Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-07-19
OFFICER DUMAS FIRED
Board of Safety Was Divided as to tho
 Best Way to Do It.

By a party vote of the members O
 the board of public safety yesterday
 Patrolman Peter H. Dunais wa
 found guilty of intoxication and con
 duct unbecoming an officer and wal
 dismissed from the police depart
 ment. Before that action had taker
 place, Mayor Thoms, who presided a
 the meeting, stated that he under
 stood the officer desired to addres.
 the board. So Dunais was called 1T
 and he stated that he had retained
 Attorney Carmody, because tho
 courts was the only place where tho
 charges against him could be
 threshed out fully, and he wished fol
 copy of the evidence taken at the
 meeting held last Friday. He. was told that no notes of the evidence were taken. but the board would give him whatever assistance in it's power He thereupon left the room and the
 next moment the board went into ex ecutive session for five minutes. But two minutes had not passed when the members reappeared and vote
 was taken as to whether or not Dun. ais was guilty as charged. He was
 found guilty by full vote, five, and then Commissioner Minor moved that Dunais be dismissed from the police department. This motion was sec.
 onded by Commissioner Griffin. Commissioner Andrews offered the following amendment: Voted, That this board find Officer Dunais guilty of intoxication and conduct unbecom- ing an officer, that Officer Dunais is suspended from police duty tit fur ther action of this board, and that the superintendent of police is in structed to present the evidence con cerning the alleged theft of dia- mond ring to the prosecuting attor- ney; that no action be taken toward a final punishment of said officer un- til after the determination of the criminal action based on such evil dence."
 Commissioner Margraff seconded this. The amendment was lost and the motion was carried by a party vote of three to two. There is no appeal from this action.
 Attorney Carmody was asked how the officer intended reaching the court in view of there being no ap- peal from the boards decision. He replied that it was Dunais's idea to have sentence suspended and that the superintendent of police should bring the matter to the attention of the prosecuting attorney and let his guilt or innocence be established by the court. Now there is no way by which Dunais can reach Webb except by civil process. But in view of the cir cumstances it is very doubtful If Dunais will take any further action. And peculiar thing about 1t is that Webb was merely a witness against Dunais whereas he could have been complainant had he cared to be. He even declined to question Dunais when Dunais testified before the board last week, and Dunais did not fail to question Webb.
 Everybody says the board of safe- ty could do nothing less than dis miss Dunais, but all the policemen are sorry that he had to go. Ex- Chief-of-Police George M. Egan thought a good deal of Dunais, and Superintendent Beach gave him fine record before the board last week. Dunais was only three years on the force.
 The board of safety has at last seen the necessity of placing a fire alarm box in the vicinity of Sylvan avenue and Luke street, the nearest one to that point being 1,800 feet. Com missioners Griffin and Margraff, the appointed some time ago to inquire into this matter, reported that while box is needed there, there may be some difficulty in getting the money to put it up. The average cost of putting up a fire alarm box is $100. The recogni- tion of the necessity of box in that neighborhood is at least a step for ward toward putting one there.
 A communication signed by Ofi- cers Robert P. Kiersted, Hugh Fla herty, Thomas Dodds, John Cavan- augh and s. c. Walsh was read, in- the board that the cops have formed base ball team and were anxious to play teams of other places, and also for permission to sell tickets for the games. The mat ter was referred to Superintendent Beach.
 It has been custom among some of the policemen to take day off once in a while and get a job at some social function and thereby make $5 pr s6. That was the way Officer Dunais got himself into trouble. The board proposes to inquire into the advisability of this custom and ap- pointed Commissioners Spain. Grif- fin and Margraff a committee to re- port on it at the next meeting.
 Thomas Brennan was elected a su- policeman. Brennan is 29. and a brass simmer emnloyed hy