Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1918-01-03
TAXPAYERS STAND BY
irwin AND UPTON
Warm Hearing Before the County
Commissioners Here To-day.
REMOVED FROM THE FORCE.
Former Police Officers to Prefer
Charges Against Mr.. @iIkersoD,
it is Understood.

The bitter feeling that has develop
ed between former Police Chief T. w
Irwin. and his assistant. John ". Up
/ ton OF the Fifth District police
force and Joseph NJ Wilkerson. the
County Commissioner from that Dis
I tricl, through the fact that both OF
them failed OF re-appointment by the
I County Commissioners ct a recent
meeting. was aired at an open hear
ing held before the Board of Com
missi0ners az the Court House this
morning
ID was not a hearing arranged at
the solicitation Of the two former
officials who were removed from the
force. bat demanded by large NUM-
Der OF taxpayers of the district. and
hey with several of the members in
tho large delegation that appeared
went after Commissioner Wilkerson
hammer and tongs Messrs. irwin
aud Upton demanded time and again
Of Mr. Wilkerson TO assign reason
why they were removed from tho
force
IL developed az the meeting last
week. when the appointments OF the
police officials were made, that Mr.
Wiikerson had declined 20 indorse
either of the two officials and the list
as approved by the district represen-
taiive passed the Board. the only op-
position being that Of President j. A.
walton Since that time. many OF the
most prominent taxpayers OF the dis
trict have been up in arms. and there
is a decided current OF ill-feeling
about the matter About the only
statement that Mr.. Wilkerson has
made In the premises. was that nc the
time the appointments were made
and that was that he indorsed Messrs.
John r. Helm0r and Howard Swope
as against Irwin and Upton for the
good OF the service. He uttered not
word when The repeated demands for
q reason for his action were made
and in course Of the hearing some
fiery words were said against Com
missioner Wilkerson u was strongly
limited that he is acting in cahoots
With.a lawless element of the district
and furthermore, it Is understood,
that former Chief Irwin contemplates
(preferring charges against the Com
missioner 10 also is said he will take
the matter before the next grand jury
of the county Among those in thc
delegation who addressed the Com
missioners and commended the faith
ful and efficient services rendered by
the two removed officers were James
s. Smith, a former President OF the
Board: James II. Fowler, former
police justice of the district, and
George Keenan,. one Of the largest
taxpayers OF the district. Mr. Fow-
Ter grew rather vehement in his re-
marks He said, among other things.
that the people Of the district are
Living I'm hell" and that Il Is an out
rage that the two men who had been
doing 80 much 10 suppress lawless-
ness should have been so summarily
tremoved from their positions. Messrs.
| irwin and Upton stated in fiery terms
| that they would not have the jobs
again regardless OF what action the
Commissioners might take, but that
they are simply seeking vindication
The hearing consumed more than an
hour and upon its conclusion, Presi-
dent Walton announced that the
Board would give further eonsidera-
tion to the matter