The news-democrat. (Providence, R.I.) 1906-1909, 1906-06-19
Continued from page one.

pabe and efficient officer
while we recognize the gravity OF this
: complaint against him. and that viola
tion OF the rules by the chief OF the po-
lice force is particularly reprehensible,
! yet considering his previous good record.
and. that our findings are not supported
4 by the other member OF this board, VINO
/ strongly differs with us as TO the same,
and considering. although without yield
/ ing any OF our convictions. that this IL a
case where honest men might differ as u
/ whether the charges had been fully and
\ lawfully sustained, this board by ma
/ jority OF it's members. decides 10 and
4 hereby does severely reprimand said chief
/ OF police for his violation OF said rule rs
found by us, and directs the secretary OF
this board to furnish said chief or police
with copy hereof"
COM PIERCE DISSENTS.
The dissenting opinion OF Commissioners
Lewis j. Pierce Is as follows:
II dissent from the aforegoing decision
of the majority OF this board. for the fol-
lowing reasons:
Although much evidence has been
presented in this case, the issues are few
and narrow, and the material evidence
bearing upon the Cristy charges is limited
both IN extent and In the umber OF yit-
nesscs II may be summarized briefly as
follows:
In the early summer OF 1906. John h.
Nash. the proprietor OF penny vaudeville
picture exhibition, thinking that the fire.
quent inspections OF the pictures by police
officers In uniform was detrimental 20 his
business. requested the chief of police to
| inspect the same himself. or 10 arrange
| for some other method OF inspection.
The chief suggested that Rev. A. b.
| Cristy would be the proper person 10
censor the pictures, and said that the
| police department would be glad to be
,a1f Of thn 1tttN md haf haF nh
| shown must be satisfactory to Mr. Cristy.
and what were satisfactory 20 Mr. Cristy
/ would be to him. and in the early fall
! with the sanction OF this board. said Nash
arranged with Mr. Cristy 10 do this In
! spection. Mr. Cristy agreed with Mr..
! Nash TO do the work for $40 month.
! The arrangement proceeded for while
| TO the satisfaction OF all concerned.
After a while the chief received from
! citizen letter OF complaint as 10 pictures
shown. which he referred TO Mr.. Cristy
/ and asked Mr.. Cristy TO report TO him IA
| 10 the same. which Mr.. Cristy did. Later
a further complaint was made by certain
| ,itiztns 10 the mayor as TO certain pic
the same TO be reported 10 the chairman
! OF this board. and the chairman OF this
board directed the chief to have the pic
lures complained of brought to the Office
| of the board.
con Friday. April 6, the chief sent an
officer with a list OF the pictures com
| planned OF to Nash's place OF business.
| and ordered that the same be brought To
the police station the next morning Mr..
| Cristy saw copy of the list on Friday.
and wrote on Il against the names of
the names of others 20. X etc, and sign
| ed his name at the bottom OF the same.
Certain pictures with the copy signed
ey Mr Srsy were TAKEN 70 The ehe ppee
were examined by the chairman OF this
board and also by the mayor, and they
decided that certain pictures were not
| OF the list with Mr.. Cristy's comments
was not shown by the chief TO the chair
man OF this board or TO the mayor.
Certain articles relative 10 the mat
ter were published by newspapers.
Mr.. Nash objected TO the publicity
| given the matter as Injurious TO his
| business. He and his manager. Mein-
hold, were advised by the chief several
times TO place the blame where II be-
longed on Mr.. Cristy.
81 find nothing In the above sequence
Of events sufficient to establish the
| charges
"The real important evidence is
briefly as follows:
| Mr.. Nash thought the license fees
| for his place excessive and his man
ager Menhold, saw the chief num-
Der of times trying to secure a reduc-
| ton and Meinhold testified that the
chief told him that II Mr.. Luther was
not appointed as commissioner, the Il
cense could be had at a greatly re-
duced rate. and advised him not to
go then before the commissioners
about tho matter
"The chief testified that he spoke
! Informally 10 the secretary or the
board I'm the presence of the chairman
| OF this board about Nash wanting the
license fees reduced, and also men :
toned II TO another member or this
board. before the direct application by
Nash TO this board.
About Dec the chief asked Meinhold
TO get him a check which had been used
by Mr. Nash In paying Mr.. cristy. Mein-
hold testified that the chief said he want
ed TO show that Mr.. Cristy was being paid
! for inspecting pictures. Meinhold tele-
phoned Mash to take 10 the chief one Of
the checks, which he did. II was indorsed
In the name OF the Rhode Island Temper
ance league.
"Meinhold testified that on Friday or
| Saturday of the same week the chief
came to Nash's place OF business and
asked II | had a set or pictures that
we're stronger than we were using there.
| said we had nothing strong there. He
said II would like to have you put set
OF pictures in, II you have them and will.
30 that a certain party will see them
Monday morning" asked what was the
object and he said party was going 20
a meeting and l want him TO see what
kind OF pictures Mr.. Cristy passed on
| here. / said I could not do II on my own
responsibility. even II we had them. and
that / would have TO consult Mr. Nash.
He said II put them in he would send
me word Monday when l was 20 take
them out He said the party was to be
| at the meeting. which was TO be the final
one where they indorsed Mr. Luther.
Mash testified as 10 the check that the
chief told him at the interview at the
chiefs ONCE. when he gave the check TO
the chief that II might have some effect
! In preventing Mr.. Cristy securing the re-
appointment Of Chairman Luther, and
that Menhold told him the same week
that the chief had been In and wanted a
strong picture put In and that a minister
would be I'm 70 see IL. and that he refused
10 let II be done.
"on the other hand. the chief testified
that ne asked for the check out of curios
| fly, that something had brought II up.
and n was more for the protection Of MFR