Omaha daily bee., 1902-02-21
BOARD FINDS REDELL GUILTY
Testimony sustains Charges Made Against
Former Fire Chief.
DISCHARGED FROM SERVICE At ONCE
Firemen Tell of Curses ana Epithets
Heaped Upon Them and Of Brutal
Assaults Endured from sus-
pended chief.

At $3.50 yesterday afternoon the hearing OF
John Redell came to an abrupt conclusion.
He wa found guilty upon each Of the three
charges fled against him and, upon motion
Of COMMISSIONS Kennedy, was dismissed
from the fire department.
The afternoon session opened with John
w. Bruder on the witness stand. He testi-
ned that he had authorized the rehllng Of
the charges, which previously had been
withdrawn, and then proceeded to relate
Incidents wherein the brutality Of the for
mer chief toward his men had been dis
played. At the conclusion OF his testi-
mony the attorneys for both sides agreed
to submit the case without argument.
Redell was not present at any time during
the hearing, nor did he place witnesses on
the stand to rebut the testimony given
against him. The hearing closed with At
torney Ransom giving notice on the part
OF his client that he would appeal the case.
The taking Of testimony in the Redeii
hearing before the Board Of Fire and Police
Commissioner closed at noon yesterday.
when an adjournment was taken to 2
O'Clock. Redell, although in the city. re-
fused to attend the trial.
Among witnesses who testified yesterday
morning we're Captain Olaf Oleson, Oliver
Morrell and John Reils Of the FIRE depart
ment, Mrs. John sidner. wife OF a fireman,
and George f. Munro. a grocer. A large
part of the testimony was corroborative Of
that given Wednesday, though some new
points were brought out. oliver Morrell
related the circumstance OF Redelps choking
q fireman named James sibel October /,
1899.
at was at a fire at Twenty-nrst and Bin
ney Streets" said he. 'sibel was working
inside the burning building, pulling lath OF
the ceiling with a long hook, 30 we could
get water into the attic. Redell was in
there with him. Suddenly 1 heard Redell
shouting and cursing like a mailman. II
l thought you did that on purpose he
yelled, ia brain youi' While he was say
ing this he had sibel by the throat with his
right hand and was grinding his left first
against his nose. Sibel was so badly in
jured that he was laid up for several days
and finally brought suit against Redell In
the district court for personal damages.
IT seems that the tool sibel was using
struck Redell and RedeIl thought sibel did
IT purposely."
Assault on q woman.
Mrs. John sidner testified that four years
ago her husband waa injured at a Gre and
as a result was confined to his bed at the
Presbyterian hospital for nearly six weeks.
w had nothing to live on except his sal
ary," she said, and I wrote to Mr.. RedelI,
asking him II / could draw the salary while
my husband was disabled. He replied that
II I could call on him personally at his
once he would arrange It. / called on the
appointed day. He ushered me back into
his private ONCE and closed the door and,
after We had talked about the salary a mo-
ment. he began to make insulting remarks.
| tried to run out, but he seized me, threw
me on the lounge and only released me
when ! threatened to scream.' The greater
part Of Mrs. S.dner's testimony 40 to what
h~appensdsan Redell's private once on that
day u unit for publication.