Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-11-03
KRENCEL IS FINED $50
FOR SELLING JEWELRY
Detective Sergeant Pleads Guilty
When Brought Before
Police Board.
ALSO REpRIMANDED By MAYOR
Action of Commissioners Decided
Upon as Warming to All Officers to
Avoid Dealings With Underworld.
Approves Finding.

Ia.
was fined $50 by the Board OF Police
commissioners last night, on Il motion
OIL commissioner Douglas Gordon, after
entering plea of guilty on the charge
oi scil'hE jewelry to Smut" Stewart.
colorcd. With all members of The board
| present, with the exception of Commits
stoners We'll and Bradley and after Il
! snort argument in which several MEM
| bers held out for time for a smaller
hhe, the board decided unanimously
| on tho punishment.
Ihe detective was tried actually on
but one charge OF the several which
| Chief of Police Werner preferred
| against him. AT the meeting on Mon
| day night the chief admitted that he
was unable to disprove any OF the as
sertions made by Krengcl before the
c"uhcii investigating committee. and
asked that the charge of giving false
! and misleading statements he dis
missed. The board decided to take such
nctlon and informed Krengei that his
! future evidence would nc regarded
Just as worthy as before any question
| was raised as to its accuracy.
FINE Is IMPOSED AS
WARNING no ALL OFFICERS
| In his statement to Krcnrcl last
/ night. after tn" decision of the board
had been reached. Mayor Ainsiie COM
F., mendcd the officer for his attitude in
me case ON which he was tried. He in
. agreed in the opinion that the sale of
! the )ewelry to Il member OF the under
! Woriu was lndiscrcct. and that the fine
! was imposed rs a warning 20 the off :
Ger. ms we'll AS other officers. that such
! practices must not he engaged in bv
members of the department.
According to the charges filed bv
/ Major Werner upon orders OF the board
at previous meeting. Krcneel was
charged originally with selling gun
70 Louis l'tagi, the jewclry to Smut
stewart, and the sale of several other
articles to other persons we'll known
TO the police. The officer was charged
Also with giving misleading statements
! TO the council Investigating committcc
When the trial was gone into on
Monday night. l<rengcl admitted tho
sale of the gun to EiaEi and the
! ;ewelry to Stewart. He denied tho
! other sales. and his denial was accent :
! ed by the board, In view Of the unreli :
/ able character of the witnesses who
would have appeared against him.
| Major Werner then admitted that he
was unable TO disprove i<rcngers evil
dence as given To the investigating
committee and these charges were
dropped. AS the gun sold Biagi was tn,
! personal property Of the officer, and
| was disposed of without profit to him.
II was decided not to prosecute this
| charge, and Krcngcl was fined only
BOARDS ACTION HRINGS
CASE TO FINAL CLOSE,
The Official record OF the meeting, az
announced from rvi.>. Headquarters
last night by the secretary Of the
board Captain George Pollock. is as
follows:
commissioner Gordon moved that
Krcngcl be found guilty OF conduct
unbecominE an officer in that he was
found guilty of Il grave indiscrct lon
in dealing with a person OF doubtful
character under police surveillance
10 his own pccuniary advantage, and
that he be rcprimanded and fined $50
Mayor Ainslc then reprimandcd
l[rengcl as follows:
Sergeant KrenEcl, il is the iudg-
ment of the board that you be found
guilty of conduct unbccoming an officer
In trading and dealing in merchandise
to your own pccuntary proht with a
person of the underworld under the
surveillance OF the police. The punish
ment that they fix for it is that you
should he reprimnndcd and fined $40
The board feels that whatever your
own intentions We're at the time you
had these dealings with this man
tStewarD, in their own nature they
were OF n character that were not such
as they would like policemen to be-
IL.
""rhcy think that the example set
the other policemen bad. and. whereas
they accept your statement that your
profit was Il nominal one, still the act
was one out OF which large profits
; could be made. known to nobody in
, the world but you, and that it was tho
act more than the amount OF profit the
board objects to.
THE board wishes me to say tc
YOU they appreciate and commend YOU
for what they understand to be your
own admission that you now thnl,
: your conduct under investigation in
! this particular was not exactly wha,
II should have been. and their, YER
diet is that you be rcprimandcd and
fined $50. The case is ended, so far
as they are concerned
mir. Mcclure. counsel for Detective
Krcngcl. thanked the board for their
courteous consideration and verdict
, and said he was of the opinion that
Krengel should hc punished for tn,
indiscrction.'
. Detective Sergeant Krenkel would
make no comment on the outcome OF
the case