The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-08-27
THEIR DUTY DUE THE CITY.
POLICE AND FIREMEN DID NOT GO
TO DARIEN.


/ Mayor Myers Held That Enlisted Men
of Police and Fire Departments
! Could Not BE SpaFed-Their Ser
vices in Protecting Life and Prop
erty More Valuable Here Than at
! Darien-CoI. Lawton Said He Had
! No Authority to Excuse Them-GOV.
Gambler Replied Suggesting That
| the Mayors Request BE Granted.
Members Of the Savannah police and fire
! departments who are also members of the
! First Georgia Regiment were not required
/ TO accompany the regiment 10 Darien yes
| terday. The point was raised by Mayor
| Myers that the first duty Of the members
! of the police and fire departments is to
| the city and that their services in pro-
tecting life and property here are more
valuable than they are likely to prove in
a military capacity at Darien.
The matter was first brought to Mayor
Myers attention by Acting Superintend-
ent George Mouro of the fire department
The sergeants of the regiment, in notify
ing the members of their companies of
the order to assemble at the armory for
the purpose Of proceeding to Darien, noti-
fed city employees as well as other en-
| listed men. Several members of the fire
department are members of the regiment
ana they had no objections to responding
to the call They recognized. however
that their duty to the city was of a ma
ture that it could not be cast aside on
a moments notice. and applied to the act
ing superintendent for permission TO an
swer the summons.
Supt. Mouro did not feel inclined to
grant their request. Some of the members
OF the department are absent on vaca-
ton, and others are sick, and the super
intendent did not consider the time OPP
perfume for releasing men for other duties
lie submitted the matter to Mayor Myers
who promptly agreed with him in his
view. 1t also occurred to the Mayor that
there were members Of the police depart
ment in the same category with the mill
tary fremen.
Mayor Myers conferred with Col. Law
ton and requested that he relieve members
of the police and fire departments from
responding 10 the cal. Col. Lawton ad-
mtted that the request of the Mayor was
not unreasonable, but said that he had no
authority 60 release any enlisted man
from this duty, and that such a release
could only come through the Governor
Coming at the same time with number
OF requests from employers that their en-
ployes, who are enlisted men, be relieved
from the necessity of responding to the
cali, Col LaWton was in no humor to
stretch his authority IN the matter. His
position IS that his duty as a soldier is
trst with an enlisted man and that when
the cad to arms is given other demands
upon his time must give way, no matter
what The inconvenience to the meu and
those with whom they are associated.
Mayor Myers accordingly sent the fo,-
lowing telegram to Gov. Gambler:
Savannah, Ga, Aug. 26, 1899 Gov. A.
ID. Gambler, Atlanta, Ga: Request that
you instruct Col. Lawton to exempt men
belonging TO First Regiment who are mem
bers Of police or fire department. aud other
officers Of city from going TO Darien Do
not deem il safe for these meu to leave
their positions as protectors of life and
property in Savannah, Herman Myers,
Mayor"
At S o'clock Mayor Myers received the
following answer TO his telegram: "Eon
Herman Myers Savannah: Have commu-
nicated your request to Cot. Lawton Sug-
gested that he comply with IL. A D. Can
der"
As the regiment had taken its departure
some time before the receipt Of this dis
patch and no effort mad been made to com
pei the attendance OF the enlisted men IN
the police and fire departments. Mayor
Myers concluded that Col. LaWton had re-
CeiVed earlier adviccs from Gov Gambler
and that he had decided 10 accept of the
Governors suggestion that he comply with
the Mayors request
1T is an inopportune time to release any
Of the firemen and policemen from their
duties TO the CITY" said Mayor Myers in
discussing the matter. There is always
I til.
this season Of the year and then the va
cation season is on and the apartments are
not uD to their full strength.
Another reason why [ thought It mad
visabe to diminish the strength Of the po-
lice and fire departments a this time"
said Mayor Myers SIS the proximity of
Savannah to Darien and the possibility
that the excitement there might extend to
Savannah. The negroes here and in the
| counties south of us are In c,ose touch
and the bringing of a number of the riot
ers to the jail here might have the effect
of arousiug sympathy for them among
members Of their own race nearer home
This is only a possibility. of course, but Il
is well not TO be over-confdeut in sucn
| matters.
Only TWO momb rs Of the police force are
connected with The 'isc Regiment Acting
Sergeant Smith and Policeman Moses pa
| Wis, 10 IA beng members Of the Republican
Blues. Sergeant Smith is enc of the oldest
| members of this company. There are about
half a dozen enlisted men in the fire de
partmeut, most Of whom are also in the
Republican Blues. Capt w. l.. Grayson
of the Blues, was FIRST elected an officer in
this company when chairman Of The fire
commission aud a number Of members Of
the department testid-d their friendship
10 i,s head by becoming members of his
company. Some of these accompanied the
BsUes to the war. not al of whom sue
ceeded in obtaining their positions back
again on their return Otherwise the num-
Der OF enlisted men in the Blues among
the members of the fire department would
be larger than il is.