The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1921-05-05
CHIEF ALLEN
REINSTATED
ON PROBATION
Suspension of 0. E. Virgins Made
Permanent-Long Drawn Out
Hearing Last Night

The city commissioner, Wednesday
evening reinstutcd +. p. Allen as
chief OF police. hut put him on proha-
ZION, while the suspension of O. +.
Virgins former police lieutenant,
was made permanent The decision
was reached at about 1880.
The case ui OFFICER Virgins was
heard first. He was accused by ". W
Lacey OF having kicked him twice and
showing him violently from the :ir..
department entrance 10 the city hall
when he found him comforting with =
negro prisoner from whom he had
just received wa.ch which the negro
wanted him 10 pawn This matter. ii
was brought out. had already been
brought up both in the city court and
before the commissioners and the cf-
ficers acquitted in both instances for
lack Of evidence
Charles Harmling. Guy Arendell and
OFFICER \. H. HUfhan all testified that
they were near the entrance referred
20 on this occasion and did not sea
or hear anythngn unusual. although
Mr. Lacey was seen to leave the
building.
Officer Virgins denied using Yio-
lenct and cantended that he was
within his rights in putting out a
stranger whom he found conferrine
with a prisoner.
CHIEF Al en-. testifying for Lieut.
Virgins, stated that since coming on
the force July Is. 1920, he had made
1888 arrests. which returned to the
city. $3,11o.5o. and paid tribute Ia
sir. Virgins as an officer. He re-
viewed several complaints said ia
have been made against Mr.. Virgins
defending him On each count and stat
ing that these matters had all been
passed IN by the commits sioners al.
ready.
Mayor Thompson Went into detail
in regard TO his charges against CHIEF
Allen and the circumstances that led
to his making them alleging that he
found upon personal investigation
that gambling and drinking joints
were running wide open. Anyone
CCu.d have caught them. declared
Mir. Thompson He stated that follow
ing his first raid on Johnson place
the negro called on him and offered
W. MS CIV SihC anu lLiGil VI SSNtid
ether alleged negro gambling opera.
tors to bride the official
Chief Allen in answer said that
when he came to Lakeland he found
inadequate laws both on gambling
and Illicit liquor and that he himself
had insisted on an Improvement il
these laws that would make convic.
ton possible. His main contention
was that he had been refused negro
potter which he says is absolutely
necessary in order To properly handle
the matter of negro joints He stat.
Cd that in his fifteen months as the
Lakeland chief. he had pulled Lon
ME Johnson's place for gambling six
times and had each time searched II
fer liquor without finding any, and
that he had pulled the other Joint.
referred to a corresponding number
of times. He accused Mr. Thompson
OF withho ding Information from him
regarding the alleged complaints. He
stated that III his fifteen months Of of.
ice he had had 2j0 gambling cases
and 5S liquor cases: that he has moi
had suthCient force to maintain
beats nor the ro'ice boxes necessary
Tor this, and compared the Lake anu
police department with that of Or.
lando. which he says has a total OF
eleven men
u. o. Rogers spoke for Chief Allen
and adopted placatory tone sayin-