The Fire Chief Who Wouldn't Take Orders

The fire department was in a heated state. J. J. Sullivan, who was appointed assistant chief by the fire commissioners at the special meeting Friday night, reported for duty, and Chief Allen flatly refused to acknowledge him. Sullivan asked if this was the way it was to be. Allen said that it was. This state of affairs may be taken to the courts for adjudication.

After the action of the fire commissioners in appointing Sullivan and saying he could go to work yesterday, he was on hand at the reported hour. There seemed to be some trouble about the chief's order about inviting Sullivan to go to work, and he told him to come around later in the day and the matter would be settled. At 5:30 in the evening Sullivan was there, and the chief told him he rejected him for duty.

'I cannot recognize you as a member of the department,' said Allen, 'because you resigned voluntarily and I accepted.'

'Do you refuse in the face of the authority of the fire commissioners?' asked Sullivan.

'No,' replied Allen, 'that I do not. I refuse to recognize you as a member of the fire department, and as such you are not a member.'

'Am I to understand,' said Sullivan, 'I will get this same answer every day?'

The chief replied that he would. Sullivan, after calling on Capt. Oldham and Driver Caldwell to witness what had taken place, retired.

When seen last night by a Post-Intelligencer reporter Sullivan said: 'I did not want to have any trouble over the matter, but as he had been appointed assistant chief of the fire department by the commissioners, and Jones, Kahaley and Anthony Meyer had said to me that I had to go to work at once, I was at a loss to understand Allen's action.'

Chief Allen said that he refused to allow Sullivan to go to work because he did not consider him a member of the department.