The Anaconda standard., 1899-08-10
He WANTS EXONERAT|oN
Investigation of the Case Against
Officer Torpey.
HE WILL THEN RESIGN
Chief Lavelps Complaint Was That Tor
pey Was Not on the Beat to Which
He Had Been Assigned-Hs
Will Be Paid.

The police committee held a meeting
yesterday afternoon to investigate the
case or Of1cer M. r. Torpey, who was
suspended by Chief Lavell on July 9.
| The investigation was called at the re-
| quest of Mr.. Torpey, who wished to
be exonerated and to draw pay for the
30 days he has been in suspension. He
dld not care to go to work, but wanted
to be eXonerated and to resign from the
| force. Nearly all the members of the
committee We're present, and the inves-
! tlgation was quite free. The chief wit
who is absent from the city McGrath
is the one supposed to have told Tor
pey to work on beat IS instead of IA.
Chief of Police Lavell said to the
committee that he could not tell whether
Torpey had been drinking or not His
only complaint against Torpey was
that he was not on the beat that had
been assigned to him. He told Torpey
he was suspended for 80 days, and he
the matter to the council, because he
had not considered it necessary. He
was not aware that he was supposed to
| report such suspensions to the council
at the next regular meeting.
Officer Torpey was then put on the
stand. He said that July was change
day. He worked the forenoon and also
the afternoon at the coursing track. At
10 minutes past 6 o'clock he reported at
police headquarters The rest of the
officers had gone to work. There were
two vacant beats, 13 and IA. He signed
for IA, as it was nearer to his home.
In the evening he was taken sick, but
1r{n OF oil
found Chief Lavell and asked to be
| allowed to go home. The chief told
him If he went home he could quit for
good. He afterwards met Captain Ley
den, and told him he was going home,
that he couldn't work any longer. He
was unable to walk home and had to
hire hack. The next day he met
Chief Lavell and asked if he could go
to work.
you can lay off so days" said the
chief.
Won't Is days do?" asked Torpey.
mo, take 30''
What for?"
For good behaviour" said the
chief.
''Well you're the boss" said Tor
pey.
Mr.. Torpey said that if reinstated he
could do good service for the city. He
recognized the authority of his super
loIS Woulu De WIFI MS
associates. Mr.. Torpey said that the
book did not show whether he was to
go to beat 13 or beat IA.
Captain Leyden was then examined.
He said the chief told him to put Tor
pey on beat 13, as the assignments were
made. At O'Clock, July 9, all the Off
GERS were present and registered eX-
cept Torpey and one other officer. He
found later in the evening that Torpey
had registered for IA. He met Torpey
and he told him he was going up to turn
in his tools. Mr.. Leyden asked him
what for, and Torpey said he was just
going to quit The books do not show
which beat Mr.. Torpey was to take, 13
or IA. He said nothing to the witness
about being sick. He had told the wit
ness once before that he was going to
turn in his tools because assigned to
beat 13. Beat 13 is on Lower Main
street, below Mercury, and beat IA IS
on Lower Arizona street. He heard
nothing whatever about being sick and
wanting to lay off. He merely said he
was going to turn in his tools.
Mr.. Torpey was questioned again and
said he was taken sick while patroling
his beat.
Fireman Martin was put on the
stand, at the request of Torpey He
said he heard some talk about lay off,
but didn't catch on to what was said.
He did not hear anything and did not
know a word that was aid. He did not
hear Torpey say anything about being
sick.
Torpey said that Jailor McGlynn was
also to be present as witness for
him. but he guessed he was afraid also
to testify for him. He declared that
the fireman was afraid to tell now what
he told this morning
William Adams was then put on the
stand at Torpey's request. He said
that he saw Torpey on the evening Of
July 8, and Tarpey looked to him to be
sick. He did not think he was drunk
The witness said that he is working Off
Mr.. Torpey.
Mr.. Torpey then said that he had no
objections to beat Is, and would willing
ly have taken that beat had he known
that he was expected to do so. He said
that he wants to be exonerated and to
resign. He had lived 16 years in the
city and wants a clean record
The committee considered the matter
at length. 1t concluded that the chief
was justified in suspending Torpee, but
that he should have reported the matter
to the council at its next regular meet |
ing, which was July 19. 1t was there
fore voted to recommend to the council |
that Officer Torpey be paid from July |
10 to date, and that the action of the |
chief in suspending him be sustained. |
The 30 days suspension expires to-day, |
but it is not likely that Mr.. Torpey |
will report for duty, as he has gone |
into business.
The police committee also considered |
the matter of Chief Lavells recommen- |
dation for an increase in the size |
of the police force. 1t was concluded to |
indefinitely postpone action in the mat |
ter the view being that the City's ex- |
penses are already large enough and |
that retrenchment should be the order |
of the day.