The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-01-04
ARE ALL GRINDING AXES.
The Mayor Says the Police De.
partment Is in a Disgrace.
full State.
TALKING INSTEAD OF WORK.
McCloud's Rehearing Merely a Pretext
for the Vent of Political
Malice.
OAKLAND OFFICE SAN Francisco CALL,
QlS Rrnn r-n,r Inr,

OAKLAND OFFICE SAN Francisco CALL,l
sos Broadway, Jan. 3.
The refusal of Mayor Davie to sit with
the Police Commissioners at the rehearing
OF W. Il. McCloud, who was dismissed
from the police force over a year ago, is
the talk of political circles at this time.
W. II. McCloud was dismissed a year
ago by the last Board OF Commissioners
after hearing of several days. At that
time Louis Schaffer was Chief of Police
and what was termed 1.-the gang" was in
office. Last March 1.-The gang" was beaten
at the polls and Schaffer put out of Office
in August.
AS soon as Schaffer was out crusade
was begun against his administration on
account of his preferring charges against
Officer Banks. AS the affair stands at
present Banks is charged with bribery,
Schaffer with Systematically Matchmaking
Chinese lotteries, Detective Holland with
carrying the money to the exChief, and
schatfer has charged several other officers
with perjury.
EX-Mayor Pardee and several prominent
men have testified on behalf of McCloud,
and an attempt has been made to induce
Justice Fred Henshaw of the Supreme
! Court to give his testimony, but he has
not yet appeared. Chief Lloyd has signed
McCloud's petition 10 be reinstated, and
this materially complicates matters. 1t is
| apparent taat the ''rehearing" is simply a
safety-vaIve for the outpouring of much
political malice on both sides, and while it
! Is delectable 10 the lobby it is working
havoc TO the efficiency and discipline of
| the force.
Before 1 refused to sit at the rehear-
! ing said the Mayor to-day, II looked into
] FoI1 taTN 10.
! suspended three times and fined, and
| finally dismissed.
| That convinced me that he was not
entitled TO rehearing. But apart from
/ McCloud's case there is principle in
/ VOWED in the case that cannot be lightly
| passed over / am ashamed of the Police
/ department as it is, and should this
! precedent of reinstating officers be es-
| tabiIshed we might as we'll do without the
! force at all. AT the present time one-haIf
| the department is engaged building fences
against the intrusions OF the other half.
! While this is going on burglaries are being
committed nightly within a few blocks of
! the City Hall and highway robberies are
reported rom all parts OF town.
If the precedent is set of dismissed
| officer getting a rehearing it means that
! every time there Is new board, which is
| every two years, the men who have been
! dismissed will come back and reasons be
! found for discharging others to make the
necessary vacancies.
mo real work is being done by the
department at this time. A few DRINKS
are brought in and few poor fellows who
beg or who violate the seeping-out
ordinance are arrested, but what real work
is being done in capturing the burglars or
car-robbers or footpads?
This matter of fritterlng away the time
of officials by reopening old cases is a
serious matter. Piersol is City Attorney
as well as a Police Commissioner, and
while he wastes his time over this kind Of
work the Council votes $500 for special
attorneys to defend the city in the suit
over the Harrison-street opening. There
is no merit to this investigation at all.
Do you think DR.. Pardee would waste his
time sitting all day in the boardrooms
merely for the sake of seeing McCloud re-
instated? He is actuated by far different
motives. This is a continuation of last
November and last March, and it is dis.
grace to all who have anything to do
with it,"