Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1902-12-02
Report on Craig's Accounts.


Report on Craig's Accounts.
lder the head Of special reports
Ahrman Meyer submitted the fol.
long report;
We, your committee appointed to
in,stigate the alleged shortage in
tllt police department in this city,
be leave to submit the following:
We have made careful inquiry
toascertain the amounts paid to the
chef of police for fines for Sabbath
baking, gaming and bawdy houses,
all find that much money was turned
Oer to the chief of police which
his not been reported to the city
authorities.
we have prepared statment Of
,tte amounts reported by Chief Craig
M the month of January, February,
March. April, May. June. July, Ali
gust and September 1902, as collect
et for Sabbath breaking, and then
eamined under oath all parties
whose names were apparently short
in their payments. From the fol
lowing who were examined, We We're
unable to get a definite statement
for the amount they had paid during
the year:
81. R. Cromwell, John f. Wells, j..
K. Tucker. The following whose
names do not show the total amounts
apparently due as paid, were not
Examined, namely: Leon Levy, Hoi
land and Lampert, Ed Harvey, J.
SSapienza. The shortage as discover
1 cd from the sworn statement of those
4 Witnesses before us who were able
to make definite statements, is S7'o.
In addition to the above we have dis.
covered three fines of $40, and s. and
$1G, only 81 of which is shown on the
police records which We're turned over
by Chief Craig. but were not report
sed by him, making a total statement
ssof $500. AS possible set off against
Sthe above, there are eleven names on
the report for the month indicated,
which are probably fictitious, with
an aggregate of $270 paid in as fines,
leaving a shortage in the account OF
| Chief Craig. if said sum be so applied,
Eof $3.50. We find that the collection
of these fines is managed in most
unbusiness like manner. no receipts
of any kind being given, and no def
mite check being possible. AS the
matter stands, there is no way OF as
certaining what the amount of short.
age is. 1t might be anywhere in the
neighborhood of $500 to $4,000 and
this committee be no wiser.
1--WE recommend that steps be tax
en- by the council for the regulation
of these collections and receipts be
given in all cases. Respectfully sub
mitted,
"GABE MEYER, Chairman.
"THEO. WOLLERMAN,
COMMITTEE. -
On motion the report was received
and filed and the special committee
discharged.
Alderman Boyce asked Mayor Bell
if Chief Craig had bond. Mayor
Bell replied that he did not, and that
the law does not provide bond for
chief of police. He could not account
for the fact that bond is not requir-
ed of the chief of police, unless 1t
has been the hesitancy of past coun'
ellis to impose bond on the chief OF
police on account of his liability to
damage suits for false Imprisonment
etc. He said that he thought that
3 Chief Craig had a bond and was sur
prised when he found out that ne
had no bond and that no chief OF pc
lice had ever ben required to give
bond.
ut occurs to the chair" said Mayor
Bell. that the best way for the city
to proceed would be to arrest ano
prosecute the defaulting chief IN 8
criminal way"
He again expressed his regret al
the turn affairs had taken. He hat
never received the slightest intlma
tion that there was anything wrong
with Craig. He had never discovere,
ANYTHING wrong with him. Craig hat
been under his observation in private
and official life, and he had always
found the ex-chief honest anf
straightforward. He said that his re
ports came up in the council ever.
month and were always found correc
% h.