The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-10-15
Civil Service Commission Sus-
tains City Commissioners.
Sanitary Policeman VIII Be
Allowed to "Resign."
COMEDY IN DAYS HEARING
aJob No Place for a Christian"
Said Overmeyer.
Wilcox Suspected for Attending
State Legislature.

The city civil service commission to-
day sustained the board of city COM
missioners in the resolution offered re-
Gently calling for the discharge of W.
P Wilcox, sanitary policeman The
hearing of the case of W. P. WILCOX,
who was discharged as a sanitary po-
Hceman by the city commission two
weeks ago, and who appealed to the
civil service commission for reinsta te-
ment. was heard by the civil service
commission this afternoon. Wilcox is
a hold-over appointee of the previous
administration. Among the anti-ad-
ministration forces the claim is made
that Wilcox's chief offense has been
political tenacioUsness."
At the hearing today W. I. Jamison
represented Wilcox When Sanitary
Sergeant Ramsey was testifying, jam
ison attempted to make Ramsey's OBJ
! jections TO wilcox appear trivial by
asking Ramsey what church he be-
lorged to. Ramsey refused to say and
City Attorney Ralston objected to the
question. The objection was sustained.
Later c. G. Overmeyer, who was book
keeper in the sanitary department IN
der the Billiard administra ton, was
testifying.
mo Job for a Christian
mo Christian can hold that job
declared Overmeyer, speaking of the
office of sanitary sergeant, now held
by Mr. Ramsey. It's the city's COM
plant department Everybody COM
plains and it is just one fuss and
racket all the time 1t is job no
Christian can hold
You mean to say that Mr.. Ramsey
is not a Christian" interjected City
Attorney Ralston-
We'll. he refused to say what
church he belongs to, If any" replied
Overmeyer.
There was more fun when that part
of the charges was reached in which
L
work done in his department with
political Ioafers." He testified that
he had seen Mr.. Wilcox at the state
house when the legislature was in ses-
sion probably a half dozen times
This was prior to Mr.. Ramsey's taking
charge of the office The laugh came
when the intimatiOn was emphasized
by questions, that it was against
mans character to be seen at the
state house when the legislature was
in session.
Sanitary Sergeant Ramsey, G. S
Ferguson, 4 policeman, and A. L. Green,
a special sanitary officer, were the wit
nesses against Wilcox. Of the seven
charges against him, there was little
direct evidence offered of a serious ma
ture, other than that Wilcox had made
a mistake in numbering some city lots
reported for taxation for the cutting
of weeds, and that in some instances
he had charged more than he shout
have for the cutting of the weeds. 1t
was also claimed that he had failed to
report as many vaults for cleaning as
he should have done
Eugene B. Stotts. former commits
sioner of parks and public buildings,
testified in behalf of Wilcox He stated
that Wilcox was his most dependable
man at the time the city had 1,20O
cases of contagious diseases, mostly
chickenpOx. This testimony was favorable
to Wilcox. c. G.. Overmeyer also testi-
fed. Wilcox took the stand in his
own behalf.
In testimony adverse to Wilcox it had
been stated that when a special officer
was put on his district he found about
so vaults needing cleaning and ordered
them cleaned. Wilcox testified that It
was very much to the advantage of those
operating the desiccating plant to have as
many vaults ordered cleaned as possible
and that these SEQ vaults would proba bly,
mean about 5000 in business for the
destccating people
The charges in brief against Wilcox
were: Gross neglect of duty; incom-
potency and carelessness: profanity and
boisterous language: that his genera!
character and reputation are detrimental
to the sanitary department: that he IS not
in accord with the present mInistratIon:
that he testified falsely before the civil
service commission: that he IS a meddleI
and disturber Of the sanitary force; that
he is an inveterate smoker and that MI
Panlsey had been told drinks when oc-
a=i07 Offers