The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-05-31
BETWEEN TWO FIRES
Mr.. Miles Undecided About This Chief
of Police Business.
DID NOT SEEK THE OFFICE
VIII Consult the Governor and
Captain Shoemaker-By Accept
ing the Job Re Says He Would
Be Making a Sacrifice.

Butte, May 30.-John Miles has not
yet accepted the Office of chief Of DO
lice to which he was appointed and
elected last night. and II does not seem
To be by any means certain that he
will do so. Mr.. Miles was not an ac-
tive candidate for the Office. He pre-
scented no application for It. and il Is
the general understanding that it was
forced upon him by Mayor Thompson
in the hope thathis appointment would
satisfy all classes and put an end to
the war which is waging among his
erstwhile friends and supporters and
which threatens to disrupt the entire
regular republican" party organize
ton.
Mr.. Miles is known TO have told the
mayor that he did not want the office.
and he has several times expressed
the belief that he would be making
personal sacrifice if he accepted it. As
deputy state mine inspector he occu-
pies an important and responsible Of
flee. which pays him 5000 a year. i'm adj
dition to which he holds a good posi-
ton i'm one of w. \. Clark's mines. so
that he is making a good deal more
money than he would as chief of po-
lice. Aside from the matter of remun-
Grafton. Mr.. Miles believes that he
would materially injury his political
future by accepting the Office, and he
regards this as the most important
consideration involved. If the ques-
tion was to be decided by Mr.. Miles
alone there is little doubt that he
would decline the office. but the Eng
lish-Americans are bringing so much
pressure to bear upon him to accept il
that he may consent to make this sac
rifice. as he considers it. He decided
this afternoon to visit Helena to-mor-
row and discuss the matter with Gov
ernor Richards and Captain Shoemak-
er, the state mining inspector. and he
has said that he will be governed en-
tirely by their advice. The governor
has already advised him to decline the
Office. but this was before the appoint
ment was made.
While there is no doubt that Mr..
Miles appointment did not give gem
eral satisfaction to the English-Ame
leans, they prefer him To an Americana
American. and as they seem for some
reason to fear that II he declines the
mayor viii not appoint another of
their countrymen to the office. a great
many Of them are urging him to hold
il. while at the same time some Of his
best friends among that class of cit
liens want him to decline ii and wait
for something better, two years from
now.
Johan Blake appears to have been the
choice of the majority. OF the English
Americans, but Mayor Thompson fiat
~ refused to appoint him at a confer
ence which was held i'm his Office just
before the council met last evening.
This conference was attended by
Messrs. Blake and Miles, Aldermen
Radda and Rowe. Sheriff Reynolds
and one or two others. The mayor IS
said to have stated emphatically that
he would not appoint Blake. but that
he would give them Miles, and they
must be satisfied with him. II is I'M
derstood that the mayor is opposed to
Blake for the reason that he is "A sa-
loOnkeeper. The conference was eVl-
IDENTIFY a stormy one, and as the mayor
came out OF his office at it's close he
was heard to remark to himself tat
they could not cram something or 9th
or down his throat. Failing to secure
Blake. the committee accepted Miles.
but even after the conference and be-
fore the council met that gentleman
was heard to say that he did not want
the office, and he also said that he in
tended to again ask the mayor not
To appoint him.
If Miles should decline the Office the
situation would be even more perplex-
ing than il has been heretofore. and
the mayor would probably climb down
an abandoned shaft to think the mat
ter over and decide what to do. In
the meantime the fact remains that
the mayor has not pleased any one
class OF citizens i'm the appointment
he had hoped would smooth every
thing over, ana "a terrible hown has
gone up from the Americana
who. while not having anything i'm
particular against Mr.. Miles, are very
sore because the English-Americans
a