The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1915-08-21
CONTINUED
FROM PAGE /
Chief ADMITS NE
VISITED GIRL s ROOM


chiefs table. and that the party
had six or seven" bottles OF wine.
Chief OF Police Lang's statement
follows:
lsno's Statement
The attack made on me by The
Star IL the result OF my refusal 70
discharge officers Phillips and Col.
Tins. On August ?. 1915. Tho Star
demanded OF me the summary dis.
missal OF Phillips and Collins and
all others OF their stripe who may
be on the force There was no
other iu,imstion given In this writ.
ten demand as 10 tho men includ-
ed In the phrase all others Of their
stripe
This demand. because /, lief, ev.
cry member OF tho police force
open TO tho charge OF being of
their stripe. was nm insult TO the
entire police department, As chief
Of police. ! have no power to dts
charge members OF the force ex.
cept for sufficient cause. My or.
ders Diminishing police officers are
subject 10 review by the civil serv
ice commission and by tho courts
In some Instances the civil service
commission has disagreed with me
and did not sustain my dismissais.
"All could do Respecting Phillips
and Collins was TO hear tho evi.
dence for both sides. This did
fairly.
AT the end OF tho hearing the
evidence was not sufficient. In my
Judgment. 20 warrant the dismissal
OF the officers.
"A transcript OF The evidence was
offered The Star reporter and not
accepted.
Not Grounds for Dismissal
The summary demand made by
The Star was no reason that eth
err the civil service Commission or the
courts would have recognized.
Had I dismissed these Officers.
an appeal would have been taken
and the men rcinstated I would
not shirk my responsibility TO
please The Star. n the police Off.
GERS thought their chief would not
stand by them. but would dismiss
them without good reason when
ever some politician demanded, the
force would be demoralized.
Il will stand faithfully by the
members OF the police force when.
ever I believe they are right, and
expect them TO stand by me.
When The Star found would
not obey their orders they sought
means 10 embarrass me. The gam.
bling situation looked TO be the
most plausible.
Says He Can't Stop II
There were some clubs in the
city holding charters as social
clubs. Whenever a social club is
conducted strictly az such. no per
son except a member can get into
the club rooms.
Gambling may or may not go on
In such clubs. and no police depart
ment. sheriff or prosecuting attor-
ney on earth can stop II.
mo officer, In or out OF uniform,
can get In. because no person not
n member OF the club can gain ad-
mittance.
can't Nald SOCIAL CLUBS
THE people and the courts
would not allow any police depart
ment to raid such clubs on the
chance that some members might
be INDUCING In games OF chance
therein. II would be just "a rea-
sonable 20 undertake TO raid pri.
vate homes because the people liv.
ing there might be gambling.
Some regularly chartered clubs
were running, however. whose prin-
cipal business we believed TO be
gambling. Az 10 these places,
different condition existed. We de-
sired TO put them out OF business.
Must Obtain Warrants
THE police, however. cannot le-
gally break down doors merely to
gain evidence. Before doors can
be broken warrants must be issued.
Warrants can only be- obtained
after the evidence IL had. II is i'm
possible TO get this evidence by go
Ing at the head OF a brass band.
Public charges that this or that
place is gambling house are al.
ways followed by added precau-
lions on the part OF the gamblers.
Certain other people than our
selves believed that some OF these
chartered clubs we're merely gam
bling houses. but like ourselves.
they had no legal evidence. There
is quite a distinction between be.
lieving a thing and proving IL.
These other people wanted to
make political capital out Of the
gambling situation
When Tom. Dick and Harry are
all trying to get evidence against