Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-10-17
but that he intends to get at he
facts in connection with the riots.
Favors Public Hearing.

but that he intends to get at he
facts in connection with the riots.
Favors Public Hearing.
Addressing the city council, the
governors representative said: II
am not here to dictate to this city
council. nor to invade your prov
ince. | am here to represent the
governor and to report back to him
on the conduct of public officials
during the time of the riot. The
governor believes that a public hear
ing should be held. If you will hold
a public i, vestigation and will allow
The governors representative to take
part in the same, / believe sucn &C
ton would satisfy the governor and
would avoid duplication of effort.
Il feel that the governor would
not be satisfied with public hear
ing in which his representative did
not participate. I have no author
ity to summon witnesses, but this
council has such authority. 1t may
be wise to defer this hearing until
after the grand jury has concluded
its deliberations.
II believe that the governor is de-
sirous of knowing in the early flu
ture whether or not this council is
going to hold a public hearing, or
| whether it will be necessary for him
to hold an independent investiga-
ton"
Owing to the absence Of Commits
sioner Zimman and Acting Mayor
| IRE from the council meeting yes
| terday, it was agreed that decision
on Mr.. Wilson's proposition should
be deferred until Friday afternoon,
when the council will meet to hear
charges against William Coulter,
policeman, who was on riot duty
at the court house.
Police Commissioner Ringer sug-
gested that the city legal department.
should be consulted as to what
authority the city council has in
holding an investigation.
Don't Need Authority.
1T is not necessary to ask the
city legal department what authori-
ty this council has to investigate
the police department" replied
Commissioner Butler, who an
nounced that he did not intend to
allow his Eberstein resolution to
60 by default.
Il intend to offer another resolu-
ton" added Butler, ito cover an
investigation of the whole police
department."
Commissioner Ringer is opposed
to holding a police department in
vestigation until after the grand
| jury has completed its work.
Opposed 1.-TWO Shows"
"The grand jury may cover the
whole ground" said Mr.. Ringer.
1--WE can't hold two shows at the
same time. The grand jury is now
considering matters in connection
with the police department and the
police department is doing all that
lit can to obtain evidence. for the
grand jury. certainly think that
any investigation the council will
hold should be put off until after
the grand jury makes its report"
Mr.. Wilson explained that while
his particular mission here is to in
vestigate the conduct of police Off
Gals in connection with the riot, his
scope of action will be broad enough
to include all matters which may be
more or less directly connected with
the riot and events leading up to
that tragic affair.
this investigation in particular
manner. During the Saturday after
noon following the Sunday of the
riots Governor McKelvie told the
city commissioners in executive con-
ference at the Hotel Fontenelle, that
he believed the removal of Chief
Eberstein was necessary, and in
fact he urged the chiefs removal.
He furthermore told the city Off
Gals that unless they acted, he
would act.
He returned to Omaha last week
and stated that he did not want to
coerce the Omaha city commission
ers, but intimated that he would
start an investigation on his own ac-
count to cover the Eberstein situa-
| ton and any other matters in con-
nection with the riots.
Will Make Report.
The action of Governor McKelvie
in connection with Chief of Police
Eberstein will depend on the report
| which will be made by Mr.. Wilson,
who has been appointed by the gov
ernor for this special work.
Mr.. Wilson told City Commission
er Butler yesterday afternoon that
he expected to attend the proposed
hearing of Chief Eberstein before
the city council, this hearing hav-
| ing been urged by Mr.. Butler in a
! resolution which he offered to the
city council last week and which
will be made special order of bust
ness before the city council commit
tee of the whole this morning.
The governors special investiga-
tor said he believed that he might
obtain valuable information at such
a hearing, adding that he was after
all of the facts that he could gather
bearing on the general situation.
Protest "Outside Interference"
In offering his Eberstein resolu-
ton Mr.. Butler stated that he
thought it would be better for the
city council to take action before
Outside interference" was started.
All of the city commissioners un-
derstand that this outside interior
ence" means action by the COVER
nor, and it now appears that the in
vestigation which has been ordered
by the governor may develop into
shake-up for the Omaha police ad-
minstration.
| Governor McKelvie's public
statement issued few days after
the court house affair, was in tone
rather condemnatory of Omaha po-
lice protection, for he limited that
Omaha should wash its clothes in
its own backward"