Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-09-29
MAYOR ASKS FOR
DISMISSAL Of COP
ON SEVERAL CHARGES

City Council will meet in special ses-
sion at o'clock Friday afternoon to
consider Mayor John X. Royals reso-
luton to drop Andrew f. Murphy from
the police force because of insubordi-
nation and for conduct prejudiCial to
the force and unbecoming an officer.
The Mayor suggested Jacob Kinley in
his stead.
The resolution caused a stir of the
old-time variety and for fifteen or
twenty minutes the Mayor and Com
missioners Lynch and Taylor had it
out together.
Both Superintendents Lynch and
Bowman declared that while they
would uphold the Mayor in dismissing
from the force any man whose con-
duct was of such as to prejudice the
department, they believed any man
should have Il hearing.
The Mayor cited instances of Muir
phys neglect of duty, failure to re-
port on time and of a more serious
character. In each instance he
said the chief of police had investi-
gated and that he himself as Mayor,
had inquired fully. Each time
Murphy, the Mayor said, denied the
charges.
Have you given him a hearing,
Mayor" asked Mr.. Lynch.
No, not in this particular instance
but I've heard him time and again,
and the chief of police has probably
heard him a dozen times"
We'll, l always like to give man
chance, gently demonstrated Mr..
you should give him hearing"
Yes, indeed especially in view of
what you said here some months ago,
observed Mr.. Taylor. IF you'll re-
member you said that no man should
be dismissed without cause and that
he should at least have a hearing
I Says Hearing Will BE Useless
Council can hear him if it chooses,
but I'll tell you. gentlemen, will not.
l have heard him until I'm tired and
another hearing will be useless be-
cause"
Because" finished Mr.. Gorgas,
you know the facts to be true"
Yes, and because / know that he'll
deny everything again just as he did
before"
Well" said Mr.. Lynch, II think a
man under the circumstances ought
to have a show, and / believe in CIV
ing him hearing. Let's not act on
this to-day, anyway, Mayor, and let
it go over until Friday at o'clock?"
And a motion to that effect by Mr..
Lynch was adopted
After the session the Mayor and
Messrs. Lynch and Taylor had a little
set-too during which the Mayor reit-
erted a statement made before Council
to the effect that Murphy had been
repeatedly warned, had been fined a
months pay in July and five days of
his vacation, and had ben told that a
rpeition of the offense would not be
tolerated.
Politics Back of It?
After the session Commissioner
Tailor declared that he had been told
Murphy says the whole thing is put
up job and that politics are at the
bottom of it," Murphy is an appointee
of Mayor Royals.
Now ordinances were offered by Mr..
Bowman, providing for the laying of
water pipes in Twentieth from Market
to Holly; Holly. Yale to Twentieth
and-a- half; Chestnut, Nineteenth to
Twentieth, and for placing CO.
candlepower incandescent at Mary and
River streets.
Council accepted an invitation to
participate in the big parade during
the firemen's convention, and the COM
missioners will meet at the Court
house at 1 o'clock and board an auto
mobile for the purpose,