The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-07-29
7EMANDED HIS DISMISSAL.
Continued From .lighth Page.

~ the high and important position occu-
MED by them.
Alderman Smith agreed to motion 10
temporarily lay on the table, Alderman
1avis voting in the negative. Later Al
man Smith moved to take the resolu-
w. rom the table The vote was 10
: Alderman Smith, Davis and Quicken
Fsi1ner voting in the affirmative, Aldermen
charlton. Hamilton and Owens voting in
tba negative and Alderman Krouskoff not
voting The mayor cast the deciding vote
IN the negative and the resolution We
NAMED upon the table.
The report of the investigating COM
rnittee is as follows:
"At the meeting OF council held on June
so f>s7 there was referred to this COM
r,ittee a communication from his honor
the mayor inClosing letter from Messrs.
John c. Whitner Charles e. DoX and w.
2 Chaplin to the fire commissioners of
savannah, under date of June 10, 1897, with
instructions to this committee to invesn-
p2te the charges preferred in the latter
Communication against the present chief
of the fire department and report its find
ings TO council. AS your committee is
advised the fire commissioners up to the
date Of the mayors letter had made no in
yes.igaton and had declined to do so I'M
less the charges against the chief were
made more specific. The mayor, consider
ing that grave and specific charges were
contained in said letter, referred the mat
ter to council which, in turn, referred
IL TO this committee In the discharge of
its duties your committee met on July l,
1897, and considered the said communica-
tioas
1T found no difficulty in ascertaining
that upon the face of the letter addressed
to the fire commissioners appeared the
most serious charges against the fire
chief, 1t was apparent that at his door
was laid responsibility for the disastrous
fires which have recently ragged in this
city; that he was not experienced; that
he lacked judgment; was not of demon
strated fitness" was not good disci-
plinaran;' had no knowledge of mechan-
les, and not a successful chief Of
the fire department. These are charges
serious and numerous enough to attract
the attention of any body concerned with
the selection and retention of a fire chief
and of every citizen who has material in
terests al stake in the city of Savannah
Your committee determined, as the
charges had been made public, that the
investigation should be held with open
doors.
ITO this end 1t instructed the chairman
to announce in the official gazette that a
meeting of the committee would be held
on July T. 1897, at 4 p. m, and that all
persons having information to give either
as to the competency or incompetency of
the fire chief were at liberty to hand in
their names as witnesses to the clerk of
council This notice appeared In the is
sue OF July and each day thereafter up
to and including July 7. On the last
named date the committee assembled and
the chairman inquired If the fire chief
was present in person or by attorney. To
TINS no response was made and it was
inquired further If any citizen present
desired to be specially heard. Mr.. c. F.
fTehdergast, claiming that special attack
had been made upon him as the instigator
OF the charges against the fire chief, de-
sired TO be represented by an attorney.
10 this the committee acceded and
throughout the investigation which fol-
io"ed received the benefit of the profess
Slohal experience of Mr.. George w.
beckett In the examination of witnesses
dua the orderly presentation of the testi-
HloHy' The committee was in public ses-
~" On July Z, g. 10 and II, and now, at
t"e conclusion of its labors presents to
your honorable body the testimony taken
anu the committees findings thereon
adopting an order OF investigation
i inoIs logical In Its sequence than that out
Hlieu IN the letter Of Mr. Whitner and
liners your committee presents the fol-
lowing conclusions of fact from the owl
uehce submitted as to the inexperience.
fire chief 0'e''0S u 'i'e
"9'' as TO IneXperience.-So far as
Su' committee has been able to ascertain
nI' Magulre's first connection with the
sel wee was when he Joined the Waiver
to-npdlIS' a part of the old volunteer sys-
teih lie seems never to have actively
worked at fires and. at the end OF a few
Eyals' was made secretary and exempted
ION other duties OF the many expert
o"eeI hremen who testified not one could
~ Ia ne had ever known MIR. Mcguire
MoIA at fire, although they were
s,,-l, mus IN remembering that he was
gwen 10 much talking
including fremen of thirtv-nine wears,
'aut!hs and justly accounted among the
- savannah has ever had, some of them
NV serving under him and some of them
e.uedVoring, as the testimony abundantly
~ 70 say no more upon the subject
- - Vould be drawn out of them by re-
f"teu ana lnsistent questionings and all
ol Them under the shadow of the oNiciai
5ullotlhe not a witness was willing TO
I've himself placed on the record as con-
Icing Mt Mcguire a fireman of experi-
e"le OF Judgment. At the time of his an
,.sHleht ne was a clerk in the employ
- VI the savannah, Florida and Wes-
" S'H ,sd railway. During the local campaigns
VI 1875 and 1894 he had been one of the
- active partisans of the faction
NnU"h as the Citizens Club
tH io'i the ordinances of the CITY pre-
''eu that It's officials should be elected
~ Ine outgoing board. The faction of
t5e Cluzens Club then having control of
-1 legislative delegation caused a law 10
Enacted by which the incoming admin
. t''ion elected the city officials. AS a
waa, iuence when the last administration
So So INTO office George Mouro. who had
n S,,.. more service than any fireman I'm
,ss5 @1nah' had been assistant chief since
RI pe,. anu was universally regarded as com
IogI "' ana experienced, was defeated ana
c5l.s - Mcguire was elected assistant
tbs.' " ms stead. The evidence discloses
tlo, nls elevation to this Important posI-
po'',,""Is not allowed to interfere with his
az. ~ activity With Mr.. Puder 20 look
Sen. me hre-lightng the assistant chief
bol,,i. 70 nave made no change In his
ce i,l laoors save that the city vehI-
poi9caiI' ported him to an fro upon his
ibs 't s. The passage Of the law creating
prlr,t commissioners Mr. Mcguire was
do9,,p uy elected chief. Mr.. Puder turned
posi,'.." ana Mr.. Mouro given his former
tro.o,,n OF assistant chief. From the tes-
iors,T submitted your committee is
To the eOunluafar,