The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1908-10-14
CRUflNTOPRISONtRS CLAIMED
Police Officers Testify That They
Have Seen Him Intoxicated on
Many Occasions.

the city council in the first session
of an investigation into the affairs
of the police department and the
conduct of Chief Short, especially.
The meeting began in the city council
room at the court house with large
audience present, but after a con-
ference of the members of the COM
mittee it was decided to hold the
session in the office of the city clerk,
and newspaper men were the only
outsiders admitted,
The hearing lasted something over
four hours, adjournment taking place
about midnight, and was at times
rambling and informal in character.
Many of the witnesses examined tes-
titled to having seen the chief either
under the influence of liquor, intox-
icated, or drinking.
The last witness examined was
Officer Mathis, whose testimony had
to do with several of the cases in
regard to which he and the chief
have had differences of opinion. The
witnesses contradicted each other In
many details but were all asked the
same general questions, though In
the case of Officer Mathis, he
was allowed to give an account Of
several cases in which he and the
chief alone were involved.
Councilman Miller conducted the
investigation, with the assistance Of
other members, who from time to
time asked questions, and Chief
Short was represented by Attorney
Fred Parker. The witnesses were
sworn by Councilman Miller, and W.
E. Zuppann was the first to be called.
The charges against Chief Short
were:
/. Drunkenness.
2. Cruelty to persons under ar
rest.
8. Encouraging patrolmen by ex-
ample or word of mouth to violate
instructions promulgated by the city
council.
Mr.. Zuppann testified that on one
occasion, the night of September IA,
he had seen Chief Short act in a
way which, II another citizen should
SO act, he would be arrested by a
policeman for drunkenness. He said
that on this occasion, he and George
McAulay had agreed that the chief
was under the influence of liquor
and further said that he was not
steady on his feet.
He said that he had not seen the
chief drunk while on duty, but had
seen him in Ford's saloon. He fur
Their testified that early in the morn
ing Of September 10 he saw the chief
treat with cruelty prisoner named
John Wilson, who had just been
brought to the station house. He said
that Wilson was partially disrobed
and that the chief had pulled up the
mans shirt, and jabbed him several
times in the stomach with a metal
tool known as yankee Drill;
that the chief had struck the man in
the chest and other parts of the
body; that the man had WINGED and
tried to pull down his clothes. He
said that the chief told Wilson not
to do that, that he, the chief, would
do that when he got ready. The wit
ness said that the man made an out
cry.
He further testified that the chief
had taken a formaldehyde sprayer
and sprayed the interior of the Jail
while the prisoners were confined
therein.
The next witness was OFFICER Perry,
who testified that he had seen the
chief when he had been drinking.
and on two or three occasions when
he had had q little too much. He
said he had seen some acts on the
part Of the chief which II not cruel,
were In his mind unnecessary. He
cited an instance of boy, 16 years
old, who had been brought into the
prison by the chief for not recogniz-
ing the chief as an officer. He said
the chief pulled the boy around the
room by the hair. OFFICER Perry
thought that the Yankee drill incl
dent was uncalled for and in regard
to It substantiated the testimony of
the previous witness.
He thought the chief used the drill
to obtain a statement from the pris-
oner.