The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-04-18
CHIEF CRoWLEY'S DIcTUM.
Halls Tyrannies Recoil Upon
Himself at Last.
OTHERS WINKED AT INIQUITIES.
The Police Commissioners Took Only
an Initial Step in Intended
Changes.

There is CONSERVATION In the police force
of this city. Starred uniforms patrol the
by-streets, encasiDg human beings who
speak with bated breath of the dread
earthquake that has shaken their order
TO its very basis. and Of which they fear
but the first slight shocks have been felt
as yet.
Clerk w. E. Hall, supreme in authority
almost as the chief himself. Patrolmen
William J. Shields, Patrick j. Jones.
George Reising and W. A. Dawes-the
first named the hero of a desDerad0's CAP
ture not four weeks ago. and the others
presumably tried and efficient members of
the force-yet all in one fell swoOp placed
on the retired list for all time to come.
Aud no reason vouchsafed to the expectant
public for their untimely disappearance.
None had forewarning OF the change.
The Police Commissioners met as usual
on Monday night last, and in response to a
eommunicat from Chief of Police Crow
ley, merely stating that he had found out
certain things concerning these men, and
'twere better for the good OF the force that
they be RELOCATED to another sphere, their
names were stricken from the roll.
From that moment to the present Chief
Crowley has kept his lips tightly sealed.
To all queries on the subject he has re-
turned the same answer: "The men were
discharged for cause. We do not want
them. Ii is for the good of the force that
they are retired. That is all that l can
say"
In the same manner the Police Commits
sioners have kept the affair q mystery.
The Commissioners regard their duty to
the public as sacred and consider that no
good would be done by disclosing what
they know. AS for the policemen, they
are afraid to speak. Many of them
could tale unfold" if it were not for the
dread thought that they might in their
turn So fer for their rashness by finding
their names among the missing on some
Tuesdays rollcall.
But there is always that little bird"
that whispers, and in this civilized COM
munity secrets are seldom safe. So that
there is, after all. not much mystery about
the discharge of these minions of the law.
They have simply been found wanting"
They have been, no doubt, officious enough
in arresting persons who could not re-
taliate, but they have been willfully blind
to matters of evil that have gone on under
their very noses.
Clerk W. E. Hall has been a great man
for some years. Elevated to a captaincy
of the service and appointed chief clerk of
.lssss bureau of the Chief of Police, he for
many years posed as an example of all that
was high-minded and noble in the mainte
nance of street discipline and the uphold
ing of public morals by the sacrifice of all
earthly vanities. All the men feared him,
and it is now believed not without too
good cause.
But when high-minded gentleman en-
barks upon a patriotic career on salary
that stops at $50 a month, and after SO
many years. zeal finds himself possessed
of valuable ranch in Fresno County,
property In the city. and much gor-
geous raiment, the seeds of dis
sension are apt TO spread among
his less fortunate fellow men. Well,
for him if he be good-natured and cbligingI
throughout, as one who should say. SO
thou and do likewisel" But if, as in this.
case, the high-minded gentleman resorts
to petty tyrranies, and an utter disregard
of the laws of 'divvy," then woe betide
him when the day of darkness dawns!
Halls downfall was predicted for years.
But the great stroke which caused the
spark of indignation to burn in the breasts
of the force was the breaking" of Officer
Nelson. Nelson was good officer in his
way. and became assistant clerk to
Autocrat Hall. He continued in of
fee for some time: but seeing
his superior officer rising in riches
from day to day, while he himself re-
NAMED poor. he, it is stated, went to Hall
and said: You've got the sack; where
do | come in ." For this Hall laid charges