Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1902-02-20
REDELL HEARING UNDER WAY
Fire and Pslics Commissioners Take Tssti-
msny Supporting Charges
ACCUSED REPRESENTED ONLY SY COUNSEL
Firemen Tell of Curses and Epithets
Heaped Upon Them and of Brutal
Assaults Endured from sus-
pended Chief.

Assaults Endured from Sus-
pended Chief.
The hearing of John Redell, suspended
chief of the fire department, charged with
brutal and tyrannical treatment Of his men,
began Wednesday morning before the Board
of Fire and Police Commissioners, and
lasted until D. m, when an adjournment
was taken until this morning. It is sup
posed that today's session will conclude the
hearing. Eight witnesses, seven of them
members of the fire department, related in
cidents wherein Redells violent temper was
displayed, and the record thus far is one of
picturesque profanity on the part of the ac-
cused, of conflicting and inconsistent orders
and Of personal assaults.
1t is in evidence that on two occasions
he turned the fre hose upon men who had
incurred his displeasure. Both times the
water pressure was nearly 100 pounds to
the square inch and the men we're knocked
down by It,
1t was reported unoficially at the meet
ing late in the afternoon that Redell had
arrived in the city during the morning, but
his counsel said they knew nothing of 1t.
Several persons present, however, had seen
him on the street.
The eight witnesses who testified we're:
Third Assistant Chief Martin ]. Dineen,
Fred L. Bugbee, Edward Leeder, Patrick H.
Dempsey, George Cusick. M. ]. Cuff and
Police ofhcer Rentfrew.
Reden Appears by Counsel.
Redell was not present in person, but was
represented by Attorneys Ransom and Our
ley. Mayor Moores, City Attorney Connell.
Commissioners Collins, Kennedy, Heafey and
Meade and Clerk Kierstead were In at
tendance. Nearly the entire forenoon was
consumed by the attorneys for the de-
fendant in trying to secure a postpone
ment Of the hearing and little headway
was made SO far as investigating the
charges were concerned. At noon the
board adjourned to 2 o'clock.
Ransom moved to dismiss the charge Of
John Bruder, as Bruder had withdrawn
his complaint. The clerk then read the
charge preferred by John L. Bugbee, Mar
tin J. Dineen and eighty one other firemen,
in which Redell is accused OF being brutal
and overbearing in his conduct toward the
members Of the fire department, and in
using obscene, profane and threatening
language toward them.
Ransom objected to the hearing on these
charges. "Our client has never been
served with notice that charges Of this
kind were filed against him." he said, NOR
has such notice been served upon his coun-
sci. Moreover, Mr.. Redell is now out Of
the city, having been called to New York
by the unexpected death of a. brother, and
he is now detained there. engaged IN ser
tling up the estate"
The clerk read the records OF the board.
showing that notices had been served on
Redell through Mrs. Redell, who is still in
the city, and also on his three attorneys,
Ransom, Wright and Gurley. Ransom
then admitted that notice had been served
on him, but alleged that the notice had not
been accompanied by copies Of the charges
His objection was overPuled by the mayor
Mr.. Connell read the statutes to show
that In cases of this kind it is not neces-
sary to serve notice. but only to place the
charges on file.
Ransom Prepares for Appeal.
During the afternoon session Attorney
Ransom made a studied attempt to lay the
foundation for an. appeal. He made fire.
quent objections to the admission of testi-
mony, and had them recorded by the short
hand reporter:
The first witness placed on the stand was
Fred L. Bugbee.
"Redell would always get excited at
fires" he said, "and would call his men
such names as damned idiots, blockheads,
wooden men, muttonheads and the like At
o'clock on the morning of June Of last
year we were called to a fire at 221S Half
Howard street A barn was on fire there.
Captain Gardner and were dragging line
of hose around to get action on the south
side Of the building. when Redell grabbed
4 A-II II.
wires stretched low over the ground as pro-
lection to some garden beds. We didn't
see them and both Redell and Gardner
| tripped and fell In the mud, Gardner on
top. When Redell got to his feet he was
livid with rage. Seizing me by the collar
he held rue off at arms length and hissed,
If thought you did that on purpose, damn
you, I'd crack your worthless neck
II told him hadn't touched him or been
near him.
'' Don't yeu talk back to mel he shouted,
shaking his fist under my nose. Don't you
| get me started I've got the most ungov-
ernable temper of any man on earth, and |
don't want to get started. Now, sir, you go
back to the trucks!'"
Ibid he order you away from the hre?''
asked City Attorney Connell.
Eyes. SIR"
WAS your presence needed at the fire al
that timer"
Eyes, sir; think it was''
SIS Redell a large. powerful mani"
"Yes; but we weren't so much afraid OF
that as We were Of the position he held"
More of RedeII's Methods.
The next witness called was Martin ]
Dineen, who added several chapters to the
boards record.
'There was one display of temper at &
fre last March on South Eighteenth street,
said he. ."An old frame structure neal
Washington hall was found to be burning
told the driver of the hook and ladder
truck to go a certain way, in order to avoit
. bad mudhole at the foot Of the hill, bu
Redell stepped up and countermanded m!
order, telling the driver to go another way
and the result was that the truck got stuck
one OF the wheels going down to the axle
and we had to get the jacks to lift 1t out
While we were at this Redell began cursinl
me for my awkwardness in getting tn
truck stuck. You're not At to be fre
man. he said. What would you do II Their
was a big hre now. you internal block
headr"
i After relating several other incident