Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1889-02-13
CHICAGO'S POLICE MIDDLE.
Inspector Bonfield and Capt. Setback
Suspended by the MayOr-What Bon
field Says the Subject-He Thinks
Politics at the Bottom of the Whole
Matter

Inspector Bonfeld and Capt. Setback,
of the Chicago police, we're indefinitely
suspended from office on the 9Th. Bon
field and Setback are the officials whom
the Times has been charging with
corruption in office, the specifi-
cation being that the pair were
virtually in league with gamblers,
saloonkeepers, thieves and the demi-
monde. The first result OF the charges
was the immediate filing Of libel suits
against the Times, and these suits were
added to daily until the total amount
of damages asked from the newspaper
by the officers and others is nearly ST.
100000.
| Suspended in company with the in
spector and captsin is Detective Lowen-
stein, the officer who, after terrible
hand to hand struggle, succeeded in ar
resting Anarchist Louis Lingg. The sus-
pension order is signed by Mayor
Roche, who was nominated by the Re-
publicans in the excitement following
the Haymarket affair, and elected on
an anti-Red flag platform. The mayor
begins his order with recital that The
charges against the accused are "made
by a newspaper heretofore recognized
as an organ of a political party" He
disclaims any intention Of determining
by his action as to whether the accusa-
tions are true or not. The ground for
the suspension is stated to be precau-
tionary, or in the mayors own
language, THAT the efficiency of the
police system be not impaired" The
courts, the mayor states, have declined
to expedite the trial of the cases which
would prove or disprove the charges.
Suspension1 is ordered until ample
time has been given for judicial deter
minatlOn of the matter, or the charges
have been disproved" Mr.. Bonheld
was not at all upset when reporter adj
dressed him as "ex-inspector. He was
cool, and smiled as cordial welcome as
if the reporter was one OF his old Paris
ian operatives.
The veteran talked cooly, but bitter
". He said: II have known for a long
time that pressure has been brought
TO bear upon the mayor to remove me
for political reasons. For days [ have
been receiving calls from men high in
Republican councils who have urged as
reason for my retirement the antago-
nism of the Anarchists, the gamblers,
the prostitutes and the dive-k keepers to
the administration. 1 was told that if l
would consent to retire [ would be re-
tanned on the salary list; that | would
not be removed-merely retired on pay.
1t was represented that this was asked
in the interest of the party.
81 replied" said Mr.. Bon6eld grimly
''that if the party had sunk SO low that
it required my sacrifice in order to get
the patronage OF the Socialists, the
gamblers, the prostitutes, the divekeep-
ers and crooks it ought to 60 down. /
informed these men that attacked as
had been | could not and would not re-
sign. with or without pay or with any
amount OF pay"
Mr.. Bontield stopped talking for a
minute and reporter sugge ted that it
seemed strange Tor the mayor 10 take
up charges after once r-tnsing to do SO.
"Why, | was told, said the Inspector,
that If [ would withdraw until after
the election for mayor [ would be rein
stated in my present position. l re-
fused to even consider it."