The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-05-22
MAYOR VAN WYCES BACKBONE
PROPOSES TO RUN THE MAYORS
OFFICE HIMSELF.
Police Commissioners Fired and Chief
McCullagh Retired Because They
Were Tools of Plat.

New York, May 21-Mayor Van
Wyck today removed Police Commits
sioners Phillips and Hamilton. He ap-
pointed Jacob Hess in the place of
Commissioner Hamilton. Hess came to
police headquarters this afternoon and
presented his certificate of appoint
ment. The board then organized. re-
electing b. J. York president. Then
the board retired Chief McCullagh on
a pension of $1,000 a year with the
mayors approval The board appointed
Deputy Chief Devery as acting chief.
To a number of reporters who called
at the mayors office TO obtain a con-
firmation of the report of the removal
of the commissioners, the mayor said:
81 have Just been asked if / have
removed Police Commissioners Ham
ilton and Phillips. l have, and l have
also appointed Jacob Hess TO succeed
Mr. Hamilton. 1 want you TO say 10 the
people that the mayor, their servant,
whom they elected last fall, has resist
ed every attempt to raid the public
treasury, and ne will continue to do so.
He will also continue TO run the analrS
of the city government for the penefit
of the people and in the interest of the
people who elected him, confident that
at the end of his term he viii be en-
dorsed by such an overwhelming ma
iority as has never been given in the
history of the city
Il WILL" he continued, administer
the affairs of the city without interior
ence from either Plat of QuiSS- Tell
the people this and let them know that
l am at the helm and while L am
MAYOR. which will be for the next four
years, their interests will be safe in my
hands from raiders Of all kinds.
Il have not yet appointed the success
sor of Mr.. Phillips
The mayor did not go into particu-
lars or specify any Of the reasons
which induced him to remove the two
police commissioners. but it is known
that the result was due to friction in
the police board for some weeks over
the transfer of some captains and po-
licemen.
John McCullagh, chief of police Dust
dropped, was Republican and refused
to make certain transfers that the
Democratic commissioners wanted the
two Democratic commissioners voted
to retain the chief, but were overruled
by the votes of the Republican commits
sioners McCuliagh called at the city
hall next day and had a stormy inter-
view with the mayor, during which he
was told to go back and run the de-
partment without regard to politics, the
chief retortlnS tnat IN tne nldltel VI Ae-
movals he would do as he pleased.
Since then there have been numerous
interviews between the mayor andt'the
police commissioners
The Tammany version of the trouble
between McCullagh and the mayor and
police commissioners is that Senator
Platt and Congressman Quigg inter-
fered with the running of the depart
ment 1t was said that during an in
terview between the mayor and Com
missioner Hamilton the latter said he
would not vote for the transfer of
policeman if the action was not sane
toned by Quigg and Platt.
The Republican version is that ever
since Tammany returned to power GER
tain gamblers and pool room owners
have wanted to run wide open" and
that McCullagh's opposition TO this has
brought down the official ak upon his
neck.