The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1913-12-19
Laid Before Council in Execu-
tive Session Tuesday Even
!. ing-No Action Taken.
p. A. COFFEY SAYS ~: =
HE WILL PUSH THEM
Nelson Enters General Denial and
Says He Is Ready for Hearing 1t
Any Time-Matter Tabled After
Heated Session by the Council in
Committee of the Whole.

Charges of official misconduct pre-
ferred by Chairman Coffey Of the
Police and Fire commission against
5. A. Nelson, member of the commits
sion and presented to the city council
as committe Of the whole in an
executive session preceding its last
regular meeting Tuesday evening
wre laid on the table after session
lasting the greater part Of an hour.
Aldermen Mattson, Heritage and Kel-
Ter declined to consider. the charges
until Mr.. Nelson was given an op-
portunity to be heard in his own de-
tense.
In an interview authorized Wednes-
day Commissioner Nelson entered
general denial to all charges preferred
against him. He said he would well
come an investigation.
Chairman Coffey Of the commission,
1eoained to discuss the matter further
han to say that he had verified every
charge placed before the council and
hat he would push the claims of Of
fcial misconduct against Commission
n Nelson. It is said Nelson's indict-
nent consists Of four counts. Two of
hem are drunkenness and gambling.
Nelson characterized the charge of
drunkenness against him as prepos-
:erous and declared he had never en-
gagged in gaming at dice.
Barring the declaration of Chair
nan Coffey of the commission that he
would push the charges against Mel
ON the whole matter seems to stand
very fair way to be dropned at
s,resena unasrs Il tths city charter the
.,ouncil can not take action until
.harges against any city official have
teen filed tthhsthe=eity clsrks 7sz:
The charges against Nelson, were
presented to the council by City At
.orney Morgan. They were not on
:ile with City Clerk Bickford yester-
day. Mr.. Bickford and other city Of
fcials declined to discuss them in any
way.
Through a beligerent attitude on
the police and fire commission Com
missioner Nelson has been more or
less in the lmelight recently. The
discharge of his brother from the
police force it is said resulted in a
bitter feud between he and Chief of
Police Rice.
Last week Commissioner Nelson
was summoned to the office of the
chief of police and there was a
stormy session. Rice is said to have
indicated to Nelson that only the fact
that one of his patrolmen had shown
!eniency toward him kept him out
of the city Jail recently. The chief
also took exception to what he alleged
was interference on the part Of Mel
son with patrolmen while on duty.
War to the knife was declared between
the two at their meeting.
Neither Rice or Nelson attempt to
disguise the open enmity existing be-
tween them at present. Nelson has
declared he will secure the discharge
of Rice as head of the police depart
ment.
Nelson is one of Mayor Murphy's
appointees and it is said the mayor
has requested him to resign and that
he declines to do SO.
Anti-Nelson men declared yesterday
that the charges against him would
again be taken up at the next meet
ing of the council and that they
would insist on official action.
Nelson declares he will welcome in
vestigation of his record as a member
of the board.