
the Savennah fire department
Passers-by in the early morning saw the
| board across the doors with wonder. They
did not understand what could be meant
by it unless it was that the fire commits
sion had taken forcible possession during
the night and nailed up the place.
The colored porters who were the first
of the city hail employees to arrive, were
amazed and indignant. They got anxes
and removed the obnoxious board. This
was a work of some difficulty, however,
| as the board had been nailed on with large
wire nails. The nails had taken a firm
hold and when extracted several scars
were left in the doors.
The matter was reported to Clerk of
Council Bailey on his arrival at the ex-
change TO Acting Mayor Hamilton. The
latter began an investigation. The col
ored porters had been informed by night
Waterman that Fire Chief Mcguire had
the door nailed up and this statement was
confirmed by other witnesses and by the
! chief himself
The chief was Ill yesterday morning and
| did not arrive at his office until o'clock
| He found a summons awaiting him there
| to appear before the mayor, and promptly
| responded The statement made by him
! to Acting Mayor Hamilton and subsequent
ly to a Morning News reporter was sub
! stantially as follows: Il was called up at
my house between 1 and o'clock by Fire
man Taylor, who said that a message had
| been received at No. / engine house that
| there was something wrong al the city ex-
| change. l jumped in the buggy with Tay-
! Tor and rode to the exchange, where
! found Policeman Schroeder guarding the
| door. I asked him what was the matter,
| and he replied that he had found the door
| open and was unable to close it. Schroeder
| said he did not propose to stay there and
| guard the door l told Taylor to go to No.
2 engine house, get a board and nail up the
door, which he did. Schroeder held the door
while Taylor nailed on the board 1 did
| not get out of my buggy There was a
| light in the room in the northwest corner
on the third floor"
| As to his right to nail up the door, Chief
| Mcguire said: Il have a right to nail up
! any door which if found open at night,
! where there is no one to guard the prop
| erty"
| Chief Mcguire said he did not know
there was a spring lock on the door.
"One reason why I did not want to leave
| the place open" he said, twas that the
| building inspector had reported to me that
there was loose straw, excelsior and pa
| per in the attic. ] addressed a letter at
the time to Clerk Bailey, calling his at
| tenton to the matter With the door
| open any one could go up to the attic"
Fireman Taylor, who followed Chief Ma
| guire before the acting mayor, said that a
| telephone message was received at No.
| engine house about l o'clock that there
| was something wrong at the city ex-
| change. He took the chiefs buggy and
| went after him.
| He rode with the chief to the exchange,
| where they found Policeman Schroeder
| The chief told him to get a board and
nail up the door, which he did. They
| had no light and he did not know there
| was a spring lock to the door. Taylor
said he did not receive the telephone mes
sage at No. l and did not know who
| sent it.
Policeman schroder's story varied some
| what in it's details from those of Chief
| Mcguire and Fireman Taylor. He said it
| was O'Clock when he found the door
| open. He telephoned the sergeant at the
police barracks of the fact Chief Ma
guire came by in his buggy and asked him
what was the trouble. He told him the
| door was open and he could not close H.
| The chief said it was his business to look
| after public property and ordered Firema
| Taylor to nail uD the door, which he did.
| Schroeder said he told the chief previously
| of finding the door of the city exchange
| open at night a number of times and the
| chief had said that it was his duty to
look after public buildings and to notify
| him whenever he found one of them open.
| IL was inferred from this that Schroeder
sent the message to No. l engine house.
Acting Sergeant Smith, who was on duty
| at the police barracks. when asked about
the matter, said that Schroeder telephoned
him about 1870 O'Clock that the door of the
| city exchange was open. This is a mat
| ter of frequent occurrence, the sergeant
| said. knowing the door had a spring lock
| he told the policeman to close it and that
| was the last he heard of the matter He
| sent no message to No. engine house.
| y peculiar feature OIL the case Is Inat
| Policeman Unger stated to Acting Mayor
| Hamilton that he tried the door at 11:30
| and again at 1880 o'clock and found it lock-
ed both times. Another peculiar feature
is that after the board had been prised
Off the door was found to be locked and
| il was necessary to open ii with a key.
The door was then tried and found to
| lock when brought to.
The incident caused a good deal of talk
| The occupants of the city exchange and
others looked upon the matter as a high
| handed outrage on the part of Chief Ma
guire and intended to show his contempt
for the city government. or a piece of in
comprehensive folly. Chief Maguire's po-
| sition has already been stated.
| Acting Mayor Hamilton said he was not
satisfied with the result of his investlga-
ton and would continue his effort to get
| a the bottom of the matter. The atten-
ton of the fire and police commissions will
| be called to the affair.
TRIED TILLMAN'S WEAPON.