Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-01-28

oNOiS 'iiiOl ICCelNtu at
| the hearing:
About year ago Meyer was called
to his barn late at night, and found
Patrolmen Magnelli and Schmehl,
there, with the information that they
had recovered one of his horses
| which they had found in the street.
While they were restoring it to the
| barn, it is said, another horse of
! Meyers escaped and Schmehl re-
covered it. Meyer invited them into
the house, and declared that Schmehl
said suggestively:
Meyers Story
| Just look at the dirt I got on
| these clothes! TIN take five dollars
to get it cleaned"
They were just trying to pull my
leg for five dollars, "he exclaimed
at the hearing, II gave them each
| thirty cents, and they took it." Then
he told the mayor he thought the
| policemen were paid for doing their
duty and did not require extra
! awards.
Patrolman Hicks testified that his
wife wakened him that night, and
declared that she had heard q
horse racing up and down Swatara
streets during the night. He went
| w NiO NihdOW " ihNtSlIBate, ana
testified he saw two patrolmen riding
| one horse, but could not identify
them. Residents stated they heard
the horse racing all over the hill
during the night. Meyer said it was
badly done up when returned. The
suspicion that the men stole the
horse for q ride was advanced
| Cause For Amusement
Magnelli declared he found the
horse at Twenty first and Derry
streets, and was taking it to the
mayors office when he met Patrol
man Schmehl. When they came to
twentieth street, the horse turned
and found its way to the barn, Mag
nellt said The other horse escaped
and Schmehl recovered it He said
they went into the house, and Mover
onered them thirty cents, which
Magnelli at first refused to take. He
admitted Schmehl had make the
remark concerning the cost of re-
pairs to his uniform, but said it was
not intended as a hint to Mover.
The affair caused considerable
amusement around the police station
for months, and then was forgotten
until the unpleasantness of the past
two or three months among a few
members of the police force Gull
minated last week in u charge of
morse theft against Schmehl, which
resulted In the graft charges and
the request for the dismissal
Petty Bickcring
1t is said Patrolman Zimmerman.
who was included in Magnelli's list
OF the men who should be tried by
the Mayor for drinking while in uni
form, and when the Mayor said he
mad tried and reprimanded, joking
ly accused Schmehl of stealing q.
horse, referring to the long for
gotten incident of last year. Patrol
man Bihl picked up the pickering
and carried it to a point where it
grew offensive to Schmehl, it is said.
1 AS result they became enemies,
and it is said, Bihl called Schmehl
a German spy in public, and ac-
cused him of looking like Charlie
Chaplain. Schmehl said he approach
ed Bihl at the box from which they
were reporting a couple of weeks
ago, and when he would talk it over.
Bihl walked away. FIe said he laid
his hand on Bills arm to restrain
him, and Bihl drew his blackjack.
The affair did not materialize into
a fight, but the great amount of III
feeling that was prevalent crystalliz-
ed at evening roll call last week
when, without apparent warning,
one of the men whipped off his
coat, and Bihl accused Schmehl of
horse stealing" When the matter
was reported to the Mayor, he de-
clared such a charge should be in
vestigated. Schmehl and Bihl were
called before him, the whole story
was recited, Magnelli was called in
as O witness, Meyer was summoned
to bring information, and at the
hearing last Friday the Mayor learn
ed for the first time of the episode
of the horse, which at the time and
for months afterwards was so COM
monty bruited about that reference
to 1.-The Old Gray Mare, recalled
the familiar facts of the evenings s
escapade to also anyone familiar
with police affairs. So that the orr
ginal cause of the hearing was
shadowedf under the graft charges
which grew out of it.
The Mayors Decision
The Mayer held over his decision
until yesterday afternoon at o'clock
and then informed the two patrol
men. Magnelli and Schmehl, that he
would appreciate their resignation,
on the grounds of Meyers charge
that they took thirty cents each for
the performance of their duty.
Both men refused to resign. Then
followed the sensational charges or
Magnelli, which he repeated TINS
morning. and to which he added his
threat that other and more serious
charges would follow. The whole
AFFAIR is a result of the pickering
contests between two OF the oth-
GERS which the Mayor at the time
of his assumption of police reins
declared hampered the efficiency OF
the department.
BIackmail Charged
Magnelli and his friends had
number of grievances which they
told of to-day. Their principle one
supporting their claim that othel
members of the force receive none!
that constitutes graft, is directed
against a Harrisburg detective
whom they charge not only with
graft. but also blackmail upon q
senator. 1t Is said that the Senator
came here on spree" and his
wife notified the police department
The detective found the Senator a,
Market street hoteI, it is said, ano
upon his own initiative took him &c
Chester. where 1t is charged ne
levied $40 automobile hire and 9
5000 detective fee on the Senator
He reported to the captain OF police
, sv telephone and was reprimandec
for taking the Senator to chester
| rather than taking him to the office
J of the police here as he should have
} done. 1t is further charged ther
: -. ~ ,l,ort Tim O later the detective