The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-07-23
HALL MUST co.
Policeman With Bloody Record
Ousted By City Council.
Chief StahI Makes a Plea For
His Retention.
LINDSAY SCHEME LOST.
He Can Not Be Paid For Police
Court Transcripts.
Says the Council Did Not Treat
Him Fairly.
SCHEME LOST.

BY vote Of seven to i've the council
last night instructed Chief of Police
Stah1 10 dispense with the services OF
Policeman s. NJ Hail. the officer who
killed George Head. and is now under
indictment for the murder. and was
also fined for assaulting a defenseless
man named Robbinwitz
Hall was not turned of the force by
the police committee as Councilman
Troutman said at the last council
meeting the committee had decided to
do. Instead. Mr. TroutInan made a
speech defending Hall. and asking that
the resolution introduced by Mr. Griley
be defeated
Mr.. GriIey's resolution, introduced at
the meeting a week ago, reviewed the
Hall case. and instructed Chief Stah1
to relieve Hail from the force, either by
suspension or expulsion, pending the
trial for murder
The vote on the GriIey resolution
stood as follows: For. Griley. Snat-
finger, Weber. Clancy, Warner, Nichols
and Myers Against: Miller, Bergund-
thai. Neil, Troutman and SWendson-
After the vote had been taken, Chief
Stahl was asked by a Journal reporter
what he expected to do about it
Il do not care to make q statement
now. ne said i have not fully de-
cided- suppose that Hall viii have to
be suspended till after his trial.
In addition to attending the meeting
IN person last night and speaking in
defense of Hall, Chief Stahl fled the
following letter with the police COM
mittee:
ITO Hon Jas. A Troutman, Chairman
Police Committee:
* presume that the resolution intro
duced by Councilman Griley at the last
meeting of the council IN regard to Po-
Icenan Hall viii come up tonight for
final action
Il am deeply interested in this mat
ter So far as the Head case is con
cerned, according TO the evidence
have found. am convinced that II it
could be placed before your committee
or before the entire council that they
would commend rather than condemn
Hail and Head were good friends and
his death was regretted by no one more
be kept in mind Only one side of the
case was heard in the preliminary ex-
animation. In the RObbfnWftz case
Officer Hall probably acted q little has
tily- There was provocation, and po-
ncemen are only ordinary men, They
are not infallible, and they make mis-
takes as well As other people
I consider Hall one of my best men
l consider him absolutely trustworthy
and reliable. He purposes to do his
whole duty He has experience and it
would be a difficult thing to replace him
with a man that would do the city as
good service Yours with respect
F NJ. STAHL4 City Marshal"
In his speech before the council. Mr..
Stahl said that Hall was not RESPONSE
bic for Geo. Heads death He said that
the reason ne did not want Hall dis
charged from the force was because
it would hurt Halls chances at the
time of his trial for murder.
POLICE TRANSCRIPT SCHEME
KILLED.
City Attorney Spencer caused the |
sudden death Of another pet measure
f1F g71 fsrr7 Ice
held that the ordinance to pay the po-
lice judge $3.50 for every transcript of |
evidence made for appeals from police |
court is Illegal
This plan would have increased the I
pay of the police judge several hundred /
dollars a month It was the ordinance T
which called forth a speech from the /
throne BY Mayor Hughes at the last I
meeting. in which he tried to lash his I
faithful friends into line by promising /
them that he was in favor Of the 49,
dinance-
The opinion Of the city attorney on
the proposed ordinance was as follows:
ITO the Mayor and Council
ing for a transcript fee in cases appealed
from the police court. referred to me at
port as follows: Under the Charter sr1ss or
the city the mayor and council have
power 70 regulate and prescribe the du-
ties powers and compensation of all off,
GERS and servants of the city not therein
provided for As the legislature has fixed
than SIS per month. the mayor and coun-
ell would have no power TO pass an ort1f-
nance except IN harmony with this pro-
vision The ordinance recently passed
fixes the salary Of the police Judge at
$50 year. As the legislature has pro- /
vided salary only for the police Judge !
the mayor and council would have no
power to provide cOmpensa ton other
than salary not to exceed $500 q year.
Moreover, by section 799. chapter Is,
article 5. of the General Statutes 1893 IN
der the head of Police Judge and Police.
II is provided that fees of any kind
shall be allowed to any officer.
again. by section 7S4 Of the anne chap
ter and article. the legislature has fixed
the terms under which appeal may be
taken The condition fixed is that the
party appealing tHiall enter into recOgni-
zance for his APPEARANCE at the next term
OF the district court
1T is clear that the mayor and counca
would have no power TO prescribe and add
q condition not contained in the section
above referred to- In my judgment the
decision OF the supreme court in the mat.
ter Of the petition of John Z. John for
a writ Of habeas corpus makes It clear
that the mayor and council would have