The herald., 1895-01-01
THE RESIGNATION OF BYRNES.
Various Opinions as to Its
Effect.
1t Is Not Thought Mayor Strong Will
Accept 1t.
Or. Parkhurst Discusses the Result o (
tho Lexow Investigation and
Scores Byrnes.
BY THE HERALD's Leased Wire.

Lexow committee, his offer to Mayor
elect Strong to resign, and the accom-
panying tender of his service in reorgan-
izing the police force are variously re-
oeived. Rev. DIR. Parkhurst has inti-
mated that the inquisition when Byrnes
was on the stand WAS not sufficiently
searching for practical purposes. Park
hurst inaists that Byrnss is responsible
for most of the corruption exposed by
she senate committee, and he is indig-
Eant over the police captains "pompous
vanity end self-glori riication," as he
termed it.
Mayor-elect Strong is said to hold
Byrnes in high estimation, and would
be inclined to urge the withdrawal of
the superintendent's resignation. were
IL not for his reluctance to antagonzs
the Parkhurst society. tbs known that
Messrs. Larogue, Smith, Taylor. and the
good government element OF the COM
mittee of seventy, entertain g cordial
dislike for the superintendent. state.
ment by the executive committee of the
Society for the Prevention of Crime is
promised soon. This committee, which
consists OF DIR. Parkhurst Frank Moss,
Assistant to Committee Counsel Goff and
Mr.. Kenneon, held a consultation this
afternoon.
BYRNEs' STATEMENT.
Mr.. Moss said that Superintendent
Byrnes' allegation that he had frequent
ly assisted the Lsxow. committee IN ap-
pretending delinquent witnesses and in
other ways placed himself at the SER
vice of the senators, was news to Mr..
Golf and him.
''At the time of Captain Devery's
trial and frequently since then" said
Mr.. Moss. superintendent Byrne5,
Delaney, Nicoll and several other in
fuentisl gentlemen came to us and
wanted to know why amicable relations
conld not be maintained between the
society and the head of the police. The
superintendent made numerous over~
lures il this direction but all OF them
were rejected because from the very
first, from the time of Agent Gdrdner's
arrest we were confident that we could
expect little or no help from the police
force"
Superintendent Byrnes has given this
before the Lexow committee on Sstur.
day, when l referred to the police COM
missionerB interfering with me, 1 said |
did not include the members of the
board. Since the latter have become
commissioners they have done every
thing to assist me and have made it pos
sible for me to take some action which l
had hitherto been unable to take"
General Kern, the newest member of
the police board commission and Re-
publican. said today that the board had
not hampered Superintendent Byrnes
during the period that he has been G
member. Commissioner Kern also said
he had no knowledge OF the superin-
tendent's application for retirement,
and that the recommendation OF the
Lexow committee for the retirement OF
Captain Creedon could not in the least
affect his opinion in the matter.
COMMISSIONER MARTIN TO RESIGN.
James ]. Martin, president of the
board Of police, will resign his position
in few days. He made this announce.
ment just after his arrival at his Office at
police headquarters. These are Presi-
dent Martins words:
II have read the evidence by the au-
perintendent before the investigation
committee OF Saturday. as we'll as his
interview given in the newspapers.
Ahvo Ao ucbiIo W 6ub6E lutO any
controversy with the superintendent.
My official acts have been under investi-
cation for year. am willing to stand
the result of the investigation. AS my
friends know, have been anxious to
retire from the department. for some
time. This has never beensa congenial
place for me. and my resignation will in
few days be in the mayors hands.
Now the investigation is over-now that
am no longer under fire-I feel that |
am justified in resigning; and l hope
that Mr.. Strong will accept it at once
when he goes into Office.
superintendent Byrnes was ap-
pointed to his present position on nv
motion; he has been supported by me
and by the commission ainoe he has been
superintendent. Twice before the in
vestigating committee | was examined
on dispute which | was said to have
had with the superintendent when he
conferred with the captains twice under
oath | denied that | had any words or
disagreement with him. l emphati-
eally deny that have, in any wsy.
hampered him.
Everyone that knows me knows that
have told the truth. | feel that the |
public believes what cay under oath.
and by no act of mine have [ contributed |
to the abuses existing in the depart
ment, ia true"
PLEASED AND DISAPPOINTED.
DR.. Parkhurst tonight gave out the
Hcbjoined statement after it had been
read before the executive committee OF
the Society for the Prevention OF Crime |
and endorsed by that society:
ln stating my position touching GER
tain questions now befoie the |
pnblic mind, I cannot express myself
too sppreciatively of the splendid work
that has been done by the senate com.
mittee and it's talented counsel. There
has been created through their instru-
mentality an epoch in the history of our
city, and there hes been secured at the
polls municipal revolution that would
have been impossible except through
their agency or the agency OF similar
kind. And it ia but just that we 90 fur
ther than this and recognize the WORK of
this committee and of it's counsel as be-
ing the influence which is contributinc
very largely to similar municipal up
heavals throughout the entire country.
Mr.. Lexow's COMMITTEES, Mr.. Goff and
his associates do not stand in need OF
our coEmendation. but it ia a pleasure
% we'll ss duty to accord it and it ia
cd xrtfh