The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1907-10-04
BRAASCH GIVES UP STAR
CITY COUNCIL INVESTIGATES Po-
LICE MATTERS.
CHIEF FLYNN Is ExoNERATED

Brought In to Justify the Fee Propo
sition-Matter is Now Considered
Settled.
GFrom Tuesdays Dary.l
The city council conducted its po
lice investigation" Monday evening
behind closed doors.
AS result of the investigation
Night Officer Braasch has left the
force, Chief of Police Flynn has been
exonerated of the charges against him
and Mayor Durland says that there
ters.
The following men were present at
the investigation: Mayor Durland
Councilmen Buchholz, Craven, Degner
Dolan, Haase and Kaufman, Acting
City Attorney Burt Mapes, Chief Flynn
and Night officer Braasch.
officer Braasch did not file addition
al charges against the chief and the
question Of alleged over-charges ex
acted from prisoners was taken up by
the council. Outside of the men pres
ent no witnesses were examined.
An Old Custom.
At the close of the investigation
councilmen said that old police court
records were examined and as one OF
the investigators said THE practice
of making what might be called over
charges under the head of police ex
penses can be said to have become a
more or less recognized custom In
fact police expense charges have been
actually less as an average during the
last few months than formerly"
Along towards midnight formal
motion was passed declaring Chief OF
Police Flynn to have been exonerated
of all the charges filed against him.
Officer Braasch was then asked if
in view of the circumstances and the
councils action, he thought that he
could serve on the force with his pres
ent chief. He did not think so.
Braasch Resigned.
A motion to declare Night Officer
Braasch's place vacant was intro
duced. 1t was never put to a vote
however, as officer Braasch was of
fered an opportunity to resign, OF
which he availed himself. The resig
nation was accepted.
The vacancy on the night force will
be filled by the mayor Thursday even
ing. In the interval Chief Flynn will
Sanuro tho coryirac Of cpnciol ofIinpr
One result of the recent police cpl
sode, it is said, will be an adjustment
of the chaotic fee" situation as 1t
affects police court.
Will Regulate Fees.
"Polce fees will be matter of con
sideration at the next council meet
ing" said Mayor Durland, land action
will be taken by the council rather
than by the mayor" Mayor Durland
has expressed himself as satisfied that
charges of abuse in the matter of over
charges entered on police court dock,
ct. .
Would Excuse Fee Matter.
"None of these cases where exces
sive fees were claimed to have been
charged are matters of any great i'm.
portance," one member of the city ad
ministration said Tuesday morning
1.-THE fact Is that none Of the people
from whom the fees were collected
were nice people and the truth Is that
they did not get what was coming to
them in police court as far as their
fine was concerned. think that the
chiefs hack and assistance fees were
straight enough and custom Is back of
them"
Braasch Had "Hunch."
Officer Braasch said Tuesday that
he was ready to drop the fight. The
ex-officer said that Monday afternoon
he became aware of the course that
the investigation would take and that
councilmen had said plainly enough
what would happen to him when his
row with Flynn came before the city
council.
Consider Affair Ended.
The city administration now con-
siderS that the police row has been IL
nally settled and that the police charg-
es are now buried. The whole matter
is frankly admitted to have been very
unpleasant to members of the admin
tration, who thought the executive
session" Monday night the easiest way
to have the affairs quietly settled.
Say He Should Have Kept "Mum."
Ex-Oficer Braasch has been re-
preached for the publicity that he
gave the police trouble. In fact this
was one of the grievances against him.
1t was said that instead of consulting
an attorney he should have made his
alleged disclosures to the chief, the
mayor or the police committee, recog-
nized authorities.