Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-08-28
ALEXANDRIA AFFAIRS
MAYOR ADMINISTERS REPRI.
MAND TO FIRE CHIEF.
Special Correspondence of The Star.

| Special Correspondence Of The Star.
ALEXANDRIA. Va, August %. 1906.
| In accordance with the recent order OF
| Mayor Paff, directing Chief George w. Pet
| ty Of the Alexandria fire department to
:plain the letter said to have been writ
| ten by the latter in his official capacity to
various fire insurance companies In which,
it is alleged. contributions were solicited
| for the purchase of a horse for the use OF
the chief, the latter, accompanied by At
| torney Samuel G. Brent, who represented
| him, appeared at the mayors office in the
city, hall at o'clock last night to answer
the charge.
Mayor Pan read a copy Of the letter
which was admittedly written by the chief
and stated that the letter had been the
| cause of great deal Of ridicule and un-
favorable comment by the newspapers. The
| mayor read a newspaper article bearing on
the matter and asked the chief what reply
/ he had to make. Mr.. Petty answered that
as he had already bought three horses for
use OF the fire department he did not feel
able to buy another one, and said he was
| of the opinion that he was acting entirely
within his rights in soliciting funds for the
| purchase of horse. The mayor replied
! that he did not think the chief had a right
| to ask aims from insurance company.
He added. however, that had not Mr.. Petty
signed his name with his official title the
matter would have been different.
Petty's Record Praised.
Mr.. Brent asked what state or city ordi-
| nance his client had violated, and Mayor
Paff replied that in his opinion the chief
had been guilty Of malfeasance in office.
| Mr.. Brent said he could not see 1t that way,
| as the horse was not for the personal use
| Of the chief, but for the use of the city. He
! then asked the chief whether he did not
consider the horse portion of the city fire
| department, and received an affirmative
answer. He added that during the time that
| he was out of the city the horse and buggy
were at the disposal of the acting chief
In reply to questions from Mr.. Brent, the
| chief said he had been at the head of the
| Alexandria fire department for eight or
| nine years, and that during that time there
before this, he added, there had been
number Of destructive confiagrations In
the opinion of Chief Petty this was due to
the fact that all the apparatus is now
| drawn by horses and not, as was previous
| ly the case, drawn by men. He said the
| chief should be on the scene of the fire
| soon as the engines. Also, he said, he was
the first chief Of the department to use
| horse, and he asserted that by this means
| large sum of money had been saved for
| the city.
| Mayor Paff said he appreciated the eff
F.! fcient services of Chief Petty and remarked
|
| ficiency. He said he regretted very much
| the unfortunate incident, and as IL had been
| in his belief the cause of bringing ridicule
| upon the city, he announced that he felt 1t
his duty to administer reprimand. The
case was thereupon dismissed.
| Old Dominions to Compete.
| The Old Dominion Boat Club of Alexan-
dria has decided to enter a four-oared shell
| in the regatta to be held under the auspices
| Of the Middle States Association at Wash
| ington on Labor Day. The local crew has
| been entered in the four-oared senior event.
Coach Dempsey of Georgetown University
| has been secured to coach the men and he
hopes to get them in winning trim by the
| time of the races. The crew is composed
of Arthur Herbert, stroke; Edw. Fawcett,
No. 3; James Douglas, No. 2, and Charley
| Barrett No. 1. The men are out on the
| river every afternoon and are now round
ing into fine shape.
| Although none of the crew has ever taken
part in a championship race all have good
| rowing records in the regattas given by the
| Old Dominion Boat Club.
| General and Personal.
William Shelton, colored, and Guy Wood
| were arraigned in the Police Court this
morning on the charge>of caRying conceal
| ed weapons. Policemen Knight and Ar
rington testified that at an early hour this
morning they had heard the report of a
pistol on South Alfred street, and upon
| going to investigate they saw the two men.
Upon following them, according to the tes-
timony, Officer Knight saw one Of them
| drop a pistol in the grass and he imme-
| diately placed them under arrest Shelton
| said he was trying to carry Wood home,
and added that the pistol had been dis
| charged by his companion. Justice Cation
| imposed fine Of $40 upon each of the men.
Prince Baltimore colored. former resi-
| dent of Alexandra, but now residing in one
Of the northern states. made a visit to his
| old home yesterday for the first time since
| the Jim Crow law was passed and had
not been here long before he got into trou-
| legged violation Of the statute. 1t was stated
| that he got on one of the cars of the Wash
| ington Alexandra and Mount Vernon Elec-
| trio railway in Washington and occupied a
seat in the portion reserved for white pas
| sengers. Justice Cation fined him So.
| The board of fire Wardens has purchased
! from r. w. Ballenger of Fairfax county
! the pair of horses recently taken on proba-
| ton. The horses were thoroughly examined
| by a veterinary surgeon and pronounced
| sound in every respect. The price paid was
$3.50.
| Lieutenant Charles L. Fisher, United
| States army who is stationed at Key West,
| Fla, Is visiting his brother, Police Com
missioner Thomas A. Fisher
| Rev. J. H s. Ewell the pastor of the
Methodist Protestant Church, accompanied
| by his family, has returned from Round
| Hill, Loudoun county.
| Army Orders.
| Lieut. Col. John c. Muhlenberg, deputy
| paymaster general has been ordered to st.