The San Francisco call., 1898-06-09
The Commissioners Have at Last Determined to Retire the
 Senile Chief of Police.
HE HAS OUTLINED HIS USEFULNESS.
July the ex-HeaIth Officer Will Leave His Patients for the Pursuit of Criminals-Dr Shumate to
 Be Examining Police Surgeon.

Chief of Police I. w. Lees will step down and out on or before July 5, and Dr. James w. Keeney will succeed to the con trol of the department.
 This change was definitely and ire vocably settled at the meeting of the Board of Police Commissioners one week ago, when Messrs. Alvord and Tobin reached an agreement that the present senile Chief should not incum- Der the force another minute after that date.
 The citizens of San Francisco will probably arrange for an extraordinary demonstration on the Fourth in joint celebration of the nations birthday and the city's emancipation from Lees.
 The fight made by Lees against the inevitable has been long and desperate, but decency has finally won. The man of much gold lace and no ability was slated to go last May, but he pleaded with the Commissioners so hard and earnestly to be allowed to rempin until he could reap the full benefits of the
 
 remain.
 But matters have reached such a state that the board has set July for Lees abdication. voluntarily if he chooses. but forcibly if necessary, He may be removed before then, for the Commissioners are so thoroughly arous- ed over the disreputable condition into which the Police Department has fal- len under Lees imbecile regime that last night there was a strong disposi- ton to terminate his official career at once.
 The matter was thorouphlv discussed and finally it was partially determined to give him until the date of the annual meeting, when superannuated members of the force are retired, to resign; if he fails to do so, he will be expelled.
 One thing that has held Lees up so long has been the inability of the Con- missioners to agree upon his successor At one time Captain Whitman was seri- ously considered for the place, but when his qualifications were thorough ly canvassed. he was found to be so totally unfftted for the position that he was dropped and eventually pr. Keeney was decided upon.
 One week ago the Commissioners met and after the disposal of routine busi- ness the subject of Lees dismissal was taken up. The meeting might be termed a secret session of an executive ses- sion, for while the board transacts all its business behind closed doors, after the transaction of the regular affairs, the secretary of the board was dis missed and the meeting resolved itself into a secret conference between Com missioners Alvord and Tobin, with Chief Lees in attendance by virtue of his ex-officio membership; Commis- sioner Gunst is absent from the city.
 The meeting lasted nearly two hours and the Chief stayed to the bit ter end. Not to defend himself, for he Is still capable of realizing that many of his recent acts are indefensible. but only to ward off the blow as long as possible. Again he pleaded. as he had pleaded one year ago, and the result of his pleading was that he was plainly told to be prepared for oblivion after July 5. He was not even given posi- tive assurance that he would be all lowed to retain his position till then
 It would have been pitiful, this last humiliation of the old man, were 1t not for the fact that with the decay of his