The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-03-02
~INSUBORDINATE C0NLIN.
r. HIM." SAY NATIONAL GUARDS
MEN UNANIMOUSLY.
They Predict the worst Enect Upon Discipline
In tho Army OF Policemen ir the Chiefs
criticism or His superior. IL Not Punished
,oI. Grant Adds 20 III. Reasons WIFI Not.

The, Predict the worst Rnect Upon Discipline
In tho Army OF Policemen ir the Chiefs
criticism or His superior. IL Not Punished
Coi. Grant ADDS TO III. Reasons why Not.
The police body in It's organization Is a
,emi-miiitary force. and every body recognizes
that 1t is very nearly allied to our other great
oruanized body Of peace prsscrvers. the Ma
,lonal Guard. As q natural result OF this
similarity in formation. rules. and discipline.
many of tho offers of the National Guard In
this city have become particularly interested
In the present situation at Police Hcadquar-
,ers and express themselves In strong Ian.
euaec In disapproval OF the position In which
Mr.. Parker and Col. Grant-.speeislly Col.
Grant have taken In refusing to put Chief
Conlon on trial for. INSTRUMENTATION.
officers OF the Guard have been interviewed
upon this subject by u reporter OF THE SrN.
and every one OF them declared that, assun-
,ns that the circumstances recited In the pro-
.mbic TO the charges drawn against Coalin
were true. there could be no excuse for the
failure Of Commissioner Parker and Grant to
support President Roosevelt and Mr.. An
drews In approving the charges and placing
the chief upon trial. The only persons who
beslta;ed in condemning the position OF Mcssrs.
Parker and Grant were two or three. who
held back from expressing any opinion at all.
upon the ground. either that they were unin-
formed as to how nearly .rclated the police
rules we're to the military regulations or that
they bore such personal relations TO mem oers
of.the board that they did not care to discuss
their doings.
All Of the others. whether OF the field. stan.
or line. we're emphatic In the statement OF
their 3iews. although many OF those who
SPOKE might be presumed to lie upon good
terms with all Tho memSers OF the Police Board.
and not partisans OF either OF the factions in
tie board. Among tine FIRST OF the National
Guard officers who spoke OF this matter was ono
who, because " his place. Is ono OF the most
important officers OF til, State.
The action Of those two Commissioner
WHO refused to approve the charges against
chief Cnnlin. when Theses were formally
brought before them" he declared. was one
OF the most outrageous bi Reaches OF plain duty
thar ever knew OF. and Hu act witch | have
l." hesitation, In declaring was utterly sub
ycrsiye OF discipline. The d~moraliZing ef'
irct Of such an act cannot but be tar reaching.
Few persons realize what n big army OF men
the police force ot This CITY .as grown TO be.
IL numbers now nsAr.v AS many meE as we
have IN the First Brigade. and every man OF
these. barring the few on the sick list. is on
daily duty. and all are drawing large pay. In
addition To- thi. force. there are the policemen
OF Brooklyn. Long IslaLd CITY. Staten Island.
and other parts OF tho surtoundln /: country
which Is soon 10 We n part OF the Greater New
York. and al OF these must be affected ty such
an example of official dereliction.
II do not pretend To discuss the merits Of
the quarrel between the menbers OF the lo-
Ice BOARD: nor 10 take sides in 1t. nor DO
Ca c what bearing the charges against chief
tOnlin may have b"rne to the main quarrel
htwe,n the members Of the board. The tNo
drrrllrt Commissioners may have believed
that IN refusing to aprtove the charges they
we're taking some ammunition from their up-
onen :. out. even II this were so. do not see
low they could rNade their plain duty. The
act. alleged against Chief Conltn. both the
ore OF having talked disrespecttully OF his stu
prrior officers and of having afterward refused
to make an exclamation to the President
sl-n called upon 10 90 so. we're upon their
face acts Of characterization. and. under ny
law OF discipline. such MS could rot be passed
"a. Gran, Is reported to have made an ex.
rlHnaiton OF his conduct In which. while he
admitted that. II chief COnlin were correctly
oUoted. the chiefs c'nduct was indetensinle.
