The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-10-29
SUSPENDED ONE MONTH
Result of the Charges Against
Fireman Michael O'Brien.
TWO. TROPICAL SESSIONS
HI Charge OF Creating Dissension Was
Sustained. but the Committee
Dismissed the Charge OF
Incompetence.

The fire and water committee of the
last evening completed its In
vestieation of the charges preferred by
Chief Flannery OF the fire department
against Fireman Michae O'Brien.
O'Brien was suspended by Chief Flan-
merry. who charged O'Brien with incom-
potency and with creating ~dissensions
among the men calculated TO destroy
the discipline of the department. The
fire and water committee. after holding
two rather tropical sessions, voted to
report, sustaining the charge OF
creating diss e~nsions. but not the charge
of incompetency. and recommending
tbs O'Brien's punishment for his Of
tense be suspension for n month
without pay. the suspension dating
from Oct. Is to Nov. 10.
AT last evenings meeting Aldermen
Page, Melcher and Siebenaler were
present. with Chairman Page presiding.
Assistant Chief Peter Sanger was FIRST
called as a witness and asked by Chief
Flannery why O'Brien was transferred
from the Central station TO the Quartz
street station. He replied that a
change was talked OF n the chief said
things were rot going right and he
hough a change would he beneficial.
Asked concerning the charge made by
the chief at the previous session. re-
lating to the pressure of water at the
tile works fire aud a subsequent one,
the witness said 1t was a little too
strong. Witness had never seen
O'Brien drunk. Relative To hitching
the horses wrong. witness was told
such was the case n O'Br1en told him
ne hitched both horses. Witness. in
changing O'Brien from the Central to
the Quartz street station, said he knew
- - .,A.... - 1af nsRrian 10 unit
Witness knew of O'Brien being half an
hour late In getting back from his lay
of. and a few times a few minutes get
ting back from meals. Witness said
O'Brien had asked on certain occasions
for a longer lay-of than usual, which
me had granted.
Detective Murphy was called as a
witness for O'Brien and aid he never
knew him to drink and had known him
five years. Chief Flannery asked
O'Brien at his point IL he was drunk
at the time OF the Hale house fire. and
ne replied ne was not. Assistant Chief
Sanger was again questioned and asked
II O'Brien caused d~issension In the de-
partment. to which the witness replied
ne never knew of il. O'Brien asked the
witness IL he performed his work prop
erly, and the witness replied he always
aid anything he Was called on for.
Fireman r. w. Ruhnke was called
and questioned concerning the hitching
Of the horses OF the hose wagon the
time OF the tile works fire. and he re-
Piled IN lines were not crossed. O'Brien
told witness he only snapped one line.
II was a mans place who snapped a
collar 90 hitch a cross-line and an out
side line. Witness said O'Brien created
d~issension among the men by talking
about them. BY his talk he tried to
make people think he was the only
man on the job. and the men at the
Quartz street station were down on
him. Witness thought O'Brien talked
altogether too much.
Chairman Page stated at this time
that he had talked with ex-Ffreman
Cleveland and he said he did not quit
on O'Brien's account. Chief Flannery
spoke up and said:
II don't think he told o anything
of the kind"
Ex-Fireman Charles Cleveland was
called at this time and said he quit the
department of his own motive and no
one was to blame. Chief Flannery
asked the witness II he quit on his
1.-THE chiefs) account and he replied he
did not.
Fireman Jack White was called and
asked by Chief Flannery II O'Brien was
a good man 10 get along with, and the
the other men M constantly made
trouble between them. Witness was
told OfBrien hitched both horses the
night of the Tile works fire. when
the lines got crossed and the team
could not be guided.
Chairman Page attempted to 60 into
the witness conduct. Chief Elan
merry objected, and said he did not