Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1915-12-07
mr. Boatright Acts Following.
Meeting Of Council Which
Only Causes Axe to Descend
Upon Reed
ALDERNANIC ACTION TOO
LIMITED TO SUIT MAYOR
Executive TO Submit His Ac-
ton to Council at Next
Meeting; A, G. ButIeSS Is
Appointed,


Mayor Boatrlght last night notified
! Chief j. Klein that me had removed
him rs head OF the fire department.
The mayor acted soon after The
4 meeting Of tho council which adj
! iourncd shortly before 10 o'clock lie
called the chief into his office. across
the han from the council room. and
handed him the official notice with a
communication 10 the council at
tached, giving his reasons for the ae-
ton
In the meantime the mayor had
sent telephone call for Deputy
Sheriff A. G.. Burtless, formerly fire
chief. and upon his arrival appointed
lhim chief. lie conferred with the
mayor inspected his communication
and said he would accept. Mr. Boat
fright took him TO the central station
aud informed the firemen there that
he was in charge.
Waited for Committee 10 Act
The mayor was known 60 be dissat-
I isficd with the management of the de-
partmcnt and. according to friends
/ he withheld action pending the dcci-
sion 81 The fire committee. The com
mittce held two meetings last week,
at which the fire department. was un-
der discussion Another meeting, a
short one. was held previous TO the
Injecting Of the council last night and
a report drawn up. The committee
recommended the removal OF W. j.
| Reed as driver and limiting the speed
of the motor engines,
Air, Boatrights communication, Of
fciallv notifying the council Of his
action, which will be read at the next
meeting follows:
Honorable Council OF the City Of Az
buqucrque. New Mexico,
"Genucmen.-l hereby officially
lnotify your honorable body through
( tho city clerk, that / have this day
removed Jacob Klein from the posi-
tuu as chief of the fire department
of the city Of Albuquerque, New Mex
leo, and have SO notified him I'M writ
ing OF his removal. that have APP
pointed Arthur G.. Burtless of the city
Iof Albuquerque. New Mexico, to fill
the position ms chief Of the fire de-
apartment of the city Of Albuquerque,
made vacant hy the removal of Jacob
/ Klein.
"The following statement of facts
shows the ground for my action, to-
lwit THAT on or about six months
ago the driver Of the fire engine of
the lowland station OF the fire depart
ment while driving the engine upon
the streets of Albuquerque. had an
accident whereby u crankshaft of the
fire engine was broken and the en-
CINE otherwise damaged. that after
personal in1Catigatiun ! VAS com
WINGED that said accident and damage
lof tire engine WAS caused 10y unslal.
full driving through the lack of
knowledge of handling the machine
! by the driver then in charge and that
IL called attention 20 the matter per
sonully To the chief Jacob Klein, OF
the fire department, and stated my
convictions thercahout aud advised
land requested that the driver be taken
OFF the engine but the chief failed
neglected and refused TO follow my
request and ignored same and Kept
the driver ON the engine; that not
long thereafter this same driver ran
tho fire engine into tho sidewalk at
the corner Of the n. T. Armijo build
ing at the corner Of Central avenue
land Second street. throwing the tire
from one OF the wheels OF the engine
land doing other serious injuries tc
1.-THE engine. as mayor of the city
iagain called upon Klein. the chief of
the fire department, TO comply with
my request as formerly made TO re-
move tho driver from such further
duties and insisted that II he did not
that would hold him personally re-
spunslblc for the accidents committed
by the aforesaid driver OF OF those
that might he committed thereafter
that Ia about a week or ten days at'
ter this request and demand made
upon the fire chief he unsraciouslN
and reluctantly obeyed.
THAT following close upon thcs'
, accidents petition signed by more
than forty Of the business men ant
citizens of the city Of AlhuQucrqu'
was filed with the city clerk, askinl
that the speed Of driving TO and from
fires be reduced. that it was common
E talk upon the streets that il would BE-
lonly a matter of time when more
serious accident would occur If sucl
tdftyfnts was continued
"That six months ago the said chic
Klein placed as driver at the high
q land station No. Of the fire depart
meut Of the city. Walter }. Reed tina
ON the 18Th day Of November A. d,
1915, 40 about O'Clock In the after
noon the fire alarm was sounded @
fire on South Edith street city, am
THAT Walter J. Reed. although hi
day OFF. took charge of the fire en-
gine ana attempted 90 drive i q
a The fire. that in the 5o0 block o.
2 South Edith street. city. he lost con
= trol of the engine and the engine RAJ
through the fence and into the Aar'
of Thomas ii Dorfis, lsllling httl
I0Nen Doris. sonief Thomas N Dor
ris thai az the hearing Al the IA
quest ~ find out the cause of 10
ldeath Of lhile.oRen Dorris, thh sal