El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-07-01
Fol- other advertisements see "Too
Late to Classify" columns
Legal Notices.

| AN ORDINANCE
! Creating the Office of Fire Marshal, Pre-
/ scribing the Duties Thereof. Provtd-
ing for It's Maintenance and Prescribe
ing Penalties for Violations
BE 1T ORDAINED BY THE CITY
| COUNCIL. OF THE CITY OF Ell PASO:
! Section l. The office of Fire Marshal
| is hereby created. Such office shall be
| independent of other city departm entS,
the Fire Marshal reporting, dlrectly 20
/ flee shall be filled by appointment oy
/ the Mayor. by and with the consent OF
| the City Council, within ten days after
| this ordinance shall take effect The
| said Fire Marshal shall be properly
| qualified for the duties of his office
| (and shall be removed only for cause)
10000 dollars, payable in monthly in
stallments, as full compensation fer his
services.
Section 9 The Fire Marshal snail in
vestigate the cause origin and circum-
stances of every fire occurring within
the City of FL Paso. by which property
has been destroyed or damaged. and
shall especially make investigation as
to whether such fire was the result or
carelessness or design. Such inVestlSa-
ton shall be begun within twenty-four
hours. not including Sunday. or the
occurrence of such fire. The Fire Mar
shall shall keep in his office record
of all fires occurring within the city,
together with all facts. statistics ana
circumstances, including the origin OF
the fires and the amount of the loss,
which may be determined by the 1nves-
tigation required by this ordinance.
Such record shall at all times be open
to public inSpectiOn-
Section ?. The Fire Marshal when in
his opinion further investigation Is nee
eSSary shall take or cause TO be taken
the testimony on oath. of all persons
supposed to be cOgnizant of any facts
or to have means of knowledge IN rela-
ton TO the matter as 70 which an exam
nation is herein required 70 be made,
and shall cause the same to be reduced
70 writing: and if he shall be of the
opinion that there is evidence sufficient
TO charge any person with the crime
of arson. or with the attempt to COM
NIT the crime of arson. or OF conspiracy
70 defraud. or criminal conduct, in con-
nnction with such fire, he shall cause
such person to be arrested and charged
with such offense or either Of them, and
attorney all such evidence. together
with the names OF witnesses and all of
the information obtained - him. in
GLIDING copy Of all pertinent and ma
teriaI testimony taken in the case
Section 4. The Fire Marshal shall
have the power 10 summon and compel
the attendance of witnesses before him
to testify in relation to any matter
which is by the provisions Of this ordi-
nance subject of inquiry and investi-
cation. and may require the production
pertinent thereto. The said Fire Mar
shall is hereby authorized and empow-
cred TO administer oath and atfirma-
lions 70 any persons aDpea ring as wit
nesses before him, and false swearing
in any matter or proceeding aforesaid
shall be perjury anG sf' II be punished
as such Any witness who refuses TO
be sworn or who refuses TO testify or
who disobeyS any lawful order of said
Fire Marshal, or who fails or refuses to
produce any book. paper or document
tion. or who is guilty of any conremptu-
Gus conduct after being summoned to
give testimony n relation TO any mat
ter under invcStiga ticn as aforesaid,
shall be deemed guilty Of & misdemean-
or and il shall be the duty of the Fire
Marshal 10 make compls int against said
person or persons so refusing to com
ply with the summons or order of said
Fire Marshal before any justice of the
peace, police magistrate or IN any court
Of record within the citv. and upon the
filing Of such complaint, such cause
shall proceed in the same manner S
other criminal cases and upon convic-
ton of any such person guilty Of a
violation of the provisions of this Ordi
nance shall be fined in a sum not ex-
ceeding twenty five dollars (s25.0o) or |
imprisonment for not exceeding --
days: Provided. however, that any per !
son SO convicted shall have the right of |
appeal. All Investigations held By or |
under the direction of the Fire Mar |
shall may in his discretion be private
to be present may be excluded from |
the place where such Investigation is |
held, and witnesses may be kept sepa- |
rate and apart from each other and not |
allowed to communicate with each 9TH |
or until they have been examined.
Section 5. The Fire Marshal shall |
have the authority at all times of day |
or night, in the performance of the |
duties imposed upon him by the provis- |
ions of this ordinance. to enter upon |
andl examine any building or premises
where any fire has occurred. and other |
buildings and premises adjoining or |
Section g. The Fire Marshal. upon |
complaint Of any person having an in
terest in any building or property ada
cent, and without any complaint, shall |
have right at all reasonable hours,
Tor the purpose of eXamina ton to en-
ter into and upon all buildings and
premises within the city. and 1t shall
De his duty. quarterly or more often,
to enter upon and make or cause to be
entered upon and made, a thorough ex-
animation of all mercantile, manufac-
With the premises belonging thereto
Whenever he shall find any building
or other structure which for want of !
repair, or by reason of age or dilapi-
especially liable to fire, and which is so
situated as to endanger other buildings |
'r property, or so occupied that fire
would endanger persons or property |
herein, and whenever he shall find an
improper or dangerous arrangement of
toVes, ranges, furnaces or other heat
ng appliances of any kind whatsoever, |
including chimneys. flues and pipes,
Win which the same may be connected. |
,r dangerous arrangement of lighting !
ieviceS or systems or dangerous or
storage of explosives, COM
pounds. petroleum. gasoline, kerosene
lets, ashes, combustibles, inflamma bic
ma refuse materials, or other condi-
ions which in his opinion may be dan
,erous In character or liable TO cause |
nr IL 4