Omaha daily bee., 1907-01-16
CASE FILED AGAINST CHEF
Charges Lodged with Police Board and the
Fight Opens.
MAYOR DAHLMAN DEFENDS HIS ACTION
PrOcIaims He IL COnservatOr O
Peace and is Ready to Back
Up His order to
DOnRhue.

Elmer e. Thomas, for the Civic Fedora
tion, yesterday hled with the BOARD
of Fire and Police Commissioners charges
AGAINST Chief of Police Donahue, the
charges setting forth that the cnlei'
through his order Of last Saturday ui-
rected the members of his department TO
desist from their lawful duties OF arrest
ing saloon keepers who allowed their ppaees
to be- ofSen on Sundays The CHARGES were
TO have been filed Monday evening. put
owing to an adjournment by the ooaru
they were held for yesterday afternoon,
when the board agreed to meet at
O clock The time for hearing the charses
was set for D. m. Wednesday, January 2S'
Mayor Dahlman Tuesday morning said he
gave his order to Chief Donahue after
co refuI consideration of the matter and
would do the same thing again If the oc-
casion arose.
chief Executive of city
"I maintain" the mayor said, that l
am chief executive of this city, elected
bv the people to represent them and until
the supreme court decides to the contrary
shall issue orders to the police depart
nent when l believe such orders are tor
| the common good or are expedient. AS TOT
the order in question. 1t is a plain PROPOSE
ton. A large majority of the people want
| the saloons open on Sunday, with proper
restrictions and regulations. The saloon
men are paying a high license and high
rents. Many of them cannot make eX-
penses without the Sunday trade
"I want this question of authority settled
for good But in my mind there Is no ques
ton MS to the legality of the position nave
taken, and 1 intend to stand ny IL AS ior
the Board Of Fire and Police Commissioner
having the authority to give orders OF TINS
character to the chief OF police the matter
| is absurd on the face OF 1t. For instance
the mavor is required by law to be access
ible at all times and II he leaves tne cry
he must file a notice with the city clerk
who then notifies the president Of the coun'
ell. while the police commissioners are al
lrhertv 10 leave the city for weeks at q
time and adjourn meetings from time tc
time. One commissioner may not give ar
order by himself. One OF our district judges
has ruled that the mayor is the chief ex
eoutiye and conservator of the peace.
ct do not know what the commissioner
will do with the charges 1 understand arr
hled but do know that will back up m!
position"
Tribute to Van Dusen.
Al Yesterday afternoons meeting OF tn
Fire and Police board the following resolu
tion was adopted on the recommendation
Chief Of Police Donahue:
Resolved. That the Board OF Fire an
Police Commissioners commend Patroima
H Van DHsen ior ms TIase nee ns bi
duty IN making the arrest or John Pittmar
| a dangerous criminal, on the evening o
January 10, 1891. A copy OF TINS resoluuo
: shall he spread on the records and cop
! sent to Mr.. Van Dusen
This resolution has reference to a robber
at the Her Grand hotel, 500 being stolen b
p Pittman.
Chief Donahue recommended that M
Sullivan be appointed as detective, wit
. pay accordingly The chiefs recommends
: tion was acted on. Mr.. Sullivan was pa
trolman seventeen years and went to Ire
land a year ago. returning last October
when ne was reinstated on the force as
detective. The chief reported that Mr. su
liyan made a splendid showing since give
a tryout In the detective department
Exempt Ellison and WInship.
The chief of police made a report on III
case of Fred C. Winship, private detectiy
with local police authority, and Francis
: Ellison. former superintendent OF the M
: braska Humane society and deputy sherl
= OF Douglas county. The chief presented
the board a bunch OF correspondence pu
y porting 10 show that Winship and Eliso
have recently been engaged in certai
= detective" transaction involving the scare
for one Charles Hines, said TO have take
!, $50 from Mrs. Della Callahan Of Sll7 Lea
enworth street. Winshlp Is said TO hay
made certain representations 10 Mrs. Call
han, who engaged the man as a private d
tective, and is said to have told the poll
/ he was 70 have given Ellison SIG for h
:. share OF the services The board direct,
2 the chief of police to divest Winship
|. - cOntinuea On sixth PaEel =