The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1915-12-07

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The following statement Of facts
shows the ground for my action. to.
wit: That on or about ak months
ago the driver OK the IRE engine of
the lowland station OF the fire depart
ment while driving the engine upun
the streets OF Albuquerque. had an
accident whereby a cranSshaft of the
are engine was broken and the en-
CINE otherwise damaged. that after
personal Investigation | was convinced
that said accident and damage Of ARE
engine was caused BY unskiiiful drlv-
ms throuRh the lack ~ knowledge OF
handling the machine by the driver
then In charge and that I called at
tention 70 the matter personally To the
chief. Jacob Klein, OF the fire depart
ment. and stated my convictions
~thereabout and advised and requested
that the driver be taiSea on the en-
gine but the chief failed. neglected and
refused TO follow my request and ig-
nored the same and kept the driver on
the engine. that not long fter
this same driver ran the IRE engine
into the sidewalk al the corner OF the
\. T. Armijo hunlding at the corner VI
Central avenue aud Second street.
throwing the tire from one of the
wheels Of the engine and doing other
serious injuries to the engine. as ma
yor Of the city ! again called upon
Klein. the chief Of the fire department.
TO comply with my request as formerly
made to remov the driver from such
further duties and insisted that II he
did not that I would hold him person
ally responsible for the accidents com
United by the aforesaid driver or OF
those that might be committed there
after; that in about a week or ten Ia =
afer this request aud demand made
upon the IRE chief, he u~ngraciously
and reluctantly obeyed.
THAT following close upon these
accidents a petition signed by more
than forty OF the business men and
citizens Of the city OF Albuquerque
was filed with the city clerk. asking
that the speed of driving to and from
fires be reduced; that II was common
talk upon the streets that u would be
only a matter of time when a more
serious accident would occur " such
driving was continued
THAT six months ago the said chief
Klein placed as driver at the high
land station 80. 2 OF the IRE depart
ment Of the city, Walter J Reed. that
on the 18Th day Of November. a. d.
1915. NJ about s o'clock in the after
noon the ere alarm was sounded OF
a are on South Edith street, city and
that Walter J. Reed. although his
day OF. took charge Of the fire en-
CINE aud attempted 10 drive 81 Co the
tire. hat in the 200 block on South
Edith street. city. ne lost control of
the engine aud the engine ran through
the fence and into the yard OF Thoma
\ NJ. Doris. killing little owen Doris.
son Of Thomas NJ. Doris; that AT the
hearing at the inquest to find out The
cause Of the death of little owen Dor
ris. the said Walter j.. Reed testified
that when he wa placed as driver of
the engine az the highland station that
he had not driven other machines be-
fore starting TO drive this machine:
shat he had never driven a machine
as an occupation before starting 20
drive tor the city neither had he ever
! owned a machine OF his owl which
he had driven aud that he had never
worked IN an Automobile garage prior
10 his employment as driver Tor the
| city. that he had been driving Tor the
| city near I've or six month and that
at this time be did not know angthinE
about ihe mechanical parts of 20 ma
| chine: that he had on this day ON
which the killing 90 little owen Du.r.s
occurred. been drinki1g and Do 20 h"
had taken at least three drinks that
he remembered distinctly hut he vas
not sure whether or not he had taken
more than three, that ne va. unable
tu give "a fun account OF hl- where
about on he afternoon of the l9th
day Of November. a H. 1915. ol which
the killing of little owen Doris po-
CURED,
That al the Investigation of Tho
ere committee after he Aforesaid lu-
quest had taken place chief Jacob
Klein stated that he put new men ou
at the highland station and LETT tho
Instructions to the captain 90 sre that
the new men became proficient ana
that he, the chief supposed that the
captain did so but that no never I'M
~vestigated himself 20 find out whether
or not the captain had done 30.
"Geutiemcn cot the city Cou1Cil. Ia
view of ms knowledge as mayor, ui
the foregoing facts. ! feel that Jacob
Klein b. inefficient and an unsafe
man To- be chief pS the Rre depart
| meut OF the y.tt OF Albuquerque. ana
/ respectfully ask ;hc honorable citg
council 10 approve u confirm my
actions in the matter of the removal
OF Jacob Klein from the head Of the
fire department as chief and the APP
pointment OF Arthur q. Burtlcss 10
nll tho place AZ chief OF the IRE de-
purtmcnt OF the city of Albuquerque.
FIRE Committees Report.
The fire committees report leading
20 the removal OF Driver Reed. iul-
lows.
ITO the honorable mayor and city
council OF the Clty uI Athuqucrgu" y
NJ: We, the members of tie rIo CONF
mittoc of vour body. wish 60 submit
the following report
we have investigated h aN'i-
dent 20 the highland engine whlyh re-
suited In the killing of one owen Dor
ris on November ~, 1918 AMI would
refer TO YOU the record of the coroner
Investigation ana report
we ind thlt upon investigation
that there are some changes which We
believe are uecD sarv for tho best .n-
tercsta Of the department and the wal
fare OF the cits. Among these is the
~advlsahiIlty OF removing from th" de-
partmout OF W J.. Reed which We