Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-11-10
NEWPORT NEWS.
The Mayor and Chief of Police
at Loggerheads.
The Board of Police Commissioners Post
pone Investigation of the Matter Tho
Chief Relies Upon Decisions OF tho SUI
promo Court Another Big Fire.

Newport News. Va, Nov. 9.-The
Board of Police Commissioners met last
night in adjourned session in the office
of the Chief of Police at the Court
house. 1t was generally expected that
something was going to drop" last
night when the charges of Mayor Moss
against Chief of Police Harwood were
brought up. but the predictions failed
TO materialize. There was a report to
the effect that the chief would be sus-
pended pending an investigation of the
charges. but this did not happen,
either.
Ii is understood that the suspension
of the chief under the circumstances is
not required by the rules. but is left
to the discretion of the board. and as
the charges preferred by the Mayor
were not very grave. the board did not
consider them of sufficient Importance
to call for suspension.
The charges of the Mayor against
the chief were taken up. Secretary
Kilkerson read the charges. which have
been published. and the oath taken be-
fore Justice w. T. Moss. The chief
plead not guilty to the charges and
gave as his ground for that plea that
the Mayor was not superior officer.
To sustain this position he submitted
an opinion of the Court of Appeals re-
corded in Thtieth Grafton, in a case
somewhat similar. The case is that of
W. w. Hardwicl1 VS.. George II. Burch.
md went up from the Corporation
Court of Lynchburg. In this case the
Mayor was president OF the Police
Board but in serving the notice of
suspension on the Chief OF Police he
signed ii as Mayor.
The chief sued the Mayor for 81 600
In the Corporation Court and won his
m g hn Id %
Judgment of the lower court was sus-
tanned. In rendering the opinion the
court held that the Chief OF Police Is a
State officer and the Mayor n munich
pal officer. and Is therefore. in no way
responsible to him. The members OF
the Board of Police Commissioners are
also State officers and are superior to
the chief. and he is responsible to them
alone for his official acts.
He also gave case which went up
from Norfolk in which the Mayor had
the chief arrested and put In jail be-
cause he refused to recognize the no.
tice OF suspension from the Mayor.
Damages were awarded in this case
The board did not consider the case
last night. but fixed Tuesday. the goth.
as the time for hearing the matter.
WISE WILL CONTEST.
The Herald says:
DR.. r. A. Wise will contest May
nard's seat In Congress. This is GER
tain, the Doctor. himself. being re-
sponsible for the statement.
He stated Thursday that he would
not only contest. but would put In the
penltentary some of the Democrats
for cheating him. as he expressed 1t.
Mr.. A. c. Peachy yesterday stated
that DR.. Wise would contest the cleo
ton. I'VE overcame their alleged ma
jority of G,0OO last time: feel conf
dent we can overcome that 5000 ma
jority. from what I have heard"
ANOTHER BIG FIRE.
About half of Heirs Half Acre" was
destroyed this morning between Q and
o'clock. with loss of about $50. OOU
The following places We're burned
out:
Arthur cambridge, bar In which the
fire started.
NJ Oter ciothier.
Peter Fitzsimmons. bakery.
b. Nachman, clothier.
w. G. Martin, grocer.
NJ. Scull grocery.
Mollic Bell boarding house.
Nancy Arlington. boarding house.
Moore's restaurant.
The fire originated in an alley be-
tween the cambridge bar and the ha-
kerry caused doubtless by ashes drawn
from the oven.
BURNED RAPIDLY.
The Acre" is nearly mile from the
central fire house and by the time the
department arrived the ram shackie
frame buildings were burning Ike tim
der. The wind. blowing northwest. car
ried the flames with IT in almost unob-
struc,ed progress.
Cambridge lost $4,000: insurance.
s2,100. The bakery. which went next.
was worth $4,000. The loss on Scull's
grocery. the next to go. was $4,000.
Otcr. the fourth victim. lost $40 900,
with only 500 insurance. The damage
to r. Nachman the fifth sufferer. was
4 Ire No. tta'e