The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-04-18
ALDERMAN FOR O MEARA
Britt Will Make a Fight for His
Protege.
SHEEHEY is TO BE FINED
That Is the Report of the Police Com
mittee That Investigated the Pre-
ferred Charges OF Brutality and
Found Them Correct.

The city council at tomorrow nights
Sheehey and O'Meara who are charged
with brutality. The police committee at
its meeting few nights ago investigated
the case very fully and decided to fire
Officer Sheehey and to suspend Officer
O'Meara for 80 days.
1t is evident that at to-morrow's meet
ing an effort will at least be made to re-
verse the sentence in regard to O'Meara,
and it may be that an effort will also
be made to have officer Sheehey exoner-
ated. With the city clerk yesterday was
filed a minority report of the police com
mttee signed by Alderman Britt. In this
report the alderman asks that Officer
O'Meara be exonerated and that Officer
Sheehey be suspended for 30 days
1t is to be presumed that at to-mor-
rows council meeting Alderman Britt will
be able to present some very cogent argu-
ments in favor of the retention of Officer
o Meara. The affair was very fully pre-
sented at the meeting of the police COM
mittee, and under the evidence as pre-
scented there can be no question of the
officers guilt 1t may be that Alderman
Britt may be able to present some new
testimony or that he may be able to prove
that some of the witnesses against the
officers have been guilty of perjury In
less he can do this, however he will be
| unable to present an argument to the
council so convincing and SO powerful
that will carry weight with the general
public whatever effect it may have on
the council.
Without question there is general i'm
preston that Alderman Britt would stand
up for officer O'Meara and seek to have
him eXonerated, no matter how great the
evidence against him. If this be true.
Alderman Britt is no worse than some
of the other aldermen, for 1t is often the
case that the alderman who gets GER
| tain officer on the force always sticks up
| for him thereafter, and no matter what
| he does the officer is sure of a supporter
| That is the reason why so many police
| investigations come to nothing in Butte.
| Now, in the present case, O'Meara is
| Alderman BIRTHS man. Britt got him on
| the force and evidently, as other alder
men often do, considers that he should
| stick by him to the last. 1t was in fact
noticeable that at the, recent police inves-
| tgation Alderman Britt acted as prose.
cutting attorney when Officer Sheehey was
| on the stand. Apparently instead of be-
| ing alderman for the people he was al
derman for OMeara.
| AS remarked. Alderman Britt is only
| one of several aldermen who seem tc
consider that their first duty is to the mar
| they put in office rather than to the peo-
| pie who elected them. This is common
misunderstanding of aldermen, whether
| they be democrats, republicans or popu'
| lists Some day the people of Butte. viii
| let it be known in accents that cannot
be mistaken that police officers who of
fend must be punished, no matter whose
| favorites they may be or what politica
| pull they may have ,....,.-4 IL.
Unless some new evidence is presented
| it must be the general opinion that the
finding of the police committee in regard
| to officers Sheehey and OMeara wa:
right. AS for Officer OMeara, his impu
| dent manner to members of the police
| committee while on the witness stanc
should condemn him If nothing else