Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-02-13
MAGNELLI CHARGES
ARE CLOSELY GUARDED
[Continued from First Page
Bihl and Robert Sucker, Magnell
and Schmehl.

I'M anu RopeTI SUCKER, MaSnelll
and Schmehl.
Reed objects
Solicitor Fox also read sections
of the Clark act which prohibits Of
ficers from accepting, dem anding,
or receiving any money as a re-
ward for their services other than
the salary provided by Council He
read other portions of the act, and
OF the civil service law passed in
1917 giving Council power to act
in cases where charges are prefer
red against any officers
When the Bihl hearing began Mr..
Reed objected to the general terms
used in the charges against him,
stating that he had no opportunity to
prepare defense because the in
formation made no specific allega-
ton about the misconduct
Mayor Keister was the first wit
ness called and after being sworn
by Mr.. BURNETT he told of the COM
plant which had been made about
Bill and Schmehl and the hearing
which was held at his office. Bihl
did not deny the charges which
Schmehl made against him but said
that he was grabbed by Schmehl at
a patrol box early one morning and
Schmehl warned him not to continue
calling names.
Chief of Police j. Edward Wetzel
testified that Schmehl came into his
office on the morning of January
II and said he could not stand BihEs
abuse any longer, telling about the
incident at the patrol box the night
before when he attempted to talk
to Bihl and the latter drew his club
and warned him to keep away. Af-
ter the disturbance in the basement
Chief Wetzel said Lieutenant j.
Frank Page called him by phone to
report 1t and then both Bill and
Schmehl We're ordered to appear be-
fore the Mayor for hearing.
Cross Examined
When ross-eXamined the chief
said Bihl charged Schmehl with ag-
gravated assault and battery and
horse stealing. Schmehl was called
to testify against Bihl and told the
commissioners he had repeatedly
been called Charlie Chaplin" and
a German spy by the officer. He
related his effort to ask Bihl to stop
this and the attempted attack the
latter made at headquarters. on
this occasion Bihl took off his over
coat and came over to the table at
which Schmehl was playing pinochle
and said "I'll lick you now YOU
Charlie Chaplin German spy."
Schmehl went upstairs and report
ed Bihls actions to Lieutenant
Page.
Officers Charles L. Anderson, 125
Washington street; John w. Hess.
52S Il Race street; Martin L. KEYS.
IA South River street, and o. w.
Carson, 344 Hummel street, who
were among those in the basement
at the time Bihl threatened Schmehl.
gave similar evidence corroborating
Schmehls account.
Bihl, in defense, fixed all the in
cidents about week before the
him-on or about January 22-tell.
time stated in the charge against
ing Council that the trouble in the
basement occurred January Is. He
explained that he only intended to
kid Schmehl. but that the latter
took it seriously and got mad"
KNOCK His Ears or,
Bihis testimony in part was:
when 'Schmehl came up to ms
about o'clock in the morning he
grabbed me and told me this kid
ding had to stop. l told him tn &c
away or I'd knock his ears off. Ia
ter, / don't know just which eveninp
| it was, down in the basement. I saw
J Schmehl and it made me red headed
to have a kid who just came on q
district talk to me like he did. and
went up to him and said, Come
on; my job is worth as much to me
as yours is to you.
Il didn't charge him with horse.
stealing or call him a German snv
L preferred a charge of assault and
battery against him 10 the Chic:
and the Chief said see the Mayor
the Mayor told me the Chief was
the one who should hear the
! charge"
When Solicitor Fox .ndeavored te
get Bihl to say openly that his in.
| tention in taking off his coat and
approaching Schmehl in the base.
ntcnt at headquarters was to sta
a fight. Bihl evaded the question.
until finally he saidC "Of course. ]
would have scrapped with him,
] pulled my coat off to fight"
Fox Asks Questions
Mr.. Fox then said: You knew Il
, was your duty as police officer tc
preserve peace and order. You tool
an oath when you became an office,
to do so. and you knew at the timf
that you tried to start this fight thai
you had taken such an oath. Sun.
pose Schmehl would have fought
what would have happened
I'VE would have had fight" Bib
replied.
you had revolver. didn'
you?"
Yes, but I don't know whethe,
it was loaded"
| "You didn't regard what mich
have happened if in the heat of pas
/
did you?"
! Bill did not answer the question
It's Got to Stop
| Curtis Il. Banks 1333 WaIlact