The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1905-05-12
THE MAYORS CARD.

To the Board:-I have to report the
resignation of Officers NJ. G. Klnnard,
Rush Gresham, Sid Dooley and E. E.
Lamar; and that acting in conjunction
with the Police Committee these resig
nations we're accepted. and that Messrs
Tom Friel, q. e. Morgan and Will
Lancaster have been appointed to fill
three of the vacancies and City Mar
shall Webb has assigned Mr.. Wilson to
special duty pending further action of
the committee.
/ beg in this connection to call the
Board s attention to some complaints
lodged by the retiring police. They
claim that they can show that in a
great many cases the City Marshal in
collecting fines and costs has failed tor
some reason to collect the officers cost !;
and upon hearing their complaint,
called ut the City Hall and called
City Marshal Webb's attention to the
matter. and examined few cases on
the docket, with the result that In ct
least two cases the complaint seemed
to be well founded. | did not have at
my disposal the time to run the docket
through, but on opening the docket, |
found two cases where fine of 81 %
had been assessed, together with Re-
corder's fee of 3d. 90 and officers cost
81. 90, making total BILL fine and cost
of $500. and following this, found
an entity, "Paid "a. co."
Another matter, which attached
neglect of duty and very loose methods
in the handling of prisoners to your
Chief Marshal is the case of one
DockeIy, arrested and convicted of
selling beer OF whiskey without
license. and after hard fight on the
part of City Atty. Smiser, fine was
assessed against Dockery of $50 90;
and then it appears. Mr.. Webb allowed
DocKery to go without escort, looking
up some one to make bond for him,
and pending this Dockery took his
departure, leaving unpaid and un7e-
cured the fine.
One of the retiring policemen com
plains that he had fought all over the
corner of the Square in the arrest of
one Nh. Lee, and that hne of $25. 90
was assessed in that case, and notwith-
standing it was long ago. the fine had
never been collected. The City Mar
shall having been elected by the Board.
| leave Ii to you to say, whether or not
he should be held responsible for these
matters, feeling have discharged my
duty in calling your attention to them.
j. F. BRowNLow, Mayor.
After the Mayor had taken his seat
the silence for time was painful
All the aldermen seemed wrapped In
deep thought, but none of them appar-
emily felt like starting off the fire.
works. Finally. the Mayor said he
thought it necessary that the action of
the Police Committee, relative to the
appointment of new officers be ratified /
by the Board. A few of his auditors
then began to breathe audlbly
and more regularly, and one of
the aldermen had the nerve to move |
that the new appointments he ratitiel |, |,
The motion carried, and it was nearly |
ten o'clock, and all other business had
been disposed of, when Alderman Dale
arose and referred back to the Mayor s |
charges He said he was simply seek !
ing information. That he had not /
been about police courts enough to be-
come conversant with their methods. /
He wanted to know, if offenders were |
locked up. after a tne had been |
assessed in case they failed to make !
bond. or if the City Marshal at his /
discretion could turn them loose on !
their own recognizance and collect the
fines and costs in partial payments.
He wanted to know whether in case
part of the fine was paid and the
balance was not forthcoming, If the
offenders could be re-arIested, and
whether they could be re-arrcsted If !
only the officer g cost remained unpaid. /
Mr. Dale was not making an accusa-
tlons, he said, he was simply seeker
after wisdom.
The City Marshal arose to reply. lie
said if the Board demanded 1t he could
fill the lookup with prisoners, and
could put the city to an expense of
forty cents day for each Vne OF them.
That 1t had been his custom 70 re-
lease offenders and collect their fines
fifty cents, $1.00 or more at time,
and he knew by this method he saved
money for the city and got two dollars
fol- the arresting officers where be
lost one dollar for them. That where
the fines and costs were paid by work
On the streets, the officers received
nothing. And that where the fines
were collected in small partial pay
nents the time would surely come