The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-12-20
Assessed Twenty five Dollars and
Severely Reprimanded.
LONG, INTERESTING SESSION
Policemen Sch'eif, Wiltshire, To'er and
Sergean, Bailey Sustain Charge OF
Too Mu-h Talking Against
Baker-Od Matters Gone
Into in the Wyatt
Investigation.

~ =
OF the charge OF conduct unbecomins ar
c,t,cer. bv the Police Board yesterday eve
ming anc Ioucemsn Baker, upon a. SINH
lar charge. was fined - and severeiy
rep.imanded.
ihe Board met &; o'clock with the
toors open. There .sas quite a large at
tendance Of interested citizens. including
several members of the Legislature, a
number of Councilmen and q, dozen po-
j.csmen.
Main interest centercd about the trial
OF Mr. Baker. as 1t was generally felt
that the Wyatt case was more IN the
snatter OF form than otherwise, as the
case was a personal one between him
and Clerk Edgar White. and had been
eettlcd in the Police Court.
The Wyatt case, however. took nearly
two hours in the hearing. The same Wit
.lesses that testified in the Police Court
also appea. ed before the Board. Nothing
new developed, except the testimony OF
another witness, who stated that Mr..
Wyatt struck the frs: blow. Aside from
this, the testimony was identically the
rarne as that introduced IN the Police
Court.
EXTRANEOUS MATTER.
During the examination, however. Mr..
Manning. in ending, to show that there
was some feeling between Mr.. Wyatt and
Afr White. introduced matter that went
back 10 last spring, just before the pri-
mary.
II was said then BY Mr.. White that
one morning just before the time Ser
Eeant Bailey was elected. Mr. Wyatt,
who was candidate for the sergeantcy,
asked Mr. White, who was the clerk Of
the Board. when the terms OF Commits
sioners Welsh and Weinbrunn expired
He said, said Mr.. White. that he
wanted to know about It, as he had some
influence. and he wanted to know. what
TO DO with the men who were against
him"
Both Mr Welsh and Mr.. weinbrunn
voted for Bailey, and the inference was
that Mr.. Wyatt was going to make
Esairst their reelection by Council
Commissioner Bosher was told about II,
and he sent for AR. Wyatt, who told him
that Mr. White had misunderstood him.
and that he wanted to know about the
expiration OF terms. so he could do what
lie could for their reelection,
Later Mr.. Wyatt had converse ton
with Mr.. Welch, and the latter main
tatned that IMr. Wyatt acknowledged
chat he had intended to create the i'm
preston that he was going to work
against the election Of those who voted
against him.
Mr.. Wyatt denied this. and then the
matter was dropped. and the case dis
posed OF. after Mr.. Manning had asked
Mr.. Wyatt If Il were hot true that he
had left his beat on Main Street to follow
another policeman down on CANDLES
Jill.
No" e~ss Mr.. Wyatt. 'I Gid not fol-
low policeman anywhere, and il went
80 Candles Hill I had z perfect right to
do SO. for during the day we exchange
beats. The man on Main Street changes
with the man south Of Main Street and
ne has 8 right to go TO Candles Hill
or any place else south of Main Street,
Il didn't know that" said Mr. Man
ming land asked for Information
Mr.. Wyatt was dismissed on the
grounds that the affa;s was Of a per-
sonal nature. and had been disposed of
sn the Police Court.
In the case OF Mr. Baker it was en-
tirely different. 1t was shown that he
had circulated a report about officers
Wiltshire Schlieff Toier ad Sergeant
BAILEY that would have tended to inju.e
their character and TO have reflected on
.he department.
The report was that the four officers
and three citizens had gotten up ban
quet and q bah at house OF questionable
1epute.
Mr.. Baker said he first heard 1t from
rant on Governor Street. and that he
had expressed sorrow that such a renort
had gone out. He went to see Mr.. Ban-
mister ard told him what his waiter had
said and asked HIM 10 stop the report.
Then he went to Private Watchman
Whitaker at Fourteenth and Main
Streets end told him about it, and asked
him not TO tell anybody else. as he
dI'n't believe 1t was the truth. and it
q SIa,,>e %hot p,t ,i>p
HOW IT STARTED.
THE story started from the waiter"
sa'd M. Baker. "and l tried to stop its
circulation. / had no III feeling against
su@ of the men, and have none now
Div motive was OF the best"
In the meantime Mr. Jack Wise. one
of tho citizens implicated. heard abou,
s.. and he also got indignant, because it
nut his employer. Mr.. George Bull. In
with the others. Mr. Bull got INDIGNANT
nnd so did Squire Nolte. whose name had
also been connected with the affair The
runlor was vague and no one could give
eny details. There We're no details 81
turned out, for the whole thing was .nan-
,.actured by the person who first started
81. the negro waiter. and he could not be
found. as Mr.. Bantster said he had gone
to Florida.
SO Tar as the testimony went there was
no ball, no banquet no nothing. and all
rersonc concerned had good grounds for
complaint.
An hands were cxonerated and Mr., Ba-
ker was fined s25. In imposing the fine
the board delegated Mr. Jacob to deliver
q reprtmand which he did. and in which
he warned Mr.. Baker that II he ever
ca,ns. before the board upon a charge OF
200 much talking" and the charge was
proven, he would be dismissed from the
force.
-li the board thought that you circu-
lated this report" said Mr.. Jacob. you
RouId be dismissed from the force nox.''