The Washington herald., 1914-01-20
SULLIVAN To get
PUBLIC HEARING
Deputy Fire Chief to Appear
Before Commissioners
Thursday.
STATEMENT IS ISSUED
Friends of Employe Whose Retire
ment Is Desired Will Plead
Good Record.
STATEMENT IS ISSUED

Deputy Chief Andrew ]. Sullivan, o,
the fire department, will be given a pub
lie hearing before the Commissioner,
Thursday morning at 10 O'Clock.
Yielding to the city-wide demand, ex.
pressed by numerous petitions of fire.
men and prominent citizens In all walk:
of life. and by the press. the Distric.
Commissioners yesterday made this an,
nouncement- Commissioner Siddous, a,
the conclusion of a "star chamber probe
into the recent American Five and Ten
Cent Store fire, Informed Deputy Chief
Sullivan eleven days ago that a request
for retirement with pension would be
welcomed by the Commissioners.
Commissioner Statement.
The announcement of the hearing was
contained in a statement by the Commits
sioners as follows:
Upon consideration of the application
OF Deputy Chief Andrew ]. Sullivan, of
the fire department. for a public hear
ing on the circumstances of his part in
the management Of the fire at the Five
and Ten Cent Store on December "a. in
which five firemen nearly lost their lives,
the Commissioners have determined to
hold such a hearing, in the board room
at the District Building. beginning at 10
O'Clock a m. Thursday.
an inquiry conducted for the Board of
Commissioners by Commissioner Siddons,
the board, through Commissioner Sid
dons, ten days ago suggested to Mr.. Sui
livan that IL he would apply for retire.
ment on the pension allowed by law IL
would be ordered. Mr.. Sullivan responded
to this suggestion by requesting a pub
lie hearing, which the Commissioners to-
day decided to hold. for the purpose OF
enabling Mr.. Sullivan to present any ad-
ditional information he may have, IL
any. which should be in the possession
of the Commissioners before they take
final action on the question of response
bility for the injury and narrow escape
from death of the five firemen caught in
the collapse of the Five and Ten Cent
Store.
Hearings should BE Private.
"It is further deemed proper to state
that inquiries by the Commissioners or
any one Of them into conditions Of ad-
or conduct of municipal en-
ployes in the performance Of their duties
cannot. as a rule, and, indeed, in JUS
tice to all concerned, should not be made
in public 1t may fairly be presumed
that the Commissioners in making such
INQUIRIES will act within the law and
with no other purpose than to arrive at
lust conclusions and to attain just re-
suits
Mr.. Charles W. Darr. attorney in Sui
livan's behalf, who will be present at
the hearing Thursday morning. last
night said. in part:
Action No Surprise.
"The announcement that a public hear
ing is to be granted Sullivan and his
friends does not come as surprise to me.
Knowing as I do that Commissioners
Siddons. Newman and Harding are pos
sessed with an extreme sense of fairness
and justice, I did not at any time during
the unpleasant controversy doubt that
Sullivan would be given square deal
before any definite action would be taken
against him.
THE hearing is not to be a trial.
There will be no examination Of wit
nesses. and Deputy Chief Sullivan is not
to appear as a defendant against any
charges. No charges have been made
against him thus far, and the testimony
given at the hearings before Mr.. Siddons
is not a part of the official record Of the
District Commissioners Office"
Deputy Chief Sullivan said last night:
Il am glad that the Commissioners have
called a public hearing. and I expect to
be present.