The Policeman and the Crow
A city police officer is dismissed from the force after firing his revolver within city limits to shoot at a crow, leading to a disciplinary hearing.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
At the meeting of the board of police commissioners, the rule was laid down that any officer guilty of disrespectful language to the chief or brother officers would not be allowed to remain on the force. The board took up the charge against L. T. Stevens for firing a revolver within city limits. Stevens pleaded guilty, explaining that he had been challenged by his brother regarding his marksmanship and had fired at a crow on the road below the transfer yard. The mayor commented that he ought to be fired for not killing the crow. Commissioner Wallingford also mentioned reports that the officer had been seen wearing his star in a dance house, which Stevens denied. Chief Jackson noted that Stevens had previously been cited for disrespectful language. Consequently, the board voted to dismiss him from the force.
“The mayor said he ought to be fired for not killing the crow.”
Public oversight of police conduct is a timeless civic theme. The board's focus on an officer's behavior—both on the job and in 'dance houses'—mirrors the enduring tension between personal conduct and public authority in municipal policing.
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