Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-12-20


THE MATTER UNDER DISCUSSION
WAS A SUSPENSION AT THE AT
LANTIC-A REINSTATEMENT OR
DERED. TO GO INTO EFFECT THIS
MORNING.
It has long been an open secret that
the internal affairs of the fire depart
ment were in a generally unsatisfac-
tory state.
Firemen have wrangled with fore
men, foremen have had differences with
the Chief, and the Chief and the Com
mittee have had so much trouble that
the Chief wasn't renominated by the
Republican caucus.
Last evening few things came out,
and a good deal more was suppressed.
Enough transpired, however, to war
rant the belief that a general shaking
up would not be a bad thing.
TN the 18th Foreman Kurner, of the
Atlantic, had some words with hostler
Dallas L. Porter, about the hour when
horses should be exercised, and as re-
suit of the dispute, during which, from
all the evidence, there was lack of
tact on both sides, Porter was suspend
ed the following morning, for five days,
which was afterwards made ten, and
James Smith was assigned to his place.
Mr.. Porter came to the conclusion he
had gotten the worst of it, and made a
typewriter report of his side of the
case, and had the Committee called.
The Committee met last evening. Chief
Klieves was not present, and telephone
messages to the Atlantic, Hook and
Ladder, Niagara, Eighth ward, Chem
ical and North Wheeling houses and
also to his home and a saloon, failed
to reveal his whereabouts. Chief of
Police Bennett was called in, and said
the Chief had been notified of the
meeting in the usual manner.
"And he knows what the meeting
was for" observed a member of the
Committee, in a disconnected voice.
The charges were taken up and read.
They recited that Foreman Kurner had
arbitrarily suspended Mr. Porter with
out just cause, and that in doing so
he had used ungentlemanly language,
that he was domineering, unjust, and
other things of like nature. The Com
mittee deliberated about the matter
and endeavored to find the Chief for
the best part of an hour, with no con-
clusion or result. They then sent for
Foreman Kurner. That gentleman ar
rived and told his version of the mat
ter, which was to the effect that Mr.
Porter was lacking in proper respect,
was insubordinate, and that when he
was suspended the Chief had been con-
suited, and authorized the act, with
liberty to make it ten days instead of
the five originally intended. Then Mr..
Porter was called in. His story agreed
perfectly, in minor details, with that
told by the Foreman, but he rather
thought the Foreman was domineering
and lacking in tact, and that he had
made the suspension without previous
ly consulting the Chief but had done
so afterwards. He also said the Chief
had remarked he was running things,
and that neither the Committee or any
other ---- man could run him.
Mr.. Porter had other things to tell, and
started to talk about a certain matter
CT two dollars which every one in the
department was expected to contribute
for some purpose connected with the
Chief, but was promptly shut off by
Chairman Mcclure Mr.. Porter also
said there had been trouble in the
house before, and that he had been
twice suspended by the unjust actions
OF the Foreman, and this time he in
tended to have my rights"
This sort of talk led to intimations
from Committeeman that there was
also trouble in other houses, and that
the Atlantic had particularly been the
scene of unhappiness and pickering.
A renewed effort to secure the at
tendance of the Chief failed, and then
the Committee was confronted with
the question of what to do about the
matter. The ordinances were consult
ed, but appeared to be lame, and after
a prolonged discussion it was finally
agreed that as the Chief was absent
and there was not time to hold another
meeting, that Mr.. Porter should be re-
instated this morning, but to pay the
extraman for the past four days SER
vices out of his own pocket, and to
draw the full months pay.
This may or may not settle it, as the
ideas of the Chief are unknown
The main source of the trouble ap-
pears to be that in se~eral of the