Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-10-04
GOODE AND We'll
ARE DENOUNCED
Ministers Are Loud in Protest
Against Their Sitting in
Their Own Case.
WANT KRENGEL REINSTATED
Police Boards Conduct Is Sub
ject Of Many Sermons
All Over City.

TIpil the puipltS OF Twelve or nitecn
Richmond churches last night minis
ters denounced the action of the Board
of Police Commissioners of Richmond in
dismissinE Detective Sergeant Fred l..
krcngel presumably because of the
officers testimony in the recent vice
Investigation Several pastors who
have taken deep interest in the re-
cent reform movement in the city. made
the krengel case their theme. and the
Police Boards course received con-
dcinnation in many respects more Sc
we're than has been given the proceed
ings of any public body in Richmond.
The Scandal of the Police Board"
was the subject taken by Rev. H. d. c.
Maclachlan. -. D., in the Seventh Street
Christian Church. while many of his
colleagues chose equally striking titles
for their discourses. Minister'S who
had prepared sermons or special SER
vices before the Krengel affair de-
veloped made references to the matter.
MINISTER'S GIVE NOTICE OF
PROPOSED MASS-MEETING
In practically every church in the
city attention was called to the mass
meeting Of citizens to protest against
the control of police affairs in Rich
mond which will be held in the audi
torium of John Marshall High school
Thursday night Pastors urged their
parishioners and others in their congre-
cations to attend this meeting and lend
their presence and voice in bringing
about new condition in the Police De-
partmcnt.
a. :;
make the mass meeting truly repre-
sentative of Richmond's citizenry. Ad-
ditional signatures to the call issued
Saturday will be received to-day, and
vice-presidents of the meeting will in
clude many men prominent in civic and
official life.
Or. Maclachlan prcfaced his sermon
with references to the rise and fall of
about its end. Justice Crutchficld and
newspaper reporters came in for some
criticism by the minister, but his
strongest shafts were lereled at the
Police Board.
CANNOT EXPECT FIGS FROM
THISTLES, SAYS MACLACHLAN
Leading up TO the krengel case. as
an illustration of his Biblical discourse,
DR.. Maclachlan said:
The conclusion OF the whole matter
is You cannot expect figs from
thistles. You cannot trust bad men to
do the right. You cannot put corrupt
men in Office and expect them to ad-
minister their Offices righteously Your
patience is only laughed at. Your
dealings with them are only oppor-
tunitics for them to double cross Won
Their promises are blinds. They know
no shame,
We need not go far afield to find an
illustration of this very condition. IT
is mere In our midst. The very condi-
ton OF Jerusalem are repeated-or at
the very least, there is an attempt to
repeat them--in our own civic lift. And
II the prophets of old raised their voices
and spared not against the public scan
dals of their day. surely no minister of
the Lord Jesus Christine prophet j. e.
OF the new disposition can afford to
Keep silence in the face of similar con-
dttions of his own time refer OF
course, TO the recent action of the
Police Board in dismissing Sergeant
krenEcl from the police force.
REMOVAL OF KRESGEI. LIKE
Sai ihN RfBl lNINts SIN
Il hold no brief for Mr.. Krengel. His
ofhcial acts have not always been above
reproach. The traffic in secondhand
jewelry is very reprehensible prac-
tice in any guardian of the peace. No
one would have complained had Mr..
krengel been censured by the board at
the time these transactions were
brought to light-though the spectacle
of certain members of the board con-
curing in that censure would have
been not little like Satan rcprovinE
sin. At the same time no sane man
believes that Krengel was dismissed
because he traffickcd in jewelry He
was dismissed because he testified
against the accused police commits
sioners before the Vice Commission and
the Council Investigating COMMITTEES.
The reading OF the section of the police
regulations forbidd'ng police officers to
engage in any other business was only
blind, n subterfugV. designed to give
a veneer of legality TO the whole out
rageous proceeding. kren-el was IA
victim of private vengeance. He was
being punished for having testified
against the commissioners. And notice
was intended TO he given all members
Of the police force that t.;ey must be
the earless and tongueless lackcys Of
their supcriors--not daring TO tell tho
truth even under oath against them
on pain OF being deprived OF their bread
and meat!
HAD AGREED on
VERDICT BEFOREHAND
Consider the injustice of tho act.
Hero were two men. virtually sitting
in judgment upon Il man whose real or
fancied offcnSc was against themselves
Whether Krcngers charges against
them were true or false. that very fact
made them unfit because prcjudiced
Judges in his case. Not only so, but
the celebrity Of tho whole proceedings
the absence of all discussion prove that
the whole thing was cut and dried
Not only were the judges prejudced
but they had agreed on the verdict be-
forehand!