Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-04-20
Much Business Transacted at
Last Nights Session.
MACARTHUR AND THE MAYOR
Lock Horns--O'Meara Reinstated--
Billy Woods Will Get the ArmOry
--Some Interesting Passages

Last nights meeting of the city council
was a lively one. One of the interesting
Incidents of the session was the war of
words between Mayor Harrington and
Alderman Peter Macarthur of the First
ward. The trouble was precipitated when
the bills of Aldermen Paige, Cannon and
Rowan, as condemnation commissioners,
came up for consideration. The bills
We're for $56 each Some one moved that
the bills be allowed, and the mayor re-
fused to entertain the motion, holding
that the aldermen were entitled to no
extra compensation. Macarthur appealed
from the decision of the chair, and the
appeal was sustained by a vote of 8 to 5.
The mayor was considerably nettled at
the councils action. He requested Nc
Arthur to take the chair. The alderman
said he was perfectly willing for the
mayor to put the motion.
"I emphatically refuse to do SO" said
the mayor with dignity, and with that
remark he left the chair.
Macarthur quickly occupied the place
vacated by the mayor, and after a brief
parliamentary skirmish with the mayor,
put the motion authorizing the payment
of the bills, and it prevailed by a vote of
s to 5.
The mayor then resumed his seat.
Another interesting fight was over the
charges against Officers Sheehey and
O'Meara. The findings Of the police COM
llllllee "eIS do ollC"S
Relative to the charges preferred
against Officers Sheehey and O'Meara by
James Fl. Lynch, the following witnesses
were examined: For the complainant,
James H. Lynch, P. A. McKercher, Mrs.
H. Mcdonald, Frank Hutton, M. J. Har-
rington, Max w. Genzberger. J. H. Berry.
For the officers: Officer Sheehey, Mrs.
Ollie Collier, F. Collier, H. O. Weller,
Frank Bateman, Harry Avery, Thomas
Boyle, Judge E. E. A. Nichols, P. B.
Handlin, Officer O'Meara, John Murphy,
and, at the request Of the committee, the
chief.
I'VE find from the testimony adduced
that Officer Sheehey arrested James Gill
for disturbance of the peace in the alley
in the rear Of Macdonald & Lynch's gro
Gerry store; that in the fight between the
officer and Gill, the ~latter's leg was
broken; that officer Sheehey, instead Of
taking the prisoner to the city Jail al
lowed him to be taken in a hack to a
hospital, which fact he afterwards re-
ported to the jailer. We believe Officer
Sheehey is guilty of this charge.
Second, we find that Officers O'Meara
and Sheehey arrested Mr.. Lynch and Mr..
Mckercher without a warrant and also
used violent means to accomplish their
purpose, for which conduct we deem them
guilty.
"We therefore recommend that Officer
Sheehey be suspended indefinitely from
tIiS POllCe lolIC, ailo luot tll1 " q
be suspended for 80 days without pay.
Relative to the attached certificate con-
corning a certain dog, we simply find the
poundmaater justified in his action"
Then came the minority report, as fol-
lows:
I'VE, your police committee, beg leave
to submit the minority report of the
members present at the meeting held
April II, 1899. Relative to the charges
preferred against Officers Sheehey and
O'Meara by Messrs. Lynch and McKer-
cher, we recommend that the officer be
GENERATED and that the chief of police
be instructed to suspend Officer Sheehey
from further duty
Alderman Bryant asked why Officer
O'Mcara had been suspended. He said
the police committee had no jurisdiction
in the premises. Britt moved that the re-
port be amended so as to read that
to amend that Sheehey receive full pay
and both officers be exonerated. Bow
mans amendment was defeated, and on
a point Of order by Britt that a two
thirds vote Of the council was necessary
to authorize the dismissal of an officer
the mayor declared the majority report
rejected. In the tangle that followed it
was ordered that officer O'Meara be rein
stated today. Chief MulholIand tendered
the resignation of officer Sheehey and it
was accepted.
Among the petitions was one from J.,
L. Van Horn and theirs requesting an
extension of the water mains on Mis-
souri, street. Property owners on Por-
phpry street petitioned that no sprinkling
be done in that district. A petition from
G. M. Smith praying for permission to
engage in the business of house moving