Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-04-13
SHEEHY TO Be
DISMISSED
Police Committee Investigate
Charges Against Officers.
O'MEARA 10 BE SUSPENDED
Outgr0Wth of the Fracas in Which
James Gill Received a
Broken Leg.
O'MEARA 10 BE SUSPENDED

The police committee investigated the
charges against Officers Sheehy and
O'Meary last night, and at the conclusion
of the investigation voted to recommend
to the council at it's next meeting that
Sheehy be dismissed from the force and
that O'Meara be suspended for 80 days.
The charges were the outgrowth OF the
encounter between Sheehy and James
Gill a few days ago in which Gilps leg
was broken and the charges against the
officers were preferred by James ii.
Lynch. At the meeting of the committee
there were present Aldermen Ferns, Britt,
Noyes, Cannon Kelly and Siebenaler,
and the witnesses for and against the
officers.
James II. Lynch wa the first witness.
He said he saw Sheehy last Monday after
noon. The officer was trying to arrest a
man named Gill in the alley in the rear of
Savin Lisa's store. Sheehy held Gill by
the coat collar and was humping his head
against the wall of the building in a
brutal amer A small dog belonging
to the witness ran out and barked and
Sheehy struck the dog with his club; wit
ness demonstrated with Sheehy. About
that time Sheehy threw Gill down., the
officer falling on top of him in such a
manner that GilTs leg was broken: wit
ness, assisted by others, then took Gill
INTO witness place of business, and called
a. hack to take him to the hospital;
Sheehy attempted to get into the hack
but witness would not ALLOW him to do so.
A little later Sheehy and OMeara came
into witness store and told him he was
under arrest. He was alone in the store
at the time and he asked the officers to
,,,oit until cn,on Of thn nyor1nIync 1ntlrnn1
but this they refused to do. Witness was
in the act of removing his jumper when
O'Meara grabbed him by the throat and
threw him against the counter and then
dragged him the length Of the store al
though witness had previously told him
that he was willing to go with him. On
the way to the Jail the officers treated
him in a rough and violent II Wit
ness said he did not use abusive language
toward Sheehy.
The testimony of p. A. McKercher was
practically the same as that of Lynch.
He said he had told Sheehy during the
encounter with Gill that he (Sheehy) was
no better than a yellow cur to treat a
man as he was treating Gill.
Frank Hutton testified to having seen
the encounter. When the officer threw
Gill dow he heard someone remark that
it was a cowardly thing to do; witness
did not consider Gill in a condition to
lcAN "a ~ oc' i'ShS' ~'i'h - 40
| was no occasion for the officer to fall on
Gill: witness was of the opinion that the
officer did it purpOsely; when Gill had
fallen he heard him call the officer some
hard names.
Mrs. j. II. McDonald's testimony cor
roborated that of Lynch; she said the
officers refused to allow Lynch to put on
his coat and vest, and that while he was
| removing his jumper, O'Meara grabbed
him and dragged him to the front of the
! store, Sheehy following and brandishing
his club.
Meyer Gansberger saw the officers drag
Lynch out of the store, and handle him
roughly: the officers were very much eX-
cited and had apparently lost their heads.
Officer Sheehy then took the stand. He
said he had been called to the alley to re-
move a man who was trying to force his
way into Mary Smiths house; he found
Gill in front of the cabin, and told him to
get out of the alley. Gill told him to go
to hell and get out of the alley himself.
The witness grabbed him and the man
resisted. Gill said Il can lick you. you
big --- - -" McKercher en-
couraged Gill, and about this time a dog
ran up and bit the witness: he struck the
dog, for which Lynch and McKercher
called him abusive names; he was trying
to hold the man when he fell. Witness
did not know how, and he saw that the
mans leg was broken; Lynch sent for a
hack and put Gill into il, but would not
permit witness to get into it: witness was
afraid the crowd in the alley would mob
him.
Tailor Tom Boyle testified tina Sheehy