The Savannah morning news., 1903-06-11
OFFICER WAS FIRED
PATROLMAN ALLEN BROOME LET
OUT BY MAYOR.
WAS GIVEN NO TRIAL.
CHARGED BY SOLICITOR GENERAL
WITH CHANGING EVIDENCE.

Police Rule Touching This Subject
Provides Immediate DismissaI-It
Was Ccharged That Officer BroOme
Made One Statement in Police
Court and a Different One Before
the GRIND Jury-SO1icitOr General
Osborne Presented Charges in
Writing-Case Was That Against
J. H. Grimm for Selling Liquor on
sunday.
Upon charges preferred by the solic-
itor general, Mounted Patrolman Allen
NJ. Broome was yesterday afternoon
dismissed from the police force by
Mayor Myers.
The dismissal was under Rule 43 of
the Rules and Regulations of the Po-
lice Department, fixed by ordinance,
and there was no trial. The solicitor
general, in writing, charged that the
uniformed man had made one state
ment at a preliminary examination In
Police Court. and a different statement
before the grand Jury.
Rule 43. under which the officer
could be dismissed without a trial. is
as follows: The police are expected
10 give evidence with the str;ctest &C.
curacy. Notes should be taken at the
time of an occurrence of all the par
ticulars in the case, to refresh the
memory if called on to give evidence.
They are not to suppress or overstate
circumstances, with a view to favor
any one. or from i'll will to either side,
and they will state accurately, without
malice or favor. all they know.
Greater weight will be given to the
evidence of the police if they state
fully, and without passion, all they
know. and make it evident that they
| are speaking the whole truth without
bias. They should tell all they know
at the first hearing, for if they add to
| any material part in after evidence II
is open to suspicion, either as to ac-
curacy or veracity. Any of the police
who willfully depart from the truth
are unfit for the force, and will be in
stantly dismissed.
1t was charged that Patrolman
Broome made one statement before the
| Recorder with reference to the charge
| that j. H. Grimm's bar was open on
| Sunday, and an entirely different
| statement before the grand jury. A
| cutting ARRAY had occurred in Grimm s
place, on President and Drayton streets
and the fact that it, too, occurred in
the saloon, brought out the case
against Grimm. Broome signed the
warrant against Grimm, and was sum-
! moned to testify before the grand Jury
| 10 that hOdW ha fhof
he had heard was on the outside of the
place, and that the warrant be
signed, he thought was against the
| man who had done the cutting
| Solicitor General Osborne also
charged the patrolman with intimidat-
ing witnesses who had been subpoenaed
to appear against Grimm, but this
charge was not heard by the Mayor
! Broome denies that he influenced the
| witnesses in any manner The solicitor
| general at the time, however, secured
| the consent of the grand jury in hav-
! ing stenographer in the jury room
| while the patrolman was giving his
| testimony and the statement of Broome
was taken down. A copy of this state
ment, and a copy of the statement
| made in Police Court, were filed with
the superintendent of police by the
solicitor general, and afterwards pre-
/ scented to the Mayor
After announcing the dismissal OF
Broom. Mayor Myers instructed Supt
Garfunkel to call the attention of his
men to Rule 43 and explain to their
| the Importance of observing it, Mr.
| Myers stated that he will Immediately
dismiss any member of the force who
| changes his testimony, and says that
this is a violation of the police rules
that he will not under any circum-
stances overlook. Police officers, the
Mayor says, must be accurate in Civ
| ing testimony.
Patrolmen Broom became a mem.
| Der of the force on Nov. 25, 1899, ano
| has large number of friends. Con-
| siderable influence was brought to bear
to have the case dropped, but without
| success. A city officer stated that more
| influence was brought to bear ir
| Broome's case than in any case thai
had ever been brought to the atten-
| toin of the Mayor. The officer de-
MED to his friends the charge that he
intimidated witnesses and declared thai
| he is innocent. Broome was employed
at the Guards Club before he became
a member of the police force and was
| popular with the club members