The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-06-04
FAKE FIRE CHIEF SKIPPED.
If Arrested Firemen VIII Pay for
His Return to Savannah.


His Return to Savannah.
Supt. Mcguire and the members of the
Savannah Fire Department got out of
their beds yesterday moring to find that
they had been easy victims of a man
whom they had not credited with having
been overburdened with brains. They
learned from a Waycross dispatch to the
Morning News that "Chief Joseph Parker
of the Waycross Fire Department" was
a product of his own vivid imagination
and that he had been distributing wire
grass hot air without any favoritism.
Parker reached the city Saturday morn
ing and began emitting blasts of very
warm vapor. Some of his talk about a
new paid department in Wayeross found
its way into the columns of the Morning 4
News, through Supt Mcguire, and the
Waycross people got next to what was
happening. They know Parker and knew,
too, that it was his regular system of
grating. The self-styled fire chief was
fully exposed while Parker was sleeping
contentedly at fire headquarters on Indian
street. When the firemen at the Indian
street station read the Waycross story
they were astounded
That they should have been taken in so
cleverly by a man of Parker's caliber
they did not want to believe, and the man
himself was walked from his peaceful
slumbers. He threw "a front that would
have done credit tofthe. king of four
tlushers and Indignantly denied the grave
accusation. That he had been branded as
a fraud and an inlpostor made his blood
boil, or at least the fireman thought they
saw something like steam coming from
the pores in his skin.
He stormed as he dressed ard the fire
ladies were almost sorry that they had
. shown him the article. he swore also ali
sorts of oaths and declared that he
would make the Morning News building
look like thirty cents when he had fin
ished his morning exercise He would
start on the ground-hoor-no reference
was made to the basement-and after he
had eaten up the whole bunch he would
finish the job by kicking off the roof of
the building. He seemed terribly in earn
est, and the men ait headquarters were
nervous.
He didn't wait to wash his face, and
grabbing the paper containing the objec-
tionable article, he started to do hot
foot in an eaSterly direction. He would
return in few minutes with a few scalps
dangling at his belt and possibly the fire
escape as a souvenir of a brief, but glo-
rious campaign. The fremen waited pa
tiently and finally it dawned upon them
that they had been tricked again Parker
had been bluffing, and the tiremen had
stood for his little game without a whim-
per.
1t is difficult to express their condition
when the truth was finally grasped To
say that they were hot, expressed it but
mildly. They wanted blood and only that
deep crimson hue would satisfy them A
barrel and trace chain were secured
and preparations were made to entertain
THE Waycross chief If hecould be found
They We're anxious to give him warm
reception in earnest. Superintendent Ma
guire was Notified Of what had happened
and he, too, took hand in the affair
The savannah fire chief had blown sew
eraf- dollars on the fake chief, and he
could see himself being guyed by his
friends. and he made up his mind to
catch Parker Foreman Campos was put
on train that left the city at 9 O'Clock,
and the superintendent drove to South
over junction. Parker did not get aboard
between the city ana that point and the
foreman returned with Superintendent
Mcguire.
The police were notified Of Parker's de-
parture and Supt. Reilly was asked to
have the man arrested. He had been in
uoduced to the detectives Saturday bv
Supt. Mcguire, and the officers required
no description of the fake fire fighter.
Ihey searched diligently for Parker but
he had evidently flown the town Tele-
grams were sent 10 adjacent villages
asking that he be arrested for obtaining
money under false pretences. He had
made several touches on the strength OF
his alleged official position with the mu-
nicipality of Waycross. Then too ne had
run the entire department. of this city
up a tree, and permitted himself to be
blown because of his Misrepresentation
The firemeu stated that It would never
do to be taken in by a rube and an
nounced that II the man Is arrested they
will pay for his return to this city They
only want to take another look at him
aud If he cannot be convicted in the
state courts, they are DESTROYS of forci-
bly, impresslng upon him the manner in
which they appreciate his smoothness
Supt. Mcguire stated last night that the
police have been asked to leave no stone
unturned in an effort to effect his ar
rest, and that the hremen are anxious
and willing to pay the expense. The
superintendent II is said. will head the
list when II comes to giving up to bring
Parker 10 Savannah again. The moral
is that credentials will be required at
the fire stations from this date. and all
sure nough fire chiefs are put on notice