Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1902-05-17
April ~. 1902.


Henry +. Donovan, Esq. Editor and
Proprietor Chicago Eagle:
Dear Sir--I was very much surprised |
ut Il statement which appeared in the
Chicago Chronicle of April y last. quot
ing Alderman Minwegcn as calling
foreign born policemen bog hOppers
and peat trimmcrs. The constitution of |
the United States. the civil service law
or rules. do not say anything about a |
man being barred from any position
because he happened to cut turf or
jump on bOgs. ] am still more sur
priscd ut the silence maintained by the
Chicago press In the matter excepting
The Chicago Eagle. wrote a letter
To rwo of the morning papers the day
IL appeared. but they were not pub
lished. Now, Mr.. Editor. will you be
kind enough to give me little space
In your valuable paper. so as to prove
to the citizens Of Chicago that Min.
wcgcn lied II he said foreign born
policemen were incompetent, were ig-
norant, and that they did not know
where state street was. because they
happened to jump on bOgs and cut
peat In their native land. This state
mcIlt Of his II class-hatred run mad.
Now Let Alderman Minwegen prove
his words. Here IL his chance.
shall deposit 800 with the editor Of
The Eagle to be given to the police
and fire pension fund. IL ! do not pass
Il better examination than Alderman
Minwcgen for the position Of patrol.
man. The test to be the same rs laid
down by the civil service law and
rules. II l beat him, as ! am confident
Of doing, he to give 500 to the police
and fire pension fund. and publicly
acknowledge he lied about foreign pO-
licemen. am Il very ordinary, for
eign npOllceman, and l beg my
brother Oiicers to excuse me for issu-
ing this challenge, especially when !
know that ninc-tcnths Of the force are
more competent to do no than ! am.
However, l challenge Alderman Min.
wegen as above stated, and II he thinks
may have any advantage over him
In the physical test, ! shall make him
the following proposition:
He and ! shall answer twenty prac-
teal police questions, twenty legal
questions, such as defining murder.
burglary, robbery, larceny, rape, arson,
etc.
One hundred questions OH city In.
formation, ana to write Il short history
Of Chicago and questions on the du.
ties OF an Alderman.
His statement that an old woman
with u broom stick In her hands would
he better ally In time of trouble than
one Of the foreign born policemen goes
without saying that we are towards
too Now, then, us u merit test will
he risked his life to save Others, ] td
quote mine; but will handicap myself
by not quoting any act which has not
the signature of a chief of police to It
II would be folly for me, Mr.. Editor
to mention the names of the foreign
born heroes who shed their blood fol
their adopted country. but would ad
wise Mr.. Minwegen to read the roll cal
Of the men that fought at Bunker I'LL
and every roll call to the battle oi
New Orleans. Let him start again nj
Fort Sumter and pause at Hull Run
Fair Oaks. ChickahOmlny, Malvern I'LL
and lift his hat. at Fredericksburg ant
Gettysburg. and along that bloody trai
to Five Forks, he can find monument'
of hcrOism to the foreign horn soldier
but he will never lind u native or for
cign born hero called Mlnwegcn, and
e ask every unprcjudlced citizen II II Il
= not Il fact that policemen and iiremeI
who risk their lives saving life an'
property, stopping runaways, shootin;
and getting shot by highwaymen, etc
that in the majority of eases ihei
names run like this - ODonnells
O'Connclls, O'Briens, Kcelcys, McCor
macks, Ryans? Which would den0t
that some of them at least came froi
n foreign country. ! also desire L
. state Though 1t may he Il great shOcl
:. to Alderman Mnwegens patriotism
that If ! were born over again, an,
had any say in the matter, would b
born of the same mother ana In tn
n same spot, Glenn Castle, In historl
I County Glare, Ireland. Yours yer
: truly,
g A FOREIGN BORN POLICEMAN.
}. (The foregoing communication wa
l. written by n brave and well-kn0wl
J. member of the police force. on Apr
!, II, but was not forwarded to Th
I Eagle Office until two days ago Owin
to severe injury to the writer re