Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-08-13
COUNCIL REFUSES
OCENSURE MAYOR
Lowe. Branch Declines to Con-
cur in Resolution Passed by
Board of Aldermen
G0ODE PAPER IS TABLED
Common Council Defers Action
Ordering Evidence Relating
to Him Printed.
GOODE PAPER is TABLED

follce Depa rtment, as recomm ended by
the joint police investigating COM
mittec
The question came up at a special
session on concurrinG in "A resolution
adopted Monday night by the Board
of Aldermen. which censured the
Mayor. the Chief of Police and "all
members Of the Police Department
whose duty 1t was 10 see that the law.
was enforced" for their failure to sup
press houses Of ill-fame outside OF the
former segregated district and their
failure TO suppress the sale OF liquor
in the restricted area.
After defeating. by vote OF to :.
substitute resolution. which provided
censure for Police Commissioner r. NJ
Goode for conduct prejudicial TO the
best interests Of the Police Depart
ment the Council voted unanimously
TO lay on the table the joint resolution.
requesting Goode to resign from tho
Police Board. 1t was ordered that all
of the evidence. taken by the vice in
vest!gating committee affecting the
Goode case, be printed in order that
the Councilman might have an oppor-
tunity to read and consider the same
before voting on the resolution, which
was declared to be tantamount to re-
moving Goode from public office.
ENGLISH AND POLLOCK
ATTACK GOODE RESOLUTION
Councilmen Edgar B. English and
Gilbert 4. Pollock made vigorous at
tacks on the resolution. They asserted
that. in voting TO request Goode to re-
sign, members of the Council were vir-
tually Kicking him out of Office" with
out being fully conversant with the
nature of the evidence produced against
him. Mr.. English. who was a member
OF the Joint committee, and who re-
fused TO concur in tho majority recon-
mendation on which the Goode resolu-
ton was based. insisted that there was
no evidence against Goode which war
ranted such action as was contemplated
by the resolution.
In the joint resolution, censuring
Police Commissioner Clin Well for
conduct 'prejudicial TO the best inter-
ests OF the Police Department" the
Council concurred with the Board of
Aldermen by vote of IL to 4. There
was no debate on the Well resolution.
Councilman Seaton, who was vice
chairman OF the investigating commit
tee, being the only member 10 take the
floor. He stated that by n vote Of 8 to
?. after hearing all the evidence, the
committee had found sufficient evidence
to warrant recommendation that Well
be requested to resign.
CRITICISM OF MAYOR
DIES IN LOWER BRANCH
The effect OF the action of the Com
mon Council is to dispose OF the Well
case entirely. while the resolution CEN
suring the Mayor. Chief OF Police and
members OF the police force stands de-
featcd.
When the evidence in the Goode case
is printed and the Common Council sits
10 take up the matter. the motion
adopted provides that the City At
torney and Mr.. Goodies attorney. Hiram
NJ Smith. may present arguments on
various phases of the testimony for
the enlightenment of the members The
date for the meeting Of the Council to
consider the resolution further has not
been fixed.
The vote on the substitute for the
Goode resolution stood to Z. when
President Robert Lee Peters cast the
deciding vote in the negative. The
substitute would have provided for
Goode the same punishment that was
meted out to We'll.
REFUSE TO LET GOoDE
OFF WITH REPRIMAND
On the substitute the vote stood:
Ayes-Councilmen Atkinson, Cheat
wood. English. Jones. Pollock Powers.
Sullivan.
Noes-Councilmen Batkins, Butler,
Haddon. Pitcher. Powell. Ratcliffe,
Seaton. President Peters-S.
Absent-Councilmen FERGUSON Full
er, Lumsden, Rogers and welsh-5.
On the resolution censurinE the
Mayor. Chief of Police and members
OF the Police Department. the vote was:
Ayes-Councilmen Powell, Ratcliffe
and Seaton-3
Noes-Councilmen Atkinson. Batkins,
Butler, Cheatwood, English. Haddon.
Jones. Pitcher. Pollock. Powers, Sulli
van and President Peters-12.
The four votes against the adoption
OF the resolution censurIng Commits
sioner Wei! were cast by Councilmen
Haddon. Pitcher, Ratclife and Scatoa.
The votes for concurrence in the reso-
lution were cast by Councilmen Atkin-
son. Batkins. Butler. Cheatwood, Eng
lish, Jones. Pollock. Powell, Powers,
Sullivan and President Peters.
SAYS EVIDENCE DOES
NOT WARRANT REMOVAL,
IN presenting the substitute for the
Goode resolution, Mr.. English urged
that the report submitted by the police
investigating committee was not bind
ing on the Council. and asserted that
the evidence adduced against Commits
sioner Goode was not sufficient to war
rant his removal. No jury In Rich
mopd would convict him on such testi-
mony. he added. He cited five points in
the evidence upon which the report
was based, and took the position that
in no instance was Goode shown to
have been guilty OF malfeasance or
misfeasance In office.
Mr.. Seaton replied to Mr.. English
briefly, upholding the report. He said
he was not asking the Council to do