The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-07-11
INVESTIGATION STILL ON.
MORE WITNESSES TESTIFY AGAINST
FIRE CHIEF MAGUIRE.


Work in the OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
ant Chief NOuro on the stand.
Witnesses Criticise the Chiefs
Management of Fires-Investign-
ton May BE Concluded TO-mor-
row.
The investigation of Fire Chief Mcguire
by the investigating committee of coun-
Gil will probably be concluded Monday
afternoon. There are several more wit
nesses to be heard, and considerable doc
umentary evidence to be submitted and
explained.
The committee was in session yesterday
afternoon, and number OF witnesses were
examined. The investigation was on the
same line as the two previous hearings.
James Brown was the first witness. lie
was member of the fire department. but
gut out of the service before the october
election. Constable Dan Kiley came to
him. he said, and told him he would have
to go to Senator Osbornes office to be a
challenger in the election He told Kiley
he would not do it. The chief then came
to him and told him he would have to 80
or quit He went upstairs, pulled off his
uniform and quit
This was the day before the county cleo
ton. On the day of the city election the
witness testified that he met Chief Ma
guire at the second precinct at O'clock
in the morning. The chief offered him $50
and his job back to go to work for the
Citizens Club, which he refused He and
the chief walked off together, he said. and
took drink at a bar on Bryan street
Brown testified that he had a conversa-
ton with the chief Sept. p, he thought,
in which the latter said that the only way
he could make Sidney Liienthal quit talk
ing about him was TO appoint him
sub" Lilienthal had passed the office
that morning, and said that he and the
chief had been out the night before.
Brown said he and the chief had cou-
pie Of drinks together on the morning of
the Esd. and that the chief was drunk.
They went into Ferst & Co.'S, where the
chief got bottle of liquor, he said. Ii
lienthal was at he Hull fire drunk and
pretending TO help the iremen. Brown
did not see the chief again until about z
O'Clock, and thought he went home and
went TO sleep. Brown got potash i'm his
eyes. and the chief sent him to an ocu-
list.
W. e. Behnken was sworn. Mr. Beck
EFT said he merely put Mr.. Behnhen up to
disprove an assertion made in the news
paper" by Chief Mcguire that Alderman
Huh had made a certain statement in
public bar room. Mr.. Behnken said that
he was present on the occasion referred
to, and that it was not in a public bar
room, but in the cafe, adjoining Pat Man |
ming bar. The conversation turned on !
the fire department and Alderman Hull |
remarked that quarters for the chief and |
his family should have been provided over
the new engine house. He said that he !
would like to see a man of Mr.. Hanyes |
ability at the head of the department. The |
names of the commissioners were not men |
uoned ana nothing was said TO reflect up
on them. The remarks were not made at !
night, but at Il o'clock in the morning.
Alderman Charlton stated to Mr. Beckett |
that this was outside the case as the in |
Vestigation had no bearing upon the board |
OF aldermen or Mr.. Hull
Mr.. +. r. Middleton testified that he |
was present at the Hun fire Sept 3d. He |
was under the bluff when Chief Mcguire |
instructed the firemen to raise the aerial |
ladder. There seemed to be some hitch |
IN the work of raising II and Chief Ma |
guire went up the ladder himself. He !
then came down, had the truck moved |
about fifteen feet and then went up the
ladder again. This occupied about thirty |
five minutes. The witness remarked to !
one of the firemen that 1t was strange the
chief should do this work instead of al |
lowing the men to do IT, The fireman
replied that the chief seemed to be run
d -
fireman If the chief had been to the wake
After the chief had got the ladder in the
position he wanted, it was ten or fifteen
minutes before the stream was strong
enough TO reach the building.
J. T. Rackstraw said he was
on the force about year
as aupernumerary and fireman.
He said he went up to see Mayor Myers
about 100 times before the mayor sent him
20 Chief Mcguire. He passed the physical
examination and was put on as a super
numerary. The witness said the chief
came into the engine house on the night be-
fore the city election and called him out,
telling him that he could take twenty
four hours liberty from that night until
the next night The chief handed a letter
TO the foreman containing his name and
others. The chief told him to 60 get his
supper meet man named Williams. and
that the two would take charge Of a lot
or negroes at the Old Ocean Steamship
dock. Rackstraw said he didn't like the
job, but the chief told him that If they
didn't wiz this election he. Rackstraw.
would be one Of the first men to 20. The
foreman did not like il. The chief came
down that night and gave them instruc-
tons as TO handling the negroes.
There were about fourteen of
them. clerk came In late that night
with a large envelope filed with $40 bills.
s,So 70 $500, he thought. The chief ana
John Willink took the money upstairs and
counted a.. The chief took the money ana
told the negroes that this was the long
green, what they were an working for
The witness said they had a great deal OF
trouble, but got all their negro votes 10.
lie got thumped twice and so did some OF
the men. The chief was captain OF tho pre-
einct About 10 O'Clock the chief told him
70 20 up with a negro and make him take
an afhdavit ana vote him. The chief gave
MN his oVercoat, which was too long for
him, and as result he was thumped
about an day by people who had IL In for
the chief He continued "A fireman until
Washington's birthday. whom ne was sus-
pended. He was sent TO the new engine
house to DO some painting. but as nobody
would give him anything 90 work with he
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