Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1906-10-24
City Council.

nlgot, most oil which was OF Iouhno
nature. Both boards passed resolution
offering reward of $500 for the appre-
hension and conviction of the murderer
Of Charles I. Smith last Saturday night.
BOARD OF ALDERMEN.
All the members of the Board OF
Aldermen were present at the meeting
last night.
Mr.. w. Ii. Sweeney, from the finance
committee, submitted q favorable report
on bill OF Corporation Attorney Fisher
($75)for legal service, which was adopted.
Mr.. Bsllenger introduced an ordinance
providing for al increase of the police
force from nineteen TO twenty-three men,
including a chief and two lieutensnts,
and fixing the pay of the chief at $3.50
per annum. the lieutenants at 1920, and
the privates at 5000. The ordinance
was referred to the committee on finance,
police and general laws.
Mr.. w. H. Sweeney introduced reso-
luton offering areward OF $3.50 for the
apprehension and conviction of the MUIR
derer OF Chas. T. Smith on the night OF
October 20.
Mr.. Hill moved the adoption of the
resolution.
Mr.. Simpson thought the resolution
right and proper; its passage might aid
in capturing the fugitive negro who did
the shooting, but the present laws of the
State forbade City Councils or Boards of
Supervisors from offering reward exceed
ing 500 10 such cases. He did not
think that the present case called for a
reward for the capture of the perpetrator
of the last crime as much as did that
concerning the murder of George Curtin.
That was a murder mystery; the unfor-
tunate occurrence of last Saturday night
is by no means mysterious. The man
who fred the shot was seen and recog'
nized. No effort, so far as the offering
of reward, was made By Council to
unrsvel the Curtin case.
While Council may have been at fault
then, it had seemingly set a precedent
for Council to follow. He repeated that
the State laws provided that rewards for
the apprehension of murderers must not
exceed 800.
President Sweeney called attention to
the fact that the city of Roanoke had
recently offered reward of $500 for the
capture of murderer.
Mr.. Simpson replied by saying that
Roanoke may have gone out OF the way
on the occasion referred to. He reiter-
sted that the State law was against such
action.
Mr.. W. II. Sweeney said be presumed
that Mr. Simpson was correct. He re.
ierred to the action of the Aldermen in |
adopting a resolution offering reward
for the apprehension of the person or
persons who murdered George Curtin.
he supposed that the police have done
all possible for them to do in the last
murder case A reward, however, would |
stimulate detectives in other cities to
endesvor to capture the fugitive negro.
The speaker believed it would be beue-
fetal TO pass the resolution which had
been presented.
Mr.. Hill thought legislation was often
irregular so far as the actual letter of
the law was CONCERNED. No one would
object to the provisions Of the resolution,
even if $500 instead of $3.50 we're offer
ed. If Council was allowed to offer but
800 reward, he could be put down for
the additional $3.50.
President Sweeney said the proffer OF
Mr.. Hill was very liberal, but he thought
the matter of the reward should be dealt
with by Council alone.
The resolution was finally passed, but
later a conference committee from the
lower bosrl appeared in the chamber
and announced that the Common
Council had adopted resolution offer
ing $500 reward. Messrs. Burke and
w. II. Sweeney were appointed on the
part of the Aldermen. The committee
recommended that the Aldermen recede
from their action and adopt the resolution
of the Common Council, This report
was adopted. Ii
A report of the committee on streets
recommending that workmen on the
streets be paid Is cents an hour was re-
ceived from the lower board and their
action cOncurred IN.
Mr. Simpson subsequently moved that
the Aldermen reconsider their action,
he saying he voted for the concurrence ,
without thoroughly understanding the
purpose of the committees recommends
ton, which seemed to make no increase
at all, provided the men were compelled .
to work only eight hours day part of
the year. The men had asked for bread ,
and were about to receive = stone,
His motion prevailed aud considerable, ,
debate followed, which was participate | :
in by all the members.
President Sweeney did not think $3.50 \,
a day too much pay for man. He re-
ferred 10 the increased cost of the neces. :
saries of life, house rent, &C., and ar
gued to show that the committee WAS ,
really reducing the pay of the men in- =
stead Of increasing it.
II was the impression OF some of the 6
members that the workmen were already
81 20 day, but members OF !;
the street committee finally succeeded in =
straitenng cut the matter by showing >
that the men were now being paid l2t h
cents an hour and the committee pro- :
posed to increase their pay to 10 cents !,
IN hour. \
Mr. Curtin said if the pay was in !,
creased to 81 so day it meant an addi- n
.ional appropriation of 5000 or 500 per n
snnum or the discharge of some Of the +
nee. The matter was therefore up 10 !,
Council, i
President sweeney announced that