The age-herald., 1898-11-10
COMMISSIONERS
 HOLDING COURT Officer Brown Charged With Being .Olf
 His Beat. ENTERED BY NIGHT CAPTAIN
Two Disturbances Alleged to Have De-
 cured During His Absence.
LUNCHlNG WITH A BARKEEPER
Was Given Four Days to Work With out Pay-Warden Walton Exhonor- a.ed tl5 ha ,ge Ctn uct
 Unbecoming an Officer.

The regular monthly meeting of the board of police commissioners was held last night in the council chamber at the city hall. The session was a lengthy one, much of the time being taken up in hearing testimony in the cases of two officers who were on trial charged with violating rules and reSula- tions of the police department.
 The meeting was called to order at 7:45 o'clock by Chairman Lane, with Commis- sioners Lesser and Fox present. Commits sioner McCortin came in during the pro- ceedngs.
 Officer A. D. Brown was placed onh trial charged with violating article No. of the rules and regulations in being absent from his beat on the morning of September 25, 1898.
 Officers Kirkley, Cole, Cunningham and Oldham and Captain Weir were examined. The officers testified that on the night in question a pistol was discharged on Officer Browns beat at 12:45 o'clock, in Second alley near Twentieth street. which att tracted crowd of probably fifty people, and also that a call was made near the Florence hotel about one hour later to which they responded. They further testi- fled that Officer Brown was not seen at either disturbance.
 Captain Weir testified that he had gone over Officer Browns beat and saw nothing of him, and that he found him in Second alley about 2:45 o'clock and told him of the trouble that had occurred He further tes- tified that Officer Brown made no explana- tion of his absence until two days later.
 Lunching With a Barkeeper
 Officer Brown introduced Won Camp, bar tender at Zeke Solomons saloon, to show that he was invited and took lunch with him at about 1:15 o'clock. MT. Camp testi- fled that shortly after 12 o'clock he was standing in front of the saloon, when Officer Brown passed that he invited him to eat lunch with him a little later. He fur ther testified that Officer Brown came in about lis o'clock and remained about twenty minutes.
 John Eagan was the next witness who testified that Officer Brown approached him while he was standing in front of the Custom House saloon between 12:3O and 1 o'clock and inquired if he had heard a pis- tol shot, He told him that he had, stating that he thought it had occurred above Twentieth street.
 Pete Colias, a Greek, testified that Officer Brown came to his fruit stand, corner Second avenue and Twentieth street be- tween 12:30 and 1 o'clock the night in question and woke him up to inquire if he had heard pistol shot. Colias stated that he did not hear the shot and told the officer.
 Officer Brown took the stand and made a statement He said that he was near the corner of Eighteenth street and Third alley when the shot was fired and at once began to investigate 1t, inquiring of Egan and Colias if they had heard it. Finding noth- ing of it and supposing it was in another part of the city he returned to the other end of his beat and went in to take lunch with Won Camp, where he remained about twenty minutes.
 Officers Kirkley and Oldham were re- called by the city, after which Officer Brown made statement to his record, during his nine and one-half years of ser- vice. The case then went over to the exec- utive session.
 Conduct Unbecoming an Officer
 Warden w. P. Walton was next ar- raigned on a charge of violating the rules Of the department anu coluucl uHpeCoIiiu6 an officer.
 It was charged that Warden Walton had collected $7.5O from Joe Holston, a negro, on September 30, in payment of fine against Geo. Ware, who was convicted in the inferior criminal court, and that he had paid into the city treasury only $5 in cash and a remittance slip signed by the mayor for $2.5O. MT. Walton was repre- sented by Attorney Samuel Weakley. Several witnesses were examined, Halston testifying that he had paid $7.50 to fiat man with round face"
 MT. Walton denied emphatically that he had been paid $75O. Chief Mcdonald and Captain wier were introduced and testified to the good character of Officer Walton, and on motion of Commissioner Lesser, in open meeting, MT. Walton was exhonor-- ated.
 The report of Chief Mcdonald for the month of October was read and ordered filed.
 Brown Got Tour Days
 The board then went into executive ses- sion. at the conclusion of which it was announced that the board had decided that officer Brown should work four days with out pay, and be reprimanded, which was administered by Chairman Lane.
 The meeting then adjourned.