The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1892-09-22
CAME TO BLOWS.
Lively Scrap Between Chief Rodgers
and Officer White.
a Natural Result of the Miserable
Laws Governing the Police
Department.

As the public are we'll aware, the Police
Department of this city is torn by jeal-
ousies and discussions. 1t is not by any
means new or novel condition Of affairs,
for there have been few administrations
in the last fifteen years that were not at
some time or other in the same unfortu-
nate condition.
1t has all been the result of the miser-
able system under which the Police De-
partment is managed Tor mismanaged),
as provided by the present charter. 1t
has often happened that the members of
the police force, or many of them, owed
their positions not to the Chief, but to the
other members of the Police Commission,
and in not few instances personal en-
nifty existed between Chiefs of Police
and some of the policemen appointed to
serve under them. Cases have occurred
in which men have defied their Chief and
been upheld by the Police Commission.
The present administration has been
no exception to the general rule. Some
of the men on the police force have been
at outs with Chief Rodgers ever since he
was elected, and there has been more or
less Generalization in the department
during the few months of the present
regime. Fortunately this condition of
things will be wiped out by the new
charter, which gives the Chief of Police
full control of his men, makes him re-
Sponsible for the efficient conduct of his
office on pain of prompt retirement by
the Mayor.
One Of the results of the present de-
plorable system was personal collision
between Chief Rodgers and Officer Frank
b. White yesterday morning. The men
have been at outs ever since Rodgers
election, and when White reported on
duty yesterday morning he was half
hour late.
For this Chief Rodgers reprimanded
him; words followed and the men came
to blows, but were separated by Jailer
McManus and Special Greer before either
was damaged much.
Various reports were abroad concern
ing the difficulty, but the statements of
both Rodgers and White are given below
The former, when seen at his. home,
stated to a reporter as follows:
u asked White, when he came in late,
if he couldn't get around on time. He
said, Pm sick. it, 1 said, You
didn't report that to me,' and White re-
piled, If you say | didn't report it you're
- - liar said that he had not re-
ported the matter to me, and the next
thing knew | got two blows over the
head with a cane"
He further said that Officer White had
frequently been late in going on duty,
and had been the cause of considerable
trouble in the department. The Chief
said he would prefer charges against
White to-day. His face and head showed
number of bruises, which he said re-
suited from the unexpected blows
from Whites cane.
officer White was meton the street and
asked to give his version of the affair
which he did. His story does not ma
terially differ from that of Chief Rodgers,
so far as the activities of the scrap are
concerned. He claims that he had been
sick for several days, and had informed
the officer in charge at the station to that
effect.
He said that when he presented him
self a half-hour late, Chief Rodgers ad-
dressed him in bullying aud insulting
manner, and berated him in the coarsest
of language for his alleged neglect of
duty, instead of sympathizing with him
because OF his illness. He denied having
hurt Rodgers with the cane, saying that
at the first CHANGING blow it fell from his
grasp.
1t is an unfortunate affair, at best, and
will not tend to improve the standing or
efficiency of the department..