Show FJRE AND POLICE BOARD THE WELCh CASE WILL COME UH TOXIGIIT r rile Fireman Has it Strong Defense ills Record While He AVn Con nceted with the Department At tonights session of the fire and police commission the trial of Driver Welch < will be the feature The latter has a strong defense to make and will doubtless make matters very interesting for the chief of the fire department Should the decision so against him it is expected that the facts ha will cause toi be presented will be of such a nature as to justify an appeal to the courts Some time ago the board > was notified by defendants counsel that Welch was entitled to a hearing and demanded the fcarrfe and this hearing has been granted him An article was published in the Tribune in which Chief Devina stated that Mr Welch was an incompetent incompet-ent man to hold the position that he was assigned when on the force ThoSe who have known Welch personally for a number num-ber of years ami during which time he has done nothing else but handle horses say he is as competent a horseman aa any man in the territory He drove for the government for six years under General Cook and General Brooks and if he was incompetent he could not have held that position He drove In the Salt Lake city lire department for about three years and during said time he averted what might have been two or three very severe se-vere accidents one of iwfcich Is cited When crossing Alain street string to afire a-fire about two years ago the seat on the honk and ladder truck broke with him and he was thrown forward on the tongue and under the horses feet He did not get excited as many would but retained his good judgment and held to the tongue with one hand and managed to stop his team with the other while at the same time the horses < were kicking him Mr Welch was foreman for Mark Mr Kimmins in the livery business in this city He was foreman and general manager man-ager for O D Marx in the livery business busi-ness at Evanston Wyo He was also acting foreman for Air ilulloy of this cty in the Gurney cab business Welch passed a firstclass examination before the examining physicians and was confirmed by request of Mr Device If he was incompetent why did he ask his confirmation That Is the question waxen Welchs friends are asking The general opinion of the latter is that Mr Welch is a good and reliable horseman horse-man and competent in every respect to drive or handle any horses in the fire detriment de-triment or any other place When 1rs he department the horses which ha drove were the pride of the city |