The Havre herald. [volume] (Havre, Mont.) 1904-1908, 1905-10-20
WEAVER OF PHILADELPHIA NOT
ALLOWED TO ATTEND CON-
MITTEE MEETING.
SPRINGS SOME SENSATIONS
upERlNTENDENT OF POLICE
TAYLOR GIVES EVIDENCE
NOT REQUESTED.

IAAAduClpuld, oCL. To- ne special
committee of seven of select council,
appointed last August to investigate
the affairs of the various departments
OF the city as conducted by Mayor
Weaver and his directors, began the
taking of testimony Tuesday. The
meeting of the committee was not
without its sensations, chief of which
were the request to Mayor Weaver and
three of his directors to leave the
hearing room and the statement of
John B. Taylor, superintendent of po-
lice, that David J. Smythe, former d.
rector of public safety, had told him
not to modest election repeaters. SUI
perintendent Taylor's statement was
made despite the vigorous efforts of
Milton c. Work, the chairman Of the
committee, to confine him to the ques-
tions propounded by the committees
attorney.
The committee brought out state
ments from witnesses that policemen
attended meeting Of a political club
when they should have been on duty.
Mayor Weaver and the city party in
sist that the police are not in politics
when the leaders of the Republican
organization claim the policemen are
as much In politics now as ever they
were
Unusual precautions had been taken
to exclude from councils finance COM
mittee room, where the meeting was
held, all persons except a limited num-
Der OF newspaper men and witnesses.
Only one Of the latter was admitted to
the chamber at time. All doors and
windows were kept closed.
Mayor Weaver Had to Leave.
Prior to the meeting Mayor Weaver
asked permission for himself and three
directors to be present at the meeting.
No answer being made, the mayor and
Colonel Sheldon Potter, A. T.. Acker
and F. j. Shoyer went into the commit
tee room before the committee as
sembled. The committee, however,
refused to change their rules and the
mayor and his three directors de-
parted.
When the excitement incident to the
ordering out of the mayor had SUBJ
sided, the committee convened, and
the first witness called was Superin-
tendent Taylor. He testified that he
was president of the Twenty-fourth
ward Republican club, and that the
greater number Of policemen of the
district in which the club Is situated
were members Of the organization. He
said on the last meeting night of the
club forty or fifty policemen attended
the meeting, some of them leaving
their beats to do SO. He said the alb
sent policemen's beats were covered
Ia some manner
The superintendent was pressed so
hard by counsel regarding police in
politics that he became angry and
started to make statements that
startled the committeeman. He said
II the committee wanted to know the
whole truth about the police business
he could tell them how Director
Smythe told him to take care of re-
peaters and how he had to take from
the rogues' gallery the photographs of
mSu VINO were Oh Lue ponce force.
In vain the chairman tried to check
him and threatened to eject him, but
Taylor kept right on.
One of the attorneys said the COM
nittee did not want to know anything
about that, but wanted to know how
the homes of the people were pro-
tected.
"Tll tell you" exclaimed the wit
ness. by men who have spent three
and four years in the penitentiary, and
whose pictures were taken from the
gallery by Director Smythe."