The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1911-12-11

nearing OF James a. Butler, suspend
cd captain of department No. j. be-
fore safety Director james A. Knapp
In the council chamber today.
saturday, Director Knapp decided
to hold the hearing open to the pub
lie. Butler was represented by H. II.
Crissinger and Charles H. Conley.
William =. Moioney conducted the
prosecution. At the conclusion of
the testimony both sides rested the
case with the safety director without
argument. Director Knapp will rem
der a decision In the case as soon as
the record OF the testimony is type
written.
The charges which were preferred
against CAPTAIN Butler by Fire chief
Mcfarland are as follows:
81 do hereby prefer charges against
captain James A. Butler, for neglect
OF duty and incompetency. I'm not hav-
ing the horses shod at the No. ] de-
partment in shape to respond to
alarm of fire; I'm refusing on Novem-
Der 20, 1911, again on December 4,
1911, to have Driver Thurston. TO get
his team shod ana also Driver Dennis
ON November 81. 1911. and again on
December 4, 1911.
suspension to be indefinitely"
An firemen Of fire station No.
were called to the sand to testify.
Driver Charles NJ Thurston told the
director that he had asked TO have
the team under his care shod on Mo-
vember "a, but had been refused.
Driver a. o. Dennis testified that ne
had asked to have the hook ana
ledder team shod ON November 2f
and again on December 4. on the
latter date, Captain Butler according
TO the testimony informed both driv-
era that he was the boss and that nc
would tell them when to have their
horses shod. According TO the rules
governing the fire department, 1t Is
the duty OF the captain to have the
horses shod go that they may be able
to respond for prompt and immediate
use.
The drivers claimed their horses
slipped on the ice and snow on the
streets last Saturday ana Sunday and
that II was dangerous to drive them
because of the smooth shoes they
were wearing. Both men declared
that the horses had not been shod
since the latter part of October.
That the horses were poorly shod
first came to Chief McFarland's at
tention Wednesday morning and soon
aftenward Butler was handed his
suspension. The chief then ordered
the horses shod.
The testimony Of Fireman Harry
l.. springer brought out the fact that
one. horse fell on the way to the
blacksmith shop, Wednesday, He at
tributcd the falling to the condition
of the shoes the horse wa swearing.
The shoes whica were drawn from
The horses feet were introduced In
court aud G. G. Eye and Earl Kos.,
blaciismiths, who shod the horses
were called to the stand They told
the director that the shoes which they
hud taken from the horses feet were
not ht to be worn. considering the
condition of the streets
Fireman O. A. Slfrltt ana Edward
Meter had heard the conversation.
in part between Chief Mcfarland and
Captain Butler on Wednesday morn.
ing when the chief questioned the
captain relative TO the condition OF
the horses. At that time, 1t IS said
Butler told the chief that he knew
his business and II he didn't, for
the chief to do the work himself.
Shortly before the noon hour But
Ter was called to the stand I'm his
own defense. He stated, as his rea
sons for refusing to allow the horses
TO be shod, that In his judgment the
a
also he hoped to curtall the expenses
Of the city. on the stand Butler
stated that he had been told that he
safety department did not have sur
iicient funds to put a new glass In a
broken window in the fire station.
Buffers main defense for his ac-
tions was that he acted as his judg- |
ment dictated. He said that he had
driven horses when their shoes were |
worn more than the shoes which |
were introduced I'm court Before |
Buffers testimony was complete, Dl- |
rector Knapp announced thar court |
would adjonrn until 1890 O'Clock.
This afternoon Butler was called |
TO the stand again and asked 1ues-
lions by Attorney Mollon6y conrern-
ing the condition of the streets I'm
winter, the paths usually followed by
The drivers etc. lie endeavored TO
show the safety director that the
shoes worn by the horses last month
we're too smooth to be effective on
the packed snow ana ice such as there
was on the street December .. 3, 4,
> and g.
Butler was the last witness called
to the stand.
Moved 10 old "KirDy o and 10
cent store" room--Beatty & Longs