The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-11-21

The assailant Of John Stanley is still
at large, but, after reading in The
Globe yesterday that the public was
fast losing confidence in the police de-
partment, the heads thereof put addi-
tiornl men at work on the case and the
efforts to capture the man responsible
for Shanley's death were redoubled.
III. however, any progress is made in
the case, with the police department
In the present state of disorganization,
it will doubtless be a subject of as
much remark in circles where the true
situation is known as it is in general
that nothing has yet been done, for, as
matter Of fact, no one on the force
from the chief down to Louis Liver
pool. the colored janitor at the GEN.
tral station, knows where he is at"
under Mayor Kiefer's system Of run
ming the department, and members of
the force knve no hesitancy in charg
ing the entire decentralization OF the
department directly to the mayor
When Mayor Kiefer went into Office
he declared that he was the head OF
the police department and would be
so, in fact, instead Of allowing the
chief of police and the chief of detec-
tives to run the department. He is
sued IA lot of pUerile orders about the
policemen Saluting each other on the
street. and then threw every officer on
the force into a fit Of fear and trem-
bling by investigation" Charges
made against officers by irresponsible
characters and even criminals were
solemnly placed on file and "investi-
gated" until policemen have, as a mat
ter of upvarnished truth, become ac-
tually afraid to make an arrest. The
crooks and criminals know this condi-
ton Of affairs exists. and, the police
claim, are taking advantage of the
fact.
1t has been but short time ago that
u. man, who has before been arrested,
stood on one of the principal streets Of
the city, and, with all of the vile Ian
guage he could lay his tongue to, de-
fed two of the Oldest policemen on the
force to arrest him. The man, it is
alleged, was drunk and creating a dis
turbance on the publsc streets, when
one of the policemen advised him to go
home. The first offense WIS enough to
warrant his aYrest, but. even when the
man defied the officers to arrest him.
they did not dare to do their duty
They did not know where they were
at with the mayor, and preferred to
take the mans abuse before a crowd
of jeering idlers, rather than to risk
their Jobs in an investigation
The above illustration, the police
claim, is not an isolated case Seventh
JACKSON
street, they say, is lined every day III
the week with alleged thieves ana
crooks OF every description. The police
say they dara not arrest the suspicious
characters for fear Of running against
some one who may be able to. get to
Mayor I<iefer and secure the officer
discharge. 1t is bread and butter with
the bluecoats, they say, and they pre-.
fer not to take any chances when the
ltaN "a IN bud 20
OF police experience in his life insists
on directing the force from his private
office.
The patrolmen are not the only ones
who are tied down by Mayor Kiefer's
attitude and multiplicity Of special
orders. Oh eff GCSs' hands are tied fard
ana fast. Chief SchWeitZer is another
Prometheus. So are the men under
Vim. With the experience of the last
two years and a half Chief Goss might
be able to conduct the department sat
isfactorily and TO give the city ample
protection If he was allowed to- He Is
rot given chance Mayor Ktefer.
with his Kaiser Wilhelm" idea Of dis
cipliGe and reform, wants to run the
department and to hold some one else
responsible for the mess he is making
of things. Chief Goss do5s not know
how long he Is going to hold his job.
His case and that of the ordinary pa
llOilllan are luenllcal. he does not
care to take any chances. Neither does
Chief SChweitZer.
The idea of a man urdert king to run
police department. i'm a metropolitan
CITY VINO issues an order to the effect
that a policeman who goes into a sa-
Icon on his beat, unless called in, VIII
be discharged. is claimed by those with
a knowledge of police affairs to be a
falce.
What city can be found where the
chief of police is not consulted on mat
ters pertaining to the department? The
Is the case in St. Paul Mayor Kiefer
has made Chief Goss a mere figure
head Lieut.. Boerner 1T is commonly
remarked by members of the force. Is
the real chief of police. Mayor Kiefer
rarely allows Chief Goss in his office.
Lieut.. Boerner is thsre three or four
times every day. Lieut. Boerner in
forms Chief Goss what must DE done
and what must not be done. The "spe-
cal' orders are issued by Lieut. Boer
ner. Mayor Kiefer's suspicious nature