The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-06-18
Police Commissioners Have a
List of Eligibles for
Decapitation.
TWENTY.THREE NAMES ON TT
A Pretty Fair Idea Has Been Gath
cred as to How the Board
VIII Proceed.

Ever since the report or the late Grand
Jury was made public the Police Commits
sioners have been considering it, and on
tomorrow evening they will in all prob
ability take the first step toward making
some vacancies on the force.
The very day the Grand Jury reported
missioner Tobin requested list of
members of the department, from captains
down, who had passed the sixtieth mile
stone of life and who had been in the de-
| partment for over twenty years. The list
| was furnished, and on it, from A to lizard,
| there were written the names of twenty
| three. Commissioner Tobin looked it care
| fully over, had copies of it made and fur
nished one each to Commissioners Afford
and Gunst. Since then in the whites be-
| tween business cares, each of the three
Commissioners has, separately, been con-
| siderlng the list and figuring ways and
means.
They have found from this consideration
several things, but have arrived at no def
mite conclusion and will not until Wednes-
day evenings meeting, if then. They find
that among the twenty-three eligibles are
some of the most serviceable, almost in
despensable, members of the department.
| men whose work takes years of training to
satisfactorily accomplish, and for which
none are known having that training.
Take, for instance, Arnop cambridge,
whose name heads the list of twenty-three.
His position in the department is unique
and his qualifications are of an abnormal
nature. cambridge is in charge of the
rogues' gallery and, for years, the wonder
full quickness of his eagle eye and the rapid
| workings of his peculiarly retentive mem
DRY, have been matters of history in the
department. The moment he claps eye on
''crook," that "crook' is photographed
on the retina and in the memory of Balm
bridge forever. No number of aliases can
avail to save him from future surveillance,
and no article known to criminals can hide
his identity from cambridge. For this
reason, aside from his other qualifications,
the commissioners will be 10th to part with
cambridge. In fact, it has been practically
settled, in their minds, that, although the
name of cambridge heads the list, he is
too valuable a man to think of letting go.
There are others, too, whom the Com
missioners would fain leave alone, and it
| is settled even before the meeting of the
| board on Wednesday night that there will
| be no such sweeping change in the Police
| Department as the Grand Jury contem-
! plated; and quite number of those on
the Commissioners little list can rest as
secure from storm or executive lightning
| as though they were not on it at all
There are others undoubtedly who will
| go, quite few of them, but it is also
| settled, as far as such thing can be with
| out an official order, that they will not go
! in bunch.
II cannot see anything else than demon
alization for the department" said Com
missioner Tobin yesterday, 'were the
Commissioners to discharge all these men
at once; and l do not think such pro-
ceeding will be considered at ALL I cannot
really say now what the board will do. l
have had this list prepared and have fur
nished copies to Commissioners Gunst and
Alvord. We have considered it in a de-
sultory sort of way ever since, but will not
take any action on it until the next meet
ing.
~ think it is generally understood" he
continued, that what changes it is de-
cided to make will be made gradually. two
or three now, two or three more in a
| removed are exhausted. That method, I
think, will have all the good effects of a
clean sweep, and none of the i'll ones. 1t
will certainly prevent the decentralization
that would almost certainly follow in the
train of the other"
Commissioner Alvord was not anxious
| to talk concerning the position he would
betterment of the department. by the
| Grand Jury. He, too, however, had his
little list and there is not the slightest
doubt that, with Messrs. Tobin and Gunst,
he will be prepared to take hand in max
| ing some changes
Captains Douglass, Short Dunlevy and
| Stone, the question as to who will succeed
them is being considerably discussed IN
police circles.
1t is matter of common report that
Captain Shorts resignation is in the hands
of the commissioners, and that it will be
accepted at an early date. Sergeant Henry
S. Robinson is talked about as his sue
cessor, but why other sergeants, who by
| merit and in other respects are more en-
titled to the position, should be passed over
is mystifying the uninitiated.
Robinson was appointed on the force on
April "a, 1878. For a long time he did
station duty at the Southern station, and
on February co. 1894, he was promoted to
the position of sergeant.
1t is generally known in police circles
that Robinson owed his promotion to the
fact that he was the principal means OF
causing the decapitation of several SER
duty in Chinatown. To further assist him
in exposing the corruption in Chinatown
| he was made sergeant and placed in
| charge of squad.
For his work on that occasion it is said
| the Commissioners promised him the first
vacancy of a captaincy, and the oppor-
tunity will arise when Captain Short
!
or it may not. but it is very generally be-
lieved in police circles, and is causing no
| end of unfavorable comment.
Should the other captains be forced to
send in their designations the names of
Sergeants Whitman and Gillen are freely
spoken of as in order for promotion on the
| ground of merit. Who will be Captain
Stones successor in the City Prison is a
mystery. AS an additional captain will be
appointed when the new order goes into
effect on July there will be a chance for
another sergeant.
Sergeant Spillane is, it is said, making
a desperate fight for promotion. Ser
geant Bennett of the Potrero is also feel
ing his way with hope of success.
There are other deserving officers, who
have good record, but they are doing
nothing to influence the Commissioners,
depending solely upon their merits as a
| justification for their promotion.
Meanwhile uneasy rests the heads of
! those who wear star.
The commissioners discussed two mat
tiers in executive session last night.
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