Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1899-05-19
SENSATIONAL MEETING,
PURE

SENSATIONAL MEETING.
At Special Session of the Council
Tuesday Night Mayor Serumgard
Resigns.
Mayor Serumgard called the
council in special session Tuesday
hight at which he presented the
following communication:
ITO the Honorable City Council, Devils Lake,
have called you together in special meeting
Itor the purpose of having you vote on the con.
Ifirmation of my appointment of a new chief of
}this PLACE has been made bx mo since taking
loftice Mr.. Hurst has held on under his .ap.
lpOintment from my predecessor, until such Il
ltime as should name his successor
J When make this change nOw-Over q year
after having assumed the duties of my Office!
the conditions actuating me in makinl1 the
Of our present chief He is brave, intrepid and
heart is in the work he is superior to any one
THAT can put in his place. My objections to
lhim are:
lst.-He is engaged in too many other p%r-
tsuits to make the city a good police officer. We
|need man who can give his whole time to the
large propsrion Of lis time away se frem spsh the
icity engaged in work not connected with the
lcity. a new man is a poor substitute to take
our work is ,indifferently done, and we have had
been done don By The shiei, and deity city property has
2nd.-Mr. Hurst is entirely out of sympathy
pursue with cersain classes Of law breaking and
hraA Akara No int tn iV, tnli iV,fp
ss enss TShban sw and 'isss
my y ts Hnst
! the good name Of our city was besmirched by
the enactment Of desperate attempt ut kid:
the loose enforcement Of these laws, and the
consequent & getting t1sether in a small city, OF
recent hold up in hotel in the city is SO bold
shows such an utter disregard for the conse-
escape the conviction that the act was tic
elimination of IL series of smilar crimes, the
escape from punishment, which had made them
terminals utterly reckless. 1t makes Il peaceable
\citizen feel as thougl. lie needed iron barsF on
hs doors and CRATES for his windows, to be safe
lin his own house and squad of police for pro.
jstricter enforcement of our laws and ordinances
lwould have made this state OF affairs imI'ossi.
Ibe. If we did not allow lot Of gamblers and
iboOtleggers to ply their trade here unmOlestcd
I've would not raise boys in our midst who earn
the penitentiary before they are Of age. When
Eome Of tl,e illegal liquor dealers not in ono
Enstance did get any assistance from the chief
Pfbolice, but always felt that his sympathies
with gambling. 1t has fourished all winter,
hnd not until my new night watchman made
faid was an M effective move made to even check
khe evil, although the police had repeated in
ns better could be done ~ How is it that NJ.
nspiy s ss
he same crimes7 In one case he wants to-, IN
he other he does not. The same way last fall
ltimportant to enforce the ordinance requiring
owners to muzzle all dogs. The whole thing. re-
quilted in fzzle because the chief considered it
mention these instances out of many I could
five which go to show that where Mr.; Hurst's
r% "s mine he csP s%py
nay nay try to pursue am responsible to the city
,e tome. # ] pursue a policy he does not
explanation, knowing that Mr.. Hurst has many
friends in the Soanc who wish to see him
'ointed Mr Thos. Haix, chief Of police, and
NeeGef;it;kk'U 5IE isEt;kk'UMGARD, Mayor.
1t was moved and seconded that
Che nomination Of Mr.. Haig be
| rejected. All members voted aye.
| The mayor then presented the
i name Of Geo. w. Dixon. All
members except Alderman Bangh-
man voted to reject. Lieut..
Harry Redman was the next candi-
ldate presented, but the aldermen
We're not clear on the point of his
eligibility, he not having been dis
charged from the United States
service, and no action was taken
on his nomination.
Being unable to get together on
any of the Mayors nominations.
and not wanting to be responsible
for wide-open policy. Mr.. Serum
gard rendered his resignation.
This was an unexpected move and
the aldermen refused to take any
action on the matter.
In an interview the mayor states
that his views are fully and clearly
expressed in the communication
Submitted to the council, which
the Inter- Ocean prints above. So
far as he is concerned Mr.. Serum
,lgard says that his resignation is
4 final and will not be recalled unless
J. he is allowed to name a chief of
police who will enforce the laws.