The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-07-04
CLAIMS THE POLICE
ARE INUNDATED
Mayor Ward Springs Sensation
Before Commission
PARKER CALLS HIM DOWN
5us Mr.. Ward Maintains He Can Prove
hat Policemen Ar lntimid5ted
BY MIR. Phillips OF the
Commission.
PARKER CALLS HIM DOWN

Mayor George B. Ward sprung sensa-
ton In the police commission last night
He charged In open meeting that members
of the police force were ng>intimdated
nv Commissioner George G. Phillips at
the now famous rabbit Foot Saloon"
The meeting was called, SO 1t was stated
nv the chairman, to try several charges
against policemen, but 1t soon resoiseu
...,s into a rather sensational affair IN
which the words rabbit Foot ana IN
timidate'' occurred frequently. ana Ia
,,,u,,ob commissioners called for "1nvesu-
cations" and Charges
AS a result of it all a resolution, Oh
fered by Commissioner Flies, was cai.'eu
calling for charges to be preferred AGAINST
Commissioner Phillips by Mayor "aau
at the regular meeting OF the coiiiiiiission
,axt Tuesday night. at which time ehe
,,aroas can be investigated and the COM
1910, con exnress itself regarding the
a.o,,sation that Commissioners Philips mas
,ntin,idated some of the officers
To InveSIi9diC Ote' -
After the trials had been finisned .ohi-
missioner Warren moved that a comihi''ee
be appointed to investigate the cnal 20
,ra,a,rad against Commissioner Phil
Inns by Mayor Ward. Chairman Parker
said that no charges had been prelerreu
asainst the commissioner, but some hao
bean nreferred against the rabbit Foot
oo1oon,, in a letter to him from Mayor
ward The motion was lost for want oi
a second.
Mayor Ward at once rose to his rect anu
said:
"Mr Chairman: I certainly did prefer
charges against the commissioner IN my
letter. and not against the saloon. ms
saloon can be regulated by the poiioo
force. but the other matter cannot De res-
ulated in the same way. 90 prefer
charges that Commissioner Philips mas
intimidated a member or members OF the
nolice force and kept them away from
that saloon, as my letter specifics
Mr.. Parker replied:
81 know no law by which this pody mas
the right to try one of its members ihis
meeting was called to try cases Tor
specific purpose. and we cannot enter INTO
This matter any further. 1 declare it out
of order.
Appears as Prosecutor.
Mr.. Ward appears as prosecutor IN
this case. The Mayor has no more TO DO
with the management of this police de-
partment than l have to do with the
running of the woodward building some
one has made mistake by going over
t,pa head of the chief of police and the
chairman of the commission to the
Mayor.
..If any member of the police force,
and Mr.. Ward has intimated that his
informant was member of the force,
is intimidated he should prefer his charges
here"
Mr.. Ward again stated that ne had
preferred the charges and was ready
and willing to appear before the commits
sion at any time to prove them by his
witnesses.
Mr. Parker replied:
.Then bring the member of the force
up here. If he were to prefer charges
against the commissioner l would move
to discharge him and vote to discharge
him for going above his superior Of
ficer"
yes; that's exactly what said" re-
piled Mayor Ward. HE would lose MS po-
sition for doing so. Police officers are
intimidated just as l have charged.
Commissioner Brown moved that COM
mittee of three be appointed to investi-
gate the entire matter, or affair as he
called it, get up all the facts and wit
nesses, and be ready to give the matter
a complete airing at the next meeting
of the commission. The motion was sec
onded by Commissioners Warren. Com
missioner Brown then stated that the
Police Commission did not have the power
to try Commissioner Phillips; that it
could only investigate and report. For
this reason, he said 1t was useless to
prefer charges.
Parker Makes Objection.
Chairman Parker then retired from the
chair and objected to the whole proceed
ings again on the grounds that the meet
ing was called for a specific purpose
to try policemen. and that any further
action was out of order. Various members
OF the commission Challenged ms seale-
ment and said that their notices to at
tend the meeting did not specify any
particular business and claimed that he
los the point.
Commissioner Flies then moved as an
amendment to Commissioner Browns
motion that charges be preferred at the
next meeting and the matter be fully