Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-05-18
GREAT INDIGNATION
Over the Action of the Police
Commission.
BOYLE HEIGHTS AROUSE d.
Commissioner Dexter Promises to
Reinstate Some of the Men
Who We're Discharged.

heIuSbbtt puluC VI thO MN
Who We're Discharged.
The situation in police circles was not
changed for the better yesterday, and
there was a considerable amount OF talk
on the streets about the manner in which
the reorganization" Of the force had
been effected. The statement that the
changes had been for the good OF any
thing or anybody was not believed, espe-
cially in the light OF an investigation OF
the names of those who had been put on
the force. This investigation revealed
the fact that the Police Commission had
appointed among the thirty-four men,
nine who are not on the Great Register,
and are therefore not citizens. This was
in violation, it is claimed, of Section 203
of the new Charter, which provides that
"no person shall be eligible to any
municipal office under this Charter, who,
at the time of his election or appoint
ment is not qualified elector OF this
CITY under the laws of the State" This
statement of the law of the case was re-
ported to have staggered some OF the
Commissioners, and it was reported
early in the day that there is likely to be
q reconsideration Of the list at an early
date. Another report, which gained
credence early in the day, was that
three of the Commissioners had held a
stormy meeting at Chief Burns office at
an early hour in the morning. 1t was
related that the Commissioners had
called on the Chief at such an early
hour that he had not even donned his
clothes, and that during the exciting
moments of the meeting he wandered
around wildly in his stocking feet, his night
clothes streaming out behind him. This
story could not be authenticated. Some
of the Councilmen we're seen yesterday
and they did not give free vent to their
thoughts. One of them said he had Sc
cured the appointment of three men out
of the four he had asked for, and another
said that he had procured the appoint.
ment of one man. 1t was limited that in
reality the Councilmen were responsible
for the action of the Commission, and
now that it had been done they were
anxious to shift thetresponsibility on to
the shoulders of some one else. The fact
that the Commissioners alleged that they
did not know the men they had ap-
pointed seemed to point in this direction
and probably gave rise to these asser-
tons.
1t was stated that the Grany Army
Posts of the city intended to take some
action in the matter. condo inning the
action of the Commission in dIscharging
old officers who were members OF the
G. A. R. and had been Republicans all
their lives. Several members OF the q.
n soiA hot hoe
tried and true officers must be replaced,
or they would know the reason why.
They said they had been informed that
more Democrats had been appointed
than dischs rged and this, to say the
least, did not look very we'll when po-
litical excuse had BEEN given for this
action.
HARMONY FAR AWAY.
Harmony and quiet in the Police
Department is row further OIL
than ever. Statements made yesterday,
by one OF the three members of the Com
mission, who put through the last list,
show that it his intention to make num-
Der CT changes, to put back some OF the
men who we're removed, and put out
some who were granted places last
Wednesday.
It happened that in the removals
which were made there was complete
slaughter of the Boyle Heights element.
No one is able to account for this, but it
is evident that when the deal was made
Councilman Wirsching was not con-
suited. The citizens of his ward were
furious when they discovered the trick
which had been played upon them, and
We'd with the Spanish-Americsns in
making disagreeable remarks about the
present administration.
Yesterday their indignation took prac-
teal form in the calling of a mass meet
ing to discuss the matter. A circular was
published, asking the citizens of Boyle
Heights to assemble in Hyans' Hall, on
DAILY street, and take action on the snub
which their section had received.
About 100 men responded to the call,
and the room was crowded full. j. w.
Browning, who had issued the call, pre-
sided at the meeting, and q. w. Camp
bell served as Secretary. When Police
Commissioner Dexter put in an appear
ance. it was readily understood that the
effort TO secure redress of some kind was
likely to be a success.
AS soon as the meeting was called to
order Councilman Wirsching said that he
wished to take the opportunity presented
by the assembling of such number of
residents of his ward, to explain why he
had not been present at the meeting held
q few days before, to consider the matter
of improvements. He had been down
to San Pedro with the Senators. BE
then outlined some of the improvem ens
in Boyle Heights, which he was endeav-
oring to get through the Council, and
assured his fellow.citizens of his invari-
able devotion to their interests.
The Chair suggested that, probably,
Mr.. Dexter, who was a member OF the
Police Commission, had something to
cay on the matter which had brought
them together, and offered him the
floor.
Mr.. Dexter drew from his pocke pa
per and read short statement, in which
his IL aeons for his conduct OF laet We'd
nesday and his plans for the future were
succinttly set forth. He said that he was
appointed on the Police Commission
without prearrangement Of any kind on
his part, and without pledges to any one.
He had accepted the place reluctantly,
but had tried to do his duty. If he had
done injustice to any individual man, or
to any section Of the city, he
was willing to apply the remedy.
He was not aware that Boyle Heights
had been deprived of so many men. He
had understood that each Councilman
had passed on the list before the Com
At