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Show 1 CSPT. RQBT, BUM IS DISMISSED FROM PDLIGE FORGE Captain Robert Burk of the police department, veteran officer of seventeen seven-teen years' experience, eight years as a uniformed and mounted patrolman, eight years as detective and one year aB captain of detectives, late yesterday afternoon was summarily dismissed from police service by Chief of Police T. E. Browning, presumably on the order of Mayor Abbot R. Hoywood, without a word of explanation as to the cause. Several days ago, after the discharge of Sergeant Fitzgerald by Mayor Hey wood, a Standard representative asked the mayor whether two other men, or any other man, was slated for dismissal. dismis-sal. He was told that Captain Burk and Desk Sergeant Barlow Wilson wero reported to be slated for dismissal. dis-missal. He replied that, as far as he know, no other man was to go. Another Man to Go. When reminded today of this statement, state-ment, Mayor Hcywood said he had no recollection of it He was asked, in the presence of the full commissidn. whether any other officer was slated for discharge. Pie proved by Commissioner Commis-sioner Miles L. Jones that Sergeant Barlow Wilson had npt beon named, and then he said, "I will say, however, how-ever, that one other man Is to go " He refused to name the man. "Why did you 'fire' Captain Burk'" the mayor was asked. The mayor replied that Captain Burk was warned by himself "at least a year ago" that "harmony" had to be maintained; that Captain Burk had somehow got out of harmony with Chief Browning and It was necessary to maintain the "esprit dc corps." As to Honesty and Efficiency. "Do you know anything, either actual ac-tual or by hearsay, reflecting upon the honesty and integrity of cither Sergeant Ser-geant Fitzgerald or Captain Burk?" he was asked. The mayor renlied nositivelv that both Fitzgerald and Burk were men of strong character and unimpeachable unimpeach-able integrity, as far as he knew. They had been discharged, he said, for "harmony" reasons. This question was asked: "Now that the Chez initiative law is in effect, since May 8, and there is a very general gen-eral demand for protection of policemen police-men and firemen, especially of men who have had an honorable record extending ex-tending through years, would you, as head of the safety committee, oppose or support an initiative petition for a special election to establish In Ogden a civil service system designed to ns-sure ns-sure loyalty to the public and efficiency efficien-cy in the performance of duty? You know, of course, that Sergeant Fitzgerald Fitz-gerald went to Salt Lake during the session of the legislature to urge, in behalf of himself, the chief and the fire and police departments, the passage pas-sage of the Chez civil service bill. What do you think about it9" Tho mayor replied he did not know that Sergeant Fitzgerald went to Salt Lake on any such mission. He said he desired to reserve judgment on the question; that it required further analysis anal-ysis and investigation. Mentions Grand Jury. In his explanation of the "shake-up" in the police department, Mayor Hey-wood Hey-wood did not make clear his reasons for discharging Fitzgerald and Burk, but he mentioned the grand iurv and what he called tho clannish propensity propen-sity of police officers. The mayor was asked this question: "Is it true that a certain gambling outfit, out-fit, operating during the carnival in June last year, set up the defense when tried in Judge Barker's court, after the arrests by Captain Burk, that they were given special privileges to conduct their game?" The mayor replied he was away about that time, but his recollection was that the chief had answered the charge. Capt. Burk claims tho carnival people claimed to be operating under un-der special privilege and that he stopped stop-ped the game because young boys were victims. Farr to Take Action. Captain Burk stated todav that he knew very well why he "was discharged dis-charged and knew the secret would come out. He declined to talk further. fur-ther. Incidentally, Captain Burk exhibited ex-hibited several receipts showing that ho has been paying 2 per cent of his salary on the "last campaign fund," which same still is being paid presumably pre-sumably by all the members of tho police po-lice and fire departments. Informed of this fund, County Attorney Attor-ney Charles L. Farr said: "I shall Investigate Immediately today to-day to find out whether the rospon- siDie cuy oinciais are liable to prosecution prose-cution under the now corrupt practices prac-tices act. Ethically it is absolutely bad. It is my purpose to determine whether tho alleged offenses are of a date recent enough to permit me to file complaintB in the district court." How Burk Was "Fired." Speaking of his discharge today, Captain Burk said: "Chief Browning called me into his office late yesterday afternoon. He seemed at first at a loss as to what he wanted to say. Finally he requested request-ed my resignation. I replied I was not willing to resign without being shown sufficient reasons for the request. The chief replied 'Well, the mayor and I have decided to make a few changes. Mohlman was acquitted by the grand jury and you know you two can't work together in harmony.' "I replied: 'I can work with anybody any-body who is straight and square Mohlman wasn't acquitted, anyway, by the grand jury for what he was reduced re-duced to the ranks several months ago. Why do you want me to quit? I think, as a man, you should tell me if you have anything on me. and I would like to know. I'm not talking to hold the lob. hut T h.iva nfivor rlnn anything to be ashamed of and don't want to leave the servico under a cloud.' The chief replied he had no reason .to give for my discharge, but admitted he had never had any criticism criti-cism of my work or character.' Captain Burk entered the police service ser-vice under Chief John Conlisk and since then has served through the first terms of the present chief, Thomas E. Browning, and one term of W. I. Norton as patrolman and detective and was made captain of detectives by Chief Browning shortly after the beginning be-ginning of his present term. Chief of Police Browning this afternoon after-noon declared he had no desire to en- ter into a controversy over tho dismissal dis-missal of Captain Burk; that he had nothing to say. , J |