The evening world., 1891-12-14

learned Just why the resignation OF Chief
Examiner Lee Phillips, OF the Civil.seryice
Board, is hung up by Mayor Grant after hav.
Ing been demanded and rendered.
Mr.. Philipss resignation was reported to
have been demanded by Mayor Grant within
twenty-four hours after his return to the city
Hall from his European trip. 1t was handed
promptly to the Mayor, couched in these
terms
H. Dec. II. 1891.
My DEAR SIR; / have The honor to tender m ,
,ss.iSn.t'Sn ,s e. SeeIstary and Eiscutive Oneer Of
ing so beg leaye to oaptcss my sincere apprecia-
S. tSn Of The kindness. courtesy and consideration
whieh you nave always shown mo during my term
LEE PHrLLlrs.
The fact OF Mr. Phllips's resignation was
announced about 145 O'Clock p. NJ last Fri
day by Mayor Grant, with the added lnforma-
ton that Henry W. Beardsley was to be ap-
pointed as MIR. Phillips's successor. These
announcements were printed that afternoon
by every evening paper In the city.
Within an hour after he had told the re.
porters that he had selected Beardsley the
Mayor endeavored to recall that statement,
but the papers containing It were already be-
ing sold In the streets. He did, however, pre-.
vent its being published in saturday morn.
ing's papers.
Search for the cause OF the Mayors inaecl.
sion Is leading to brain fay among the politl-
clans
BY some 1t is hinted that whatever anger
he held towards Phillips was mollined by the
courteous, friendly tone OF the latter's letter
| by others II is believed that Mr.. Croker or
some other OF the Big Four, interposed. What
Is indisputably clear, however, is that the
resignation was laid aside for future action.
The circumstances leading up to the resig.
nation CT MIR. Phillips are stated as follows:
In pursuance OF requisition from the
Police Board Tor the certtncation Of an eligi.
BILE list for appointments to NIL three vacan.
cies In the stan OF police surgeons Mr.
Phillips, as Secretary OF the civil Service
Board, sent out, Dec. l, notifications to more
than one hundred physicians known to be
aspirants for the appointments to the effect
that an examination would be held In the
rooms at Cooper Union Tuesday, Dec. 6, at
0A.M
Each OF these physicians received In his last
mail Monday night a postal.card signed by
Mr.. Phillips, stating that the examination
was postponed I'LL Dec. IL. No reason was
assigned.
This looked very queer to the applicants,
especially TO those who had previous expert
ence. 1t leaked out, IRON an apparently au-
thentic source, that the postpOnement WAS
due to orders from the inner circle OF Tam
many Hall politicians.
The story was given out. and gained cred
ence, that Commissioner OF Public Works
Gilroy had called on Phillips Monday after.
noon and directed him TO postpone the exami.
nation.
"By whose authority" questioned the Ex.
aminer.
"A cable from Mayor Grant," was the al.
legged reply.
But Mayor Grant has been on the ocean
fivc days." Phillips is said to have objected.
The Commissioner was said to have re-
torted angrily " That makes no difference
You postpone the examination"
The examination was postponed as stated,
but 1t is due to Mr.. Gilroy that he denied
positively having made such utterances. BE
this as 1t may, the fact that the examination
was postponed by Mr.. Phillips In supposed
difference to the Mayors wishes, was ad-
mitted by the Secretary and by Civil Service
Commissioner MNquand, though It was not
admitted the Mayors desires were made
known In the exact words quoted
That the examination was not pos tponed
because Of the unreadiness OF the necessary
papers, Is proven by the statement OF Dr.
vosburgh, the medical ex xaminer, VINO received
his rirst intimation that the examination was
on when he called late Monday afternoon at
MIR. Phillips's ofice with the prepared list OF