The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-04-21
CALLS TRIAL A FARCE
HlLIO CLE IRS REGGIN WITH-
or HEIRING DEFENCE.

D~PasIs 20 Ne MaFTied NTIer Telling ths
ChleG lies Mlstakeu la HliAInlng the
is~pS;y fST ne-urrInE Flrs- Grsk 20
says ns Just what Ic ENprrte,l.
Battalion Chief william T Begin was
placed "n trial az Fir" Headquarters
Yesterday "n charges 20 neglect &c duty
in 'onneCtiOn with a doubl" fire that
occurred AT az 10 s:l West FORTY nth
street an March ~ the complaint was
made bv Deputy chief Joseph Martin. his
immediate superior. and sps' fled that the
neglect Lag in allow ing a fire ~ rrtinSile
after the iiTem.n ha'l cNting'Isheci u.
I Last nigh. Chief Croker said the trial
was a farce
: Tho first fire occurred befo-c midnight
and the ScCOnd On- three hours later.
, 7 be- iirst one did small damage: the second
almost entirely destroyed tn. LIlltliuE
fir" Commissioner Waldo. whose we'd
ding WIS scheduled for tho afteTroon
presided at VI" trial. George Gordon
BATH" appeared a. counsel tor BegRin
Deputy Chief Martin. called by tho
prosecution. testified that b." was az the
tirst fire and t~ms med until u was ey-
tingui-hed When he lett B~ggin was IN
charge aud the hT"u.n were washing
down tho walls Tive" hours latHr he
Wa> called ~ the -Am" building and
found ~ all aOlAI" u was impossible TO
a~c"Vta,n the organ 81 the fires. ~ hi-
opinion
Did you hAy" any fault ~ fud With
B-Rg,n's work there asked Mr. Rattle
None whatever was ia. rest,onse
In your t~rnty-siv year. in the Fire
H.
uch a charge made against Al pfic.rs-
! dOD remeInb"r anv.
Foreman Thomas Smith 81 Engine =?
said tina; BeggIn ordered him Ia make
an inspection IL the eniir., building after
the first hr" lie dad 80 end wa satisfied
the fire v A. out several other fTrmen
testified to- Substantially M. same thing.
and then Chi"f Croker Mas called a. a
N.tne->
Croker said that N hi- opinion the
second h-.' started from stnberS 81 the
firsi and thA' ~ Wa negl..' nf duty on
the part oi B-RRIn not a. have the emls ~
cODplci@lv eNtinguIshed Mt Battle
asked ham " no. had not inst gated the,
charge against Begin because of a long
standing dt-lIAr. Croker sad he had not
Arc yoI not oDpo~est - the promotion
Of Begin ~ 10 deputy chief aud did
Won not hav" The Charge r,sde - prevent
the promotion
-No -tT
Didn't Won -av IN an interview hat
h should h. az -" hosfOm instead 81
the TOO Of the eiigihl' h.':-
4 avn not r~Tp"n,ihl" for Nhat vas
printed
Have yoI nn; been ho=ti,. To- him for
ssv-rsl yeRr~ and have You not assigned
Lin to the HARDEST district in the city,
Ne has had soft detail for years and
! S-ni HIM ~ do SON. real work
on ar- MT friendly ~ him. a." v"'I'-
last a. friendly as - any officer
In. defence got rsndV ~ present it,
"a-. nut Commi--ion"r Waldo Announced
'ha' " not necessary 80 go anv
further A. there Wa nothing ~ -Istain
Tho charge except Ih,si -uk..r'- opinion
- hi"h h" ihr'gh might -. mistaken
81" Iommi.- ipnor then dismissed ths
,ouplaint
Gn,..f Cruksr declared at ntgh' that
~" B"Egln os-s hadn' had . proper
h"a- ma tha' hz witnesses badur nsan
Calls.d and that the 3g.iI'' vas uar..r' he
less "NIcty wha' ~" had eNpec'~d
Ai."ut two ws.A. ago. SAID the chief
CERTAIN thiu Eer'' brought TO hIs aitss1i
ton WHICH - Inn r"heva that 10 trv
Bsgg,n NoId ,.s q Useless Ilrn 's.rdinx
went ;o 'l- Gof.i'ni 49, on..r then
sad Crok"r and tod nm thai should
prefer 2" have lri ~,mplv 'la the charge
y h''h ] had advanced amt i''' % 10 ~ that
] Old h NJ ihn' - 'ral would un,y take NJ,
b tnr and n ns AMI that 81 many others
.. ih. ,tetIa ~i tn,nI IIc "a Il iha' the
tomur,s, ONE Wan;'..l - q INTO NJ. cas-.
Ius. the same
Cruk-r said that whcn LAWYER Battle
counsel Tor brggin. ASKED him az the triai
wh-t her he Estdn't disapprpved Of many
recommended ions offered by B.gRin he
hal hat 30 adm. JhaJ n ths. course oI a
year be couidn' recall all the recon
fnendat ions tina we're passed on 10y him
He recalled thar he todd Mr. Rattle there
had h-en me- animosity against the hat
'anon chief He did feel that BaRRin had
nal too much detail duty He Thought
that every chief ought TO have Active.
service
When Croker was asked whether he
thought there were any forces working
against him to throw him oUt Of his Job
hss sAid
No. I don't believe that Nv rela-
lions with Commissioner " aldo have been
very pleasant But when he spoke
again =! the trial yesterday ne sum !
ma1zed his opinion by saying
II was a farce