50 years ago: City Council turns off the gas pump to O’Fallon’s police chief

Looking back at stories that appeared in the O’Fallon Progress 100, 75, and 50 years ago:

100 years ago, April 9, 1925

George H. Loeffler was seriously but not dangerously injured yesterday morning in a powder explosion in which he suffered serious burns on the right arm, face, shoulders and other parts of the body. Ed. Hasemann escaped with slight burns on the face in the same accident.

The men were engaged in cleaning up the premises at a new mine which Mr. Loeffler is sinking on the Devil’s Hole road near Caseyville. Loeffler picked up a powder keg which he believed was empty and started to take it to a rubbish pile.

While carrying the receptacle there was a loud explosion and flames leaped all about Loeffler, the greater portion of the explosion striking him on the right arm. Portions of clothing were burned from his body and Hasemann, who was working nearby, rushed to the man and assisted in extinguishing the flames which had ignited Loeffler’s clothing. Hasemann suffered burns when the contents of the can exploded.

Both men were immediately brought to this city for medical treatment.

75 years ago, April 6, 1950

Charles Cavins, 72-year-old building construction worker is in St. Elizabeth’s hospital, suffering with a probable fracture of the breast bone and severe chest bruises as the result of a fall, Friday.

Cavins was knocked from a scaffold at the Melvin McClung Service Station where an addition to the building is under construction.

With a rain coming up, he was assisting another workman in placing a temporary roof on the structure when a strong wind caught a piece of roofing which struck the man, causing him to lose his balance and fall to the ground, a distance of some 15 feet.

(McClung’s gas station was located at the northeast corner of Highway 50 and Lincoln Avenue in O’Fallon.)

50 years ago, April 10, 1975

O’Fallon Chief of Police Darwin Lehmann will no longer be allowed to use gasoline from the city pump for his personal car.

The City Council voted Monday night that the chief will be informed to turn in all out-of-pocket expenses he incurs while using his personal car on city business. The chief will be paid 10 cents per mile for mileage he logs on city business.

Alderman Robert Seipp, chairman of the Health and Safety Committee, at first had recommended that the chief be paid $40 per month for a car allowance but Alderman George Henken disagreed with the recommendation.

“We have a policy already for the expenses of city employees and I think the chief falls under that category. He should turn in an expense account like anyone else,” Henken said.

Henken said that the council has never turned down payment of the mileage for any legitimate expense and feels the chief would have no problem getting his expenses paid for either.

“We have the 10 cent a mile expense payment right now. Why don’t we just follow that?” Henken said.

Alderman Robert Lillie asked how the $40 figure for a car allowance was arrived at. Seipp stated that a survey was done of various cities relatively equal in size to O’Fallon. Seipp said that most other chiefs receive a car allowance for use of their personal car.

Mayor Gary Mackey said that the $40 car allowance was to be in effect until “something concrete can be worked out in negotiations.”

At the present time, City Engineer Dave Davis is the only city employee to receive a car allowance which is $30 per month.

Two weeks ago, the Progress pointed out that the chief of police was using city gasoline for use in his personal car. The chief stated that he received permission to use the gasoline from Seipp.

“The council should be made aware of things like this. The chief should have handed in an expense account for his mileage or come before the council to ask permission to use the gas. No one came before the council to state there was a problem with the chief’s gas situation or his high amount of mileage. How were we to know? Instead, we have to read it in the paper,” Henken said.

Alderman Cliff Joseph pointed out that the gasoline consumption by the city has varied at different times with no explanation.

“During a short month there has been as much as 2,200 gallons of gasoline used by the city and during longer months, the amount has dropped to 1,200 gallons. It doesn’t make sense,” Joseph said.

Following the meeting, Mackey said that something more concrete would be worked out for the next fiscal year - probably a car allowance for the chief of police. However, Alderman Mel Wesemann and Henken both agreed that the chief should turn in an expense account every month.

“The chief should turn in an expense account every month for payment and a record in the files,” Joseph said.