The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-03-11
Advertiser Bureau,
 Selma. March 10.

Selma, March lo.
 Sensational charges, general and spe- ! ciflc concerning the alleged incom- potency and ineficiency of the police force in this city. generally and indi- vidually, have been filed with Mayor Atkins and Chief of Police Walters, and are awaiting investigation.
 An investigation was this morning called for today at 1 o'clock, but was later called of. Chief Walters Is said to be looking into the charges, and no further steps will be taken until he re- ports his progress. It Is probable that the matter will be pressed before the City Council at it's monthly meeting netx Monday night, when definite &C., tion may be taken.
 The charges were made during the absence of Chief Walters from the city and nothing was done until he re- turned. After some deliberation, he decided that an investigation before the primary election was unnecessary. but this morning Mayor Atkins insisted on taking the matter up and asked the Chief to look into the allegations.
 From common reports 1t Is probable that Chief Walters will find sufficient confirmation of the sensational charges to bring the matter before the Coun- cii. Once before the Council there ap- pears little doubt but that the official hammer will fall on the heads of a number of the members of the police force.
 @PoIice Force Rotten."
 The first charges were made by a daily paper in this city, which, in a scathfng editorial declared that the police force in general was rotten. The paper referred to one instance or police indiscretion which has since come to light. Other charges came to the police department indirectly from a prominent business man, who declared that under the eyes of the police and in the knowledge of several policemen gambling and vice had been going on in the stories above his place of busi- ness at night unknown by him.
 The charge made in the editorial by ]. H. Nunnelee, which is being inves- tigated by the police department, was that stalwart policeman. after being called into a saloon by the proprietor to quell a disturbance. had pleaded with drunken and enraged man who had a knife in his hand, and had re- fused to arrest the man. The police man referred to in the editorial Is said to be Patrolman White. who says he didn't make the arrest because the pro- prietor didn't insist on him doing so. The additional charge was that the police were derelict in their duty of bringing open lawbreakers to justice.
 PatroIman Allowed Gambling.
 Other charges came from J. L. Rosen- dorf, the proprietor of a saloon, who said that the police allowed gambling and vice to go on over his saloon after ii o'clock at night without notifying him and without making effort to stop it. By the police this charge Is said to fall on Policeman Smith. on whose beat is Rosendorfs saloon. 1t is said that Policeman Smith spoke to Mir. Rosendorf about the state of affairs af- ter the latter had been informed of it otherwise and had discharged employees whom, it is said. gambled over his place. It is also said that other police men were aware of the fact that gam bling was going on there.
 Mr. Rosendorf's charges were dis eussed openly by Mayor Atkins, Chief of Police Walters and City Attorney schafer Nthis morning. and until the City Attorney advised against it. the Mayor wanted to call a public investi- gation for o'clock today.
 Other Charges Made.
 Several other charges have been made" said Mayor Atkins this morn- ing, "and no further action will be taken until the Chief of Police is ready"
 Chief Walters said that he didn't re-