Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1917-12-28
IRWIN DROPPED AS
CHIEF IN BROOKL YN
Police Head Is Succeeded by John
Helmar-Upton Also Loses
PRESIDENT WALTON OPPOSED
0nly Member Of Board Who Took
Stand Against Dropping
Chief Irwin.


A feud that has been devolping in
the political affairs of the Fifth Dis
trict OF Anne Arundel County during
| the las: several months, reached a
climax yesterday when the Anne
Arundel County Commissioners de-
clined to re-appoint Thomas W. Ir-
win, Of Brooklyn, as chief of the po-
lice force Of the district, as well as
his assistant. e. B. Upton. John p
Helmer and Howard Swope. who had
been serving in the capacity of
patrolmen. were named chief and as
sistant chief, respectively. in their
| stead.
I. The Commissioners re-appointed all
of the other police officials of the dis
trict as we'll as other sections of the
county. and the two vacancies created
by the elevation of Helmer and Upton
were. filled by the election of J. b.
| Merkle and Stephen A. Schelezki
The other police officials for the Fifth
! District, who have jurisdiction over
| Curtis Bay, Brooklyn, and other con-
| tiguous sections, who were reap
pointed were: Patrolman G. F. Nc
Donald. ]. T. Sheppard, William
MUIR, Frank Hasse, August REM
mers and William F. Arnold Henry
Wade was re-appointed patrolman for
Glen Burnie, and Grafton Robinson as
a special officer to patrol county
road near Curtis Greek. The Com
missioners also re-appointed Samuel
Jones as patrolman for Eastport, and
James A. Crawford for Germantown.
There are various reports as to the
| reasons for the throw down" given
former Chief Irwin and his assistant
One concerns the activities the former
chief had shown against liquor law
violators during the past year, result
ing in the prosecution and assess
ment of fines against number OF
/ saloonkeepers during the late tarm
Of the October Court.
There have been various reports of
political disaffection among the dis
trics leaders and those of other sec
tions of the county, and this may
have had something to do with the
action
When the matter of the appoint
ments came before the Commission
ers, the list of the officials to be
named was presented by Commits
sioner Wilkerson, of the district in
question Commissioner Webb made
motion that the list be approved
| This was seconded by Commissioner
Myers No yea and nay vote was
taken, so the slate went through. II
is known, however. that Mr. James A
Walton the Commissioner represent
ing Annapolis, and President of the
Board, was the only member who OPP
posed the dropping Of Chief Irwin.
Chief Irwin, who has been in bed
for the past few days. suffering with
ptomaine poisoning. was little wor
ried when told he had been ousted
However, he was very bitter toward
Commissioner Wilkerson, at whose
door he lays the blame for his dis
missal. 'sWilkerson,' Chief Irwin
said, has fired the first gun. I'm not
prepared to shoot now, but / soon
will be and when l do there's going
to be a big stir-up around these
parts"
The residents of the Fifth district
were up in arms about the change
which they attribute to Chief Irwin
being "too active 1t was stated
that the county had again gotten un-
der the control of the saloonkeepers
and that it was only question: of q
| few months when Brooklyn and Cur
tis Bay will again on Sundays be
havens for Baltimore's thirsty.
In a letter received from Mr.. John
S. Doyle, District Engineer OF the
War Department. notice is given the
| county officials that January has
been fixed as the date for the public
hearing on the question of the re-
location of the draw works of the
bridge across Curtis Creek, in the
Fifth District The hearing will be
! held in Room 300 of the Custom
House, Baltimore. at o'clock in the
| afternoon The relocation Of the
draw of this bridge is desired in order
to permit the passage of vessels of
ocean-going size. as number Of big
industrial plants are located in the
upper part of the creek.
Mr.. S. Ogle Tilghman, Clerk to the
Board. submitted his report showing
the proportionate rate Of taxes ex-
pended from July l to December 1,
as follows:
| First District, 12 cents on the 800:
Second District. 20 cents; Third Dis
trict, % cents; Fourth District. "a
cents; Fifth District. 42 cents I:
Eighth District. 1-2 cents: general