Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1900-07-19
CHIEF OF POLICE DOLAN SUSPENDED.
Commissioners to Investigate Allegation,
That He Has Violated Rules Of the De
partment.


That He Has Violated Rules Of the De-
partment.
Chief of Police John f. Dolan has
ing resolution having been adopted OF
the meeting of the Board Of Police Com.
missioners Tuesday night;
Resolved, That John +. Dolan be
and he is hereby suspended from duty
without Fay during and pending an in
vestigation by this board Of the matter
day, the 18th inst, until Monday, the
10th inst, inclusive, In violation OF
Rules "a and SO. and also conduct I'm.
beuoming an officer, in as IT is alleged
being intoxicated, in violation Of Rule
90.
The rules referred to in the resolution
are as follows:
No. IA. mo member of the police
force shall be absent from duty except
as prov ided In these rules and regula-
tions. All applications for leave Of
absence shall be ,nade to the board
through the chief Of police, stating the
reasons for suoh application, unless
otherwise ordered; except In cases Of
emergency, when the chief OF police
shall have power to grant the request.
No. SO. "Apy officer or member Of the
police force may lie punished by the
Board of Police commissioners. IN their
discretion, either by reprimand, sus-
pension from duty without pay for a
period not exceeding 80 days. or by dis
missal from the force. upon conviction
OF my one Of the following offences, to
wit: Intoxication, any act Of insubor-
dination or disrespect towards n su-
perior officer, any acts OF oppression or
tyranny, neglect OF duty, violation OF
the rules, neglect or disobedience OF
orders, any legal offence, absence with.
out leave, immoral conduct, conduct
unbecoming an officer, conduct Injurious
to the public Eeace OF welfare, inca
paoity. mental or physical; any breach
Of discipline, contracting debt under
false and fraudulent pretences.
No limit has been made by the Board
to the period of the chiefs suspension,
which began Tuesday night, but it Is
thought the investigation will be COM
pieted by next Tuesday night, by which
time the board will decide whether or
not charges are to be preferred. Com
Inissioners Pyle and Clarkson, when
seen after the meeting, said the resoiu-
ton did not mean that charges had
been preferred and as yet no formal
charges have been made.
Both the chief and his clerk, William
Schell, attended the meeting, as usual,
but after the routine business had
been disposed of Clerk Schell was re-
quested to retire and reporters We're in
formed that the board was in executive
session. All of the commissioners were
present and they had a conference with
the chief relative to the subject matter
Of the above resolution, which, how
ever. had not been presented. just
what took place at the conference
neither the commissioners nor the chief
would tell, but it is understood that
the chief made statement of what
took placelduring the period mentioned
in thu resolution.
After the chief had made his state
mont he retired to his private Office,
which Is In the rear Of the meeting
room, and went on with his work there.
as usual The commissioners remained
10 the meeting room and after a con.
sultation passed the resolution, copy
of which was afterwaId handed to the
chief.
When the meeting adjourned Com.
missioner Hart was Inc nr5t to leave
the room. He was followed shortly by
President Pyle and Commissioners
Clarkson, Mr., Pyle said, when seen AZ
he was leaving the stationhouse, that
| the action was taken as result of the
absence Of the chief during the period
mentioned ard because certain rumors
had come to tho ears of the commits
sioners and they desired to ascertain
what foundation there is for the re-
Ports Hs said the resolution was
adopted unanimously. He would not go
into details any further, but said the
| Investigation would be hegun at once
| by the commissioners. Mr.. Clarkson
! was present during part OF the inter-
| view with Mr.. Pyle and aoquIesced in
what the latter said.
Chief Dolan was reticent about the
matter. He said he was not present
when the board acted, but before the
action was taken made statement con-
corning the matter. He declined to say
| what be told the commissioners. He
said he never understood that he was
required to get permission to go out,oi
| the city on business.
| 1t has been learned thnt the chief was
in Philadelphia ON Friday. for the
reason, it is believed, of assisting the
| authorities of that city in finding clue
| to the party OF parties who wrecked
| the H. n o. train al Folsom