The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-10-05


Chief Goss That His Officers
Didn't Do Their Duty.
sensat ional shooting affair occurred
Tuesday evening in a room at 1875 west
Third street, occupied by w. ). bona
hover, alderman from the Fourth ward
and assistant attorney general. While
the main facts of the occurrence were
well known to the police and those I'M
mediately concerned, an effort was made
to hush up the affair. The details only
became known yesterday after consider
able effort to unearth them had been
made.
About half past 10 on Tuesday even
ing residents in the vicinity of the Sam
ford flats, 49, West Third street, heard
the sound Of three pistol shots in quick
succession, followed after an interval by
two more A few minutes of silence III
tervened and then the sharp call of the
police whistles was heard. In less than
ten minutes nearly two hundred people
had gathered in front Of the fat build
ing and three policemen were busy in
vestigating the details.
The members of the finest; went up to
the third floor of the building while the
crowd awaited outside keyed up with eX-
element and fearing that a murder had
been committed. Occupants of the flat
crowded to the third floor anxious to
learn what had occurred. The policemen
were the first to arrive and when in
Quiries were made those who were most
interested received the enigmatical reply
from the police, There's nothing going
on
With this brief declaration the officers
departed and no further effort at inVeSt1-
cation was made. Inquiries as to why
the persons who had created the row and
disturbed the peace of an entire neigh
borhood were not arrested and made to
answer were net with the answer:
Some of Aid. Donahower's friends
were having sCme fun
AS soon as the shooting occurred the
occupants of the alderman'S room, Of
whom there were at least five, quietly de-
parted, and the laboring man of Fourth
who is also assistant legal adviser of the
state government, cast aside the tiresoms
affairs Of this wCrld and retired to his
couch. The off GERS who had made the
investigation reported at police headquar-
tiers and resumed their BEATS In an hour
But not for long, however. In the San
ford flats there are a number of citizens
who are greatly incensed at the action
OF the occupants of the room and the
course OF the police in refusing to mete
out exact Justice and arrest the offend
ers- Some who live in tine flats made a.
declaration of their opinions stating that
they saw no reason why a man who lived
In respectable place and wished to in
"a q 0nt- y
respect the feelings and desires of his
fellow roomerS and seek more congenial
surroundings.
Then Chief Goss, Of the police depart
ment, was given a chance to explain.
The matter was laid before him and an
explanation demanded of the fact that
his officers had refused to take action
Chief Goss had nothing to say and no
explanation was received. No formal COM
plant was made against the parties who
occupied Aid. Donahower's room at the
time of the shooting.
The details Of the affair came out yes-
terday. Aid. Donahower returned Tues
day afternoon from a lengthy hunting
expedition. elated over unusually good,
shooting and bringing fine bag of quail.
With few friends, he spread dinner
at the Miesen cafe on Fifth street. and,
early in the evening, proceeded to make
merry with good food and good drink
The dinner party adjourned between s
and 8, and, not long after, the alderman
and his guests went to the room on West
Third street. Occupants Of the fat build
ing heard considerable noise, the sound
of shouting and singing and other evil
dences of impressive conviviality for
some time before the shooting began.
Then the proposition was made to shoot
the pictures from the wall and have lit
tie old-tine rough-house. Some one pro-
duced a revolver and fired three shots.
Then the door was opened and there was
| more fireworks. This was the culmina-
ton of the blaze of glory.
Then police whistle sounded. The
fact that the occupant of the room was
a Republican alderman seemed to be
sufficient for the officers of the\ law
They accepted the fact as sufficient ex-
cuse for any disturbance and left. Not
only tha& but when inquiries began to
be made, they declared that nothing had
happened and lent their best efforts to
keeping the matter quiet
Yesterday the investigation b came so
pointed and severe in it's course that
concealment was no longer poss BILE. The
department then took another tack ana
gave out that the shooting had not ,oc-
Cured in the fiat building at all, but
had been done by a drunken soldier,
recruit from the Forty-f1fth. They rep
resented that he had come to town in
the evening with $50 in his clothes and
had made merry until his worldly wealth
had disappeared. Then In the excess Of
his joy he had drawn a gun and fired
at the moon.
Occupants of the fiat term the occur
| renee drunken riot. Residents of the
West side heard the shots and the affair
created intense excitement for some time.
A county official called upon the chief
of police yesterday and demanded an ex-
PLANTATION, but received no satisfaction
The chiefs office had nothing to give
out. Mayor Kiefer don't seem inclined
to step on any voters toes, either.