[Hosea Stout Diary] Saturday January 30th 1847. This morning I got up at one oclock and went on guard with the Marshall. We went to W. Woodruffs and the policeman who was to have been there the latter part of the night failing to come, we stood guard there till day light.
We had suspected for some time that this policeman did not attend to his duty, for some of the others had often reported that he was not to be found on duty for four nights in succession, (when on this post). We now knew for ourselves that he was delinquent and that too at a post where he was to protect one of the Twelve, whose life he well knew was threatened by Jos F. Herring. After day light we came home & after breakfast, we went & reported the matter to President Young & he advised us to deal with him & if he did not abide what we done to bring it before the Council.
The remaining part of the day I spent as usual regulating the guard in the mein time.
At dark the Marshall & the delinquent policeman, spoken of met at my house & we sat on his case. He confessed to the delinquency somewhat as had been reported to us but notwithstanding he plad innocence & ignorance & thought with all that he was a first rate fellow. We, however, dealt with him different from what he expected, for he thought that a confession & a promise to do better & at the same time saying that he was the best kind of a fellow, would be a sufficient attonement on his part for leaving Br W. Woodruff unprotected & at the same time draw pay for not being there.
We told him that he must be droped from the police, and all his wages not paid, be forfeited, which was the lightest decision which we could give & if he could not abide that he could have it investigated before the Council and abide their decision be that better or worse.
He however agreed to abide ours
The arrearages on his pay was 19.75 which we considered a sufficient penalty withal to be afflicted on this case. His name I shall with hold for I do not wish him further injured if he does well & is true hereafter.
[source: Diaries of Hosea Stout]
No comments:
Post a Comment