The age-herald., 1899-10-07
FORMER CHIEF OF
 POLICE M'DONALD Takes Exceptions to References
 of the Mayor , IN HIS LETTER TO WlGGlNS Says Certain Statements Contained Therein Are Untrue, and Criticises
 Official Acts of the City's
 Chief Executive
IN HIS LETTER TO WlGGlNS

Former Chief of Police T. c. Mcdonald, who was succeeded some months ago by Chief Austin, takes exception to certain references made by Mayor Drennen in letter written to Steve Wiggins, one of the city detectives, and brands the statements contained therein as untrue.
 The particular part of the letter which does not meet with the former chiefs ap- proval is in reference to the work of the former police administration and reads as follows:
 q find there has been more arrests made and more convictions for violating the Sun day liquor law, and more arrests and con- victions for gambling within the past five months than was accomplished by the former police commission and chief of po- lice within the previous two years
 Defends His Administration
 MT. Mcdonald claims that up to the night of his retirement there was no ordinance against Sunday liquor selling that could be efficiently enforced under the construc- tion of the law by Judge Feagin of the in ferior criminal court.
 He also claims that his administration of the police department in dealing with gam bling will compare favorably with any city in the United States, and takes occasion to criticise certain official acts of the mayor in spirit of retaliation.
 MT. Mcdonald was seen yesterday by an Age Herald reporter and in reference to the matter said:
 "It is well known that not until the night of my retirement from the office of chiet of police was there an ordinance against Sunday liquor selling that could be efil- ciently enforced under the construction Of that law by the judge of the inferior criminal court. It is as equally notorious that under that construction it matter not how many arrests were made no convic- tions could be had unless a completed transaction of the sale of whisky could be positively