s.il lie would not bring up the c arCrs tor .ur-
tnrr consideration or action. Col. Grant sis
framed NJ West Point, and spent altogether
R.uut fourteen wears In the army. Il WAS
Irnined in the army he said in speaking OF
th- Cunltn matter. where criticism OF superb
o. oin,ris ly subordinates cal. be made u court
martial offence. The Police commissioners
y, - no"rd eonsti'T,e an office SUPERIOR to me
how he r,cunCiled this view Of the matter
with his iaI!rr. TO sustain the charges against
thrrr Conlin. he said: The criticism of a
cali he made n cnuri.,nartial offence. but q SUI
r-rior officer IL not thereby justified In - con-
eisu,. For instance. suppose ! were Colonel II
h regiment aud should 20 off and get drunk.
suuuose had . Santnin under me who said:
court. martlalled. but would II b. we'll for ne
II did 20: In that way ] %exiiaiL why ] voted
to Kill the charges against Chtei con in.'
What do you think Of his rs an eXplana
ton OF Col. Grant'- conduct" tho repcrier
assed OF the National Guard officer.
at is certainlv very clever and also remark.
able ,a!d The officer. la'igninI. We'll. II he
means TO admit that the board is a party OF
hGuaOblers. that's al! there is to It. But even
then. this does no; excuse him for refusing 10
let the charges against Chief Conlin be brought
TIL, latter view Of the case wal fully sus.
tanned by Rno her ofic-r whose peculiar du-
ties require that lie should he familiar with The
iekai ana technical aspects or inst such cases.
"lh. duty OF the two Commissioners was
plain. he declared. and Can .ee no excuse for
them. ana. IN fact. no reason for their action.
eS ,ept that they wanted 10 save themselves.
CI. grants explahation puts them in that posi-
non IL was no part OF The case whether they
Thought the charges against m cf Conlin true
or false. That was To b. established when
tire ease came 10 trial. On Ia. face OF the
papers n trial should hive h'en ordered. This
untS r. clear. .r their oaths require them Ia
ih-lr duty 10 nut the Chief on tria. IL they be
le,- him 10 he innocent as II they believe him
:" be- guilty. for it Is his privilege in that case
charges, On the other hand. H. wOu!d be the
dn.y OF the drunken Colonel. that Col. Grant
SUPPOSED the case OF. to prefer charges against
: his Captain and to press them TO trial, even
Though h. knew that in so dol 10 he would
BRING ah%ut the proving OF his own iaults. for
y" l. bound u act, not Tor his own benefit. but
Tor the good II the service. II Chief Conlin
nae a GOOD reason for saying what he lid. IL
vas n 5 duty 10 keen silence 50 far rs the pub
~ was concerned, but 10 make the charge =.
Through the, Jroirr channels. to somr higher
authority the AlayOr, for instance and IL
commissioners Parker and Grant believe that.
u 'iiei i"nltu il alleged 10 have said. the
,"hStaht pickering lctw Ell men WAC know
better, not only demOrnlizcs the force. but in
lrrlrrrs with me in the disCh. rgu OF my duties
tlsi'r vas their duty To force the Cher 10
prove tie ruth OF thi-. R'd when IL was
proven ln have caused charges 10 be preferred
a-alhSt thO,o member Of the board who we're
teStonsibit or such n stat. OF affairs, even
th,u.h these were themselves"
am particularly su-pri- sd at the action in :
thl' "ati'r ot Col. Grant de- Jared n field OF
hcer Of HE Sixty.uinth tegi..icnt. whose clos.
connection .wlth the regular army ideas is we'll
h'nNn', WIN his military rX perienCe he
s.pu!d have realized AT once that the putting
U,'hlin on trial was not IA matter or opinion, !
nut th" OF discipline, II men In subordinate
p,acrs want e. exercise their minds about III.
svV"NS or their snpcriOrs thew must follow
wy y az nl The officer In the army during the
VT, Ills Colonel was known to DO n coward.
~ a man we're to say what he thought Of his
superior ,oitccr.' said one OF his Captains one
nv ana 1t wasn't complimentary, what could
ee iiie 10 MINI lie would DO court-mnr.
wali,H, declared tie Colonel, well knowing
MA nr meant. but II he only thought itT'
ASKED the Captain. Nothing In tiat Gaze
Ia IN MA