Evening star., 1897-03-18
Mayor and Police Commissioners of
Alexandria Lock Horns.
LATTER RESTORE SUSPENDED OFFICERS
The Mayor Refuses to Recognize
the Action of the Board.
INTERESTING MBROGLIO
Evening Star Bureau,
No. 121 North Washington street,
III.


ters last night, which resulted in the action
geant James T. Smith and Officer William
Ferguson being set aside. and the men to
be put on duty forthwith. Promptly at s
o'clock the board met with Mayor Thomp-
son in the chair and Commissioners Bryant,
Lindsay. Lockett and Strauss present.
1t had for some time been expected and
predicted in The Star that the commission
ers would at their first meeting investigate
the Suspension of the two officers which
caused such a burst of Indignation from
the citizens at the time of it's occurrence,
IS the public generally felt that ii was an
act OF gross injustice to these two men.
who had without fear or favor conducted
successfully the raid against the policy
shops. and when this decision was reached
by the con missioners it occasioned no sur
prise and gave general satisfaction.
When the meeting opened a letter was re-
ceived from Chief Webster, setting forth
that Sergeant Smith and officer Fergus
son had been suspended from duty Febru-
airy %, 1897. for thirty days each for in
subordination and contempt of the mayor
and their superior officers.
Lively Discussion Precipitnted.
This letter caused the discussion. and
matters We're not minced while it was go
ers Lockett, Lindsay and Bryant favored
investigating the case, but Mayor Thomp-
son held that the commissioners had no
rights in the matter. the result of which
would reverse his lthe mayorS) decision
and in this position he was sustained by
Commissioner Strauss. After a great deal
of discussion pro and con, in which all the
members of the board took part, the follow
ing resolution was adopted:
The board of police commissioners. hav-
ing duly reviewed the charge of insubordi-
nation and contempt for which Sergeant
Smith and Officer FERGUSON were suspend
ed from the police force, do hereby set
aside such suspension and order the officers
TO report for duly forthwith.
1t is understood that Commissioners
Lockett. Bryant and Lindsay voted for
this resolution, and Commissioner Strauss
and Mayor Thompson against it. Mayor
Thompson refused to put the question, and
Commissioner Bryant took the chair
Mayor Thompson having refused to en-
force the resolution of the commissioners
on motion of Commissioner Lindsay, Sec
retary Lockett was instructed to report the
action of the board to Chief Webster with
orders to carry it out.
Mayor Thompson did not report to the
commissioners in writing his actions in the
Smith-Fergusson case, as, il is claimed, he
should have done. and, in fact made no
report of the matter except in verbal
way, when his not having done so was
called to his attention by the board. The
mayor, it is thought, did not want the COM
missioners to discuss the matter.
Question of Authority
The whole matter in question, as it now
stands. is one of authority. What author
ity the police commissioners have under the
law, and what authority the mayor has in
dependent of the commissioners? The
weight of opinion seems to be with the
commissioners. The law on the subject
says that an officer can be suspended not
longer than thirty days. or until there is
meeting of the police commissioners The
majority of the commissioners construe
this to mean that when they meet they can
investigate any charges that caused sus-
pension and render a decision in accord
ance with their finding. The mayor and
commissioner In minority, on the ether
hand. claim that while the commissioners
have every right to investigate, but have
no right to render decision that would re-
verse the decision of the mayor, in other
words. Mayor Thompson claims that he
can manage the police force to suit him.
self, impose such sentences as he may
choose, and notwithstanding the board of
police commissioners were created to con-
troll the police force, that they have no
right to reverse his decision when they see
fit to make an investigation.
Commissioners Lindsay. Lockett and
Bryant all say that they are determined to
have the question of authority settled and
at once, for they do not care to serve on a
board which carries responsibility without
authority The question will probably have
to he settled in court. There is but one
opinion on the subject expressed on the
streets today, and that is that the mayor
has been poorly advised in the matter, and
that unless the majority commissioners are
right the board should be abolished and the
present law OH the subject changed.
CONGRATULATED on Their VfndfcatfOn
The one thing apparent is that Serg:
Smith and Officer Ferguson are complete
ly vindicated by this action of the board
of police commissioners, and they are be-
ing congratulated on all sides by their
friends and the law-abiding citizens
The setting aside the suspension by the
board extends to the date 1t went into
effect, and the men will receive their pay
for the time they have lost on account of
the maj jor'S order.
If the action taken by Commissioner
Iockett Bryant and Lindsay is not sus-
tanned they will all three resign, they say,
as they do not care to occupy the positions
of figure heads or mere dummies on a
board without authority save to attend
meetings.
Mayor Thompson Upheld.
Chief Webster stated that he had receiv-
ed orders from Mayor Thompson not to nav
any attention TO the order of the commits
sioners, and the matter was referred to
Corporation Attorney Brent for his opia-
ion IN the case. Mr.. Brent this morning
upon the request of Mayor Thomson. has
written letter 10 the mayor, in which
he gave as his opinion corpora ,ion at
torney that the mayor had a perfect right
to suspend policemen for thirty days ard
that the board of police commissioners had
TO right to act In the matter. Acting upon
this opinion Chief Webster has de -ided to
abide by the mayors instructions and not
reinState Sergt Smith and Officer Ferp 1s-
son until their thirty days suspension is
Up. The chief has written a letter to Sec
retary Lockett of the board notifying him
of this fact. The Star reporter called unon
the commissioners this morning but thew
declined 10 talk for publication. What they
will now do in the matter is not known
but IL is expected that they will carry II
10 the courts to be decided.
Chief Webster, IN talking to The Star
repor ,er, said: This is not the first time I
have had double and conflicting orders In
1870. when Hugh Latham was mayor 7 wa
arrested and put in Jail. where l STAYED
four days. for not obeying the orders of the
T. yor, which clashed with orders from tho
city council. which at that time had charge
of the force.
Salvation Army Captains DisDute.
Tuesday man calling himself Cant
Harry Mcknight, who claims to be a rem
resentative of the American Salvation
Army, arrived in this city. He proceeded to
establish beadunarterS Of