The weekly tribune and the Cape County herald. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1914-1918, 1916-01-21
KEYS sues CITY
and WHITENER
FOR $4,000 EACH
Officer Says Federal Grand
Jury Will Hear His COun-
ter Charges.
OPERATOR ALLEGES
FALSE IMPRISONMENT
Attorney Urges PatroIman's Dis
missal-kage Laughs
At Suit.

Almost simultaneous with the fling
of two $4,000 damage suits by John NJ.
Keys, night operator ut the Western
Union Telegraph office. one against the
city and the other against PatrOlman
Arthur c. Whitencr, the latter an
ncanced that he will lay information
before the next Federal Grand Jury
that will involve Keys in 4 grave
charge.
The damage suits were filed in the
Court of Common Pleas at 4 few min
utes before o'clock yesterday aft
ernoon, and both charge that Keys
was falsely arrested and imprisoned
last Sunday morning. when Patrolman
Whitcner placed him in Jail.
The suits are based on Keys release
when tried Monday before a Jury.
Whitcncr found Keys in the alley back
Of the Western Union Office early
that morning and when he inquired
Of linn what he was doing the officer
told the court, the operator cursed
him. In the melee that followed, Keys
gave up and was escorted to jail.
Where he was held till about . o'clock
that morning.
Keys testified that he was trying the
rear door of the telegraph office, be
fore going home, when accosted by
the officer and he said he remarked
that it was none Of the officers bust
ness, what he was doing.
The suits were filed by Harry Alex
an&er, attorney for Keys.
After the suits had been filed, it
vas learned that Alexander had urged
the Mayor to dismiss Patrolman
Whitcncr from the police force. In
the conversation between Alexander
and Mayor Kage, when the former
brought that subject up, the Mayor re-
manned non-committ"l.
Last night, however, he indicated
his position with Tcfcrrecc to Patrol
man Whitener's place on the police
force by telling details of similar
conversation the Mayor had with Chief
Hutson subsequent to the publication
of Whitener's open charges against
the chief of Dartialjty having been
shown TO other men on the force.
The Chief told the Mayor that he. as
chief, contemplated asking Whitener
for his resignation.
The Mayor told the Chief that he
could go ahead and do as ne thought
best, but that he gave warning that
he would ask for a few designations
himself in that event
Hutson, at that iuncture, appealed
to the Mayor for a suggestion as to
how to settle the internal feud that had
become apparent in the police depart
ment.
The Mayor told HutsOn that HutsOn
had been elected marshal, but that the
Md VI : itS tSpJIlSiDiiity NONtitu bll'
whole department. He then suggest
ed the get-together meeting that was
held in the Council chamber at the
courthouse, when 4 peace treaty ended
the feud The Mayor last night declar-
ed that the police department has been
working in better harmony since that
session than ever before.
He treated the suit of Mr.. Keys
against the city as a Joke and declared
the City will defend itself to the limit.
Members of the City Council last
night, when told of the suit against
the City and PatrOlman Whitener, said
they will investigate to learn what are
the powers of the Council toward hav-
ing the City Counselor defend the
suit against Whitener.