South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-10-12
DISMISS CHARGE
AGAINST LANE
Chief Peter Kline Concludes
Safety Board FiaSCo
Friday Night.

Charges Of characterization no
longer rest against Probation Omcer
Larry Lane. Chief Of police Peter
Kline, who filed the charges against
Mr.. Lane. no longer regards that
efficient officer as a deterrent to the
chiefs dignity or as a belligerent
member Of the South Bend police
department.
The same view OF Mr.. Lane is now
also held by the three members OF
the hoard OF public safety At their
meeting Friday night. held behind
closed doors. the board members
completely dropped the charges
against the probation officer.
Before the final action OF the
board in disposing of the insubordi-
nation charges against Mr.. Lane was
taken Friday evening. the latter CON
versed pleasantly with the chief in
that officials office The atmosphere
around the entrance to the safety
boards office and on into that OF the
chief resembled the atmospheric
conditions sometimes noticed Just
after a severe storm. In fact it was
the calm after the storm, and the
board members looked relieved after
they had disposed Of something that
had proved 20 be a little more than
they were able 10 handle. that is
handle in the way they wanted to
handle it.
Finally Drop Charges.
The board wanted 10 drop the
charges at its meeting week ago.
and il would have liked 10 drop
them at the meeting a week before
that, but like many persons who
pick up an unpleasant thing. they
sometimes didn't know just how TO
let go Of it,
But il is all over now. The board
members are relieved. This thing of
trying to hold secret sessions without
being I'm the least secret has a sort
of nerve racBing effect. and at least
two Of the members are said 10 have
somewhat shattered nerves. owing TO
the long strain they imposed upon
themselves.
At any rate. an efficient officer of
the South Bend police department
has weathered the storm of official
dignity. and anyway what Larry
Lane said TO Pete Kline in the sane
tum of the stairway leading down
into the desk sergeant's office on the
memorable occasion when Peters
dignity was so ferociously mangled,
was only heard by Peter and Larry
themselves and Peter has, promised
to forget it. Even his own transla-
ton of Larry's words. Peter has
promised TO forget along with what
Larry really said.
In the continuance of his duties as
member of the police department.
Mr.. Lane will continue 10 act in the
| capacity as probation officer. He
will, however, be under the direction
of the board Of safety while called
TO perform any duties not connected
with the city court The board evil
IDENTIFY believes that il can prevent a
recurrence of the late unpleasant
ness by protecting chief Kline's dig
nifty by taking supervision OF Mr..
Lanes spare time, if he has any. i'm
the performance of his probation Of
/ fcer's duties.
Further instructions were given by
the members of the board before ad-
| journment that no inkling as 20 the
character of the proceedings within
the sacred precincts of the meeting
must leak out. They warned their
/ secretary and they warned each
other not 20 tell And as far as any
body knows they haven't told. There
was no need Of telling.