The San Francisco call., 1897-10-23
PLENTY OF Law TO WARRANT 1T.
The Calls Z" Diagnosis of the
" Upper Office" " Pronounced
Correct.
OBSOLETE METHODS SHOULD GO.
Gunst, the Fighting Member of the
Police Board, Is Reported to Be
Very Ill at His Home.
OBSOLETE METHODS SHOULD GO.

Predictions are made at the City Hall
that Governor Budd will enter the fight
between GuLst and Lees by revoking the
commission of Gunst and appointing a
well-known citizen to the office of Police
Commissioner. This caused the takers
to examine the opinion of the Supreme
Court in the case of Menzles again st
Gunst, wherein 1t was hel Ii that the Gov
ernor could only appoint to fill a vacancy.
mo matter what that decision is re-
marked one OF the takers. 1.-The Governor
can oust Gunst any day that he desires.
know man who can produce the law for
the proceeding in twenty minutes. No
difference if the old McCoppin act, under
which Alvord and Tobin were appointed
did not specify any term of office, the Gov =
ernor can appoint for only iour years
Markham appointed Burns for four years,
and when Burns resigned Markham ap-
pointed Gunst TO I'LL the vacancy for the
unexpired term.
1.-The term OF four years for which Burns
was originally appointed has expired and
Governor Budd can appoint a man TO sue
ceed Gunst, and l understand that he in
tends to do so, and has his man picked
out. Tobin and Alvord may hold Tor life,
but in the face OF the decision in the Men
zies case, and in the Hammond Hinton
case, | maintain that the Supreme Court
would now sustain the Governor in an
pointing a Police Commissioner for four
years. When Budd removed Gunst and
appoin ed Menzles the Term of four years
Tor which Burns was appointed had not
expired. 1t is q different question now,
and the court migh1 change the doctrine
advanced in the eHinton-Hammond case" !"
The agnosis of the upper office" of
the Police Department in Yesterday S
CALL IL pronounced correct by the ex-
perts. 1t is said that Nose Gunst has
scored one point against Lees in the con-
troversy. The place of all PLACES IN the
department that needs overbauhng and
readiustment is the upper office" The
methods employed By the old school OF
detectives are pronounced obsolete and
anything but modern and UP to date. 1t
is said to be no wonder that murderers
and perpetrators of crimes other than
murder have managed TO escape the vigi-
lance of the police, for the simple reason
that offenders understand the old system
of detection which the department uses.
An expert detective was asked yester-
day to explain wherein the upper office
IS inefficient. He remarked: Il cannot
go into details, but [ can tell you in
general way that the office is behind the
times. Gunst is dead right in his criti-
cism. he speaks from actual knowledge.
His business throws him in contact with
men OF the world-men who are alive and
know that they are not dead. Y ou take
the city merchant and as a rule you lind
him up to date. He knows what is going
on here and IL other cities. Commits
sioner Gunst is good type of the success
full business man. He has gained a goou
position In the world by square dealing
and close attention to his business. He
knows vastly more about what the Police
Department needs, also its faults and its
weaknesses, than his associates on the
board. He has seen the world within the
last thirty years and taken notes OF many
things. He has not told me that the up
per Office is behind the times but he
knows that the brightest men on the force
are ignored"
''Is there one really capable and thor
oughlv efficient man in the detective
iorce?" was asked.
Yes, replied the expert. II can name
one. Bee is first-class man."
''Can you name another2"
After some hesitation the expert re piled ::
II cannot mention another now on duty
in the upper office Ask any one to in
form you what Seymour has ever done.
Ask what the others have ever done.
Yes the system on which they work is be-
hind the times. OF course stool pigeo rs
can be used with success occasionally in
petty cases. One thief will give away an.
other now Just as thieves informed on
each other in for mer times.
THE point | want to make is this, that
criminals are bringing more skill and ed
ucation into the pursuit OF crime than
they formerly brought. They travel M ore,
study harder, get young men of good fam
lies interested with them. Sons OF clergy
men, bankers, merchants and professional
men may go crooked sometimes. and seek,
under cover, to do turn with regular
crook If detective is not a man OF the
world, alert, full of tact and sound judg-
ment, he will be ioshed TO his face by the
clever crooks"