The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1904-10-07

beg to say l deny wholly his charge
of incompetency and improper be-
havior."
The Mayor: This is a sort of in
formal investigation to bring. out
the facts as to whether Mr.. Burns
made those statements in police
court. Mr.. Burns, are you under
SUSPENSION"
Burns. II am under suspension
from YOU"
Mayor: do you recognize my au
thority to suspend your"
Burns: I'm not prepared to state
at this time"
Mayor: II wish this more to note
the fact that in failing to recognize
the authority of the mayor to sus.
pend him, Burns is guilty of in.
subordination." At this Burns
jumped to his feet and excitedly ex.
claimed: Il object to his bringing
that into this discussion. That's
just what he did before at the trial.
I'm not here charged with insubord.
ination. I'm here charged with two
things, and l object to him bring.
ing in other unsupported charges,
as he did before"
Mayor: II merely wish to point
out to the board the method of pro.
cedure as l see. l am told Mr..
Burns denies the right of the mayor
to suspend him and does not con-
slider himself under suspension.
Burns: II don't see what that has
to do with this investigation. If
there is anything in that, it will
come later"
Mayor: 1T is a question in my
mind whether a man can be tried
as an officer who is not under sus.
pension. The chances are that
Burns is here now with his gun on
him."
Burns: "It's Just the same as be-
fore. He is trying to bring in out
side matters. I come here carry
ing my gun and my star, just the
same as ever. carry my gun be.
cause l am a police officer. am
not going to shoot anybody. You
needn't be AFFAIR, Mr.. Mayor, Of
my shooting YOU"
Mayor: I'm not afraid of you
me, Martin, I am calling
attention to the fact that you ig-
more the order Of suspension. and
show 1t by carrying your gun as
an officer. What we are to get at
is whether you made the state
ments contained in those charges. /"
Burns: Il say right now, that no
policeman, nor the chief of police,
will arrest the people at the Coeur
d'Alene. They are afraid to make
the arrests under the barmaid act,
according to your own statements
in the newspapers. You say your.
self that you agreed with the chief
Of police before he would be given
office, not to arrest those men who
are daily violating the law. Now,
that's your own statement"
Mayor. do you understand that
applies only to the Coeur d'Alene ?"
Burns: II say that you won't al
low officers to arrest those men who
under the barmaid act are violat-
ing the law every day"
81 want to say" said Commits.
sioner Weymouth, mildly. that II
any one accuses the mayor Of vio-
lating his oath the proper place to
take the matter Is before the coun.
ell, and not before this board. The
mayor is not on trial here. My
opinion is, you have no right to
bring any evidence on sta, ements
other than those contained in the
Beyond that you have
no right to CO."
Burns: part Of my grounds Is
to show that the mayor at present
and at all times has violated his
oath and that the policemen Of this
city are afraid to do their duty.
There is not an officer on the force
that dares 60 over to the Coeur
i'Alene now and arrest those men
for violating the law. That is what
ia and was in my mind when I made
those statements.
81 have positive proof in my pock-
cts now that when this bribery case
against me was brought, that those
people over at the Occur d'Alene
tried to bribe people to come down
here and swear falsely against me.
Another instance: A short time af-
ter that trial l went to Captain Cow
erly and told him l had evidence
against Dutch Jake" and Harry
Baer, and asked him to assist me
in getting out the warrants. Cow
erly refused on the ground that II
was against the policy Of the ad-
and the following day
was brought up before this board
for having the audacity to ask the
acting chief to help me arrest men
who were violating the law every
lay. I was censured for daring to
Interfere with the policy of the ad-
You gentlemen of the
board will r9member that, and why
was censured. You know your
selves that you remarked about
pimps whom you shouldered against
every day, and you said you won
dered why they were not arrested.
told you ! would arrest them. and
you told me ! would be protected II
did. I did arrest one, and here's
The result. I'm up for trial again
for trying to fulfill my oath and do
my duty as a police officer"
Mayor: "You are not up here for
nrresting pimps. are your"
Burns: well, I'm here because
D man named Robertson. who
clntms to be an attorney. made me
answer questions on which those
statements were based, and In
which l told what l believed to be
= ruth
Here's another instance. When
Woydt was chief OF police and he
first made up his mind to close box
] and another officer were
called into the Office and told what
ho intended to do. I told him then,
said, 'Mr. Woydt, don't you do Il.