The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-09-16
F'orme er President Is
Charged With Disrupt
ing Efficiency.
ISSUE TAKES ON
PERSONAL TONE
Members Interfere to Sidetrack
Crisis, When Lecky's Charge
That Taylor Used Scurrilous
Language About Him
Brings Tense Stu
alton.

The rift between Captain Charles +.
Taylor and his fellow members on the
Fire Board. which has been growing
steadily moro pronounced ever since
the formers defeat for the presidency
at the last annual election, took tho
| form Of open warfare ut the monthly.
board meeting last night, when Vice
President I.ccky charged Captain Tay-
lor with attempting to invalidate his
election 10 the Office he held. and with
referring scurrilously TO him in con-
versatiOns with citizens.
For five minutes it looked as II the
incident would end still more dramati-
cally. Captain Taylor interrupted Mr..
Lecky's recital of his grievance on 4,
question OF personal privilege
Rcndy to Settle II Outside.
II submit TO the chair" he said, ad
dressing President jenkins. that all
this is personal matter between me
I and MIR Lccky. and should not be
brought before the board. If l have
said anything TO anybody about Mr..
Iccky hat lie doesn't like. am per
sonally accountable for il. can settle
II with him outside the room"
Mr.. Lccky interrupted to the effect
that he WAS ready ana willing TO settle
IL outside the board meeting. and the
situation took on a critical aspect. Ac-
tual severance OF diplomatic relations.
however. was forestallcd by Commits =
chair 10 declare the whole business
out OF order"
President Jenkins was cmphatically
OF the opinion that the board was the
proper body TO hear the complaint, and
that there was no time like the pres
ent. lie declined TO halt the hostili-
ties. and the war went on.
Used Profanc language"
Il arm informed. believe correctly"
said Mr. l.ecky, that Captain Taylor
has gone into strange places and said
scurrilous things about me- He has
used profane language In speaking of
me 10 people who do not know me per-
sonally. l would not mind so much II
he had spoken that way OF me TO my
friends or to those who know me. but
he has gone TO strangers.
II want to say here that IL is in no
way conducive to the efficiency OF the
board TO have TO sit here night after
night and look into the face CO a man
who uses scurrilous language In re-
ferring 10 his fellow members II this
is To continue we may as we'll dispense
with the board altogether as far as its
usefulness is concerned"
Repeated efforts on the part OF Com
missioner Cheatwood TO have the chair
order the whole matter dismissed went
unheeded by President jenkins, who
was clearly of the opinion that the
/ business had as well be settled then
as at any other time. Captain Tay-
lor sat quietly through Mr.. Lecky's ar
! raiSnment. and replied in a long state
ment
Il am sure :hat l Will not he acting
the hypocritc in saying now that moth
ing ! have ever said concerned the
! Board OF Fire Commissioners" said
Captain Taylor. What ] said outside
tho board l am willing to stand by
il is entirely personal matter.
Admits He Was Mortified.
Il VIII not deny that / was morti-
fed and chaErined at the treatment
accorded me with regard to the posi-
tion now held by your president. Com
ing to you, as L did, flushed with vic
tory in the Council. l had no reason to
expect such treatment. II has been a
poignant grief with me ever since. 1
| consider that YOU treated me badly,
unjustly. and | am not the person
when one cheek is smittcn to turn
/ tho other one.
I'm my chagrfn at my treatment I
may have said harsh things about some
. members OF this board. What | said,
I however. is personal. and | still stand
by il. l did not like the way | was
/ treated and don't belong TO that
I generation which, once struck, doesn't
/ strike back. But nothing of this has
TO do with the board as n body, and
with the Fire Department, which I
love and which ! have served for thir-
! individuals will make no difference in
| my attitude to the board, and l expect
! to cooperate with every one of You
TO the best of my ability for the next
six years unless | am removed"
| Having delivered his statement Cap
! tain Taylor asked the chair TO order
the whole matter dismissed and to
! declare the developments OF the even
( ing officially closed.
/ Must Not Bc Interviewed.
Il make this condition. said Presi-
dent Jenkins, that you agree not to
be interviewed hy the newspapers"
| Captain Taylor replied that as far
as his knowledge went, he spoke of
| his troubles to reporter only once
/ mendation that the whole incident be
! declared closed, and Captain Taylor
| pledged his hearty cooperation for the
| next six years.
The personal issue between Commits
| sioner I.ccky and Captain Taylor came
/ at the close OF n long meeting devoted
/ to the transaction of routine business
! The session proceeded undisturbed for
/ almost two hours. when the disposal of
/ tho last matter brought the call OF the
/ chair for new business.
/ Mr.. I.ccky began hoe stilities with the
/ statement that the newspapers of last
| week had carried statements, purport-
| ing to come from Captain Taylor, to
! the effect that he had Illegally been
elected vice president OF the board He
did not want TO hold an Office that was
illegal under the charter, he said and
wanted the board TO pass upon his
| right to 1t.
| Glad Point Was Raised.
| Captain Taylor profcsscd to be glad
| that the point was raised. and produced
tho City Code to show that no provision