Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-01-31
E. z. GROSS, OUT
FOR MAYORALTY,
HITS AT KEISTER
Attack by City Commissioner
Is Unwarranted, Says
Chief Executive

Mayor Keister yesterday re-
fused to discuss the political aspect
of the attack of E. u. Gross. city
Commissioner, who Wednesday night
slammed the police department for
what he alleged to be the failure
to round up persons who turn in
false alarms.
Gross is quoted as saying that the
police department 'let the matter
take its own course. as it does with
the other things brought to its at
tention."
Mayor Keister said that the state
lnent is unwarranted. and that the
facts in the case show Gross to have
spoken without knowing what he
was talking about. He said the po-
lice records would show that arrests
have been made on the charge OF
turning in false alarms. The records
show that the last arrest was made
October 9. The Mayor said few
minutes after that arrest was made,
another false alarm was turned in
and that his police have been on the
watch ever since to apprehend such
disorderly characters. He admitted
no, one has been arrested on the
charge since. and added that it is
tenders.
The rumor is current among the
policemen at the Mayors office. and
on the streets. the Mayors friends
say, that Gross wants to discredit
the Mayor so as to give his own
campaign for the Mayoralty bet
ter impetus. The Mayor refused to
comment upon this aspect of the
case. merely reiterating that Gross
attack was unwarranteG in view of
the facts. -
Gross Slam
Commissioner Gross when he
learned of the Mayors statement
that he did not know the facts about
false alarms, said: Records of the
fire department show that since De-
cember IS there have been five false
alarms. Not one arrest has been
made. These alarms are turned in,
l believe, by mischievous youths.
from fourteen to about twenty years
of age.
''False alarms do not cost the city
so much to operate the fire appa-
ratus but they do endanger the lives
and property of the residents. Every
one knows that when a motor-driven
lire truck comes tearing down the
ly increased. Then. too, there is al
ways the danger of smashup be-
cause a few reckless drivers of other
vehicles will get in the way of the
approaching trucks. The firemen are
willing to do their best to save prop
erty. but il is certainly discouraging
10 run so many risks, be aroused at
all hours OF the night, race to box
and find that it is only a false
alarm.
Commissioner Gross made no COM
ment about his candidacy. He has
asked his friends for support, how
ever. and privately declared. that
his hat is in the ring
The Official Ring
Investigation of fire department
Is there have been five false alarms
as follow: December Is, evening,
Box Sc. Second and Dauphin streets;
morning of December %, RoX l3.
Race and Paxton streets, sos o'clock;
evenings of January 19, BOX 3, Wash
ington and River streets, 9.35
o'clock; January 16, Box IL, Race
and Hanna strets. 12.02 o'clock; jan
uary IS, Box PA, Fourteenth and
State street. 1852 o'clock.
Fire Chief John c. sskindler de-
clared that during the last few
months two and three false alarms
have bee nturned in, while a few
years ago there were seldom more
than that many in year. His only
remark about the situation was
Something should be done to stop ii.
l report the alarms to the police for
investigation"
keistcr Stands Pat
Mayor keister stands firm in his
determination to conduct no investi-
cation of the alleged irregularities
of the policemen and officials, as
charged by Theodore A. Magnelli,
the discharged policemen. He said
Masnelli's charges were only natur-
al. coming from a policeman who
was vindictive because of losing his
job.
In spite of this stand by the may
or. the opinion persists that the
charges must have Il foundation OF
fact behind them, and that thor
ough investigation TO prove them or
diSprove them. should We started al
once. 1t is generally felt that SO
many EuulOTS OL Il nasty CndTdClcT
have been prevalentn during the last
year and a half. that in justice 10
the conscientious members of the
force, they should be proved or dis
PEELED.
The charge of Councilman Gross
Chief Wetzel also denied. who de-
clared in proof of his defense of the
department that the three boys who
were arrested October 9 for turning
in a false alarm from the box al
Tent hand State streets. would be
given a hearing in Juvenile court this
week
Mr.. Gross is quoted as saying. so
far as I can remember. they Aave