Show CHIEF HILTON JOLTED Majority of Police Committee Decides De-cides Against Him 1 SIEFUS INTENDED WELL f STORY OF HOW H CHASED A STOLEN COAT 4 Majority of Committee Will Recommend Recom-mend to City Council McGintys Restoration Reminder of the RestoratonA te ExChiefs Watch Charm Accused Ac-cused Was Given Good Character Fourfifths of the committee on fire and police Chairman Howe dissenting last evening found Patrolman Slegfus not guilty of the charges of unofiieer like conduct and deceit preferred by Chief of Police Hilton and voted to recommend to the city council the reinstatement re-instatement of the dismissed officer This decision was reached after much hesitation as the evidence was very conflicting From the fact that neither Chief Hilton Hil-ton nor Patrolman Slegfus evinced any bitterness of feeling toward each other the majority of the committee concluded con-cluded that the officers reinstatement on the force would not endanger the maintenance of police discipline Patrolman Pa-trolman Siegfus unblemished record as an honest efficient and dutiful peace officer for the past nine and a half years weighed heavily In his favor and Councilmen Allen Fernstrom Buckle and Robertson were loth to blast his character when the evidence in the case afforded a reasonable doubt as to his guilt of wrongdoing or evil intentions Overruling the Chief The four members also appreciated the seriousness of overruling Chief Hilton ton but on the conviction that there was probably a misapprehension on the chiefs part of the policemans motives and that the officer had acted indiscreetly indis-creetly but from good motives the majority of the committee resolved all doubts in favor of the accused Chairman Howe took the position that Siegfus did not tell the truth when he declared he had Information from a stranger that an overcoat similar sim-ilar to the missing one was offered for sale at the Rio Grande Western depot The chairman expressed the belief that the stranger was a mythical person and in his opinion the reversal of Chief Hiltons order would Impair the standard of discipline in the police department de-partment polce le More Testimony Taken The hearing last evening was taken up where the committee left off Thurs day night the adjournment being taken to afford Slegfus an opportunity to prove by Desk Sergeant Smith Patrolmen Pa-trolmen Davies and Simpson and Detective De-tective Sheets that he had reported to them his discovery of the Hopkins overcoat Both Smith and Davies failed to remember the circumstance as alleged al-leged by Siegfus and Davies testimon was contradictory in matters of detail de-tail The testimony of Detective Sheets was helpful to McGinty Sheets stated that the accused officer told him he had located the stolen overcoat in Shapiros pawnship and on this information infor-mation the detective and the chief went and recovered I Officer Simpson corroborated Siegfus contention that he had also told him of locating the fur garment Chief Hiltons grievances were that Siegfus had withheld the Information from him of locating the coat failed to produce the stranger who was giving giv-ing pointers on another stolen overcoat went to Mr Hopkins to inquire if he would reimburse the pawnbroker if the coat were offered in pawn and that he advised the broker to secure it by a loan of money The chief also maintained main-tained that if the accused did all these things with dishonest Intent he is not a fit policeman and if his intentions were good he is not smart enough to serve in the department Previous to this however he regarded Siegfus as a capable and reliable policeman Siegfus justified his methods by declaring de-claring he wanted to make sure of restoring re-storing the stolen coat to the owner and catching the thief who is now in jail He declared he looked for the chief to report his discovery but fail ing to find him on the night in ques tion he reported the finding of the coat in the pawnshop to four of his fellow officersA A Reminder of Pratt During the hearing a statement was made by the chief denying that he had said Mayor Clark urged him to get rid of Siegfus but after consultation with the mayor he concurred in the opinion that the accused should be dismissed from the force Chief Hilton also denounced de-nounced as false the report that he was punishing Siegfus for not contributing S3 to the fund raised last April to buy exChief Pratt a souvenir watch charm Patrolman Slegfus expressed regret that such a rumor had gained currency It had not originated from him and was calculated to prjudice his case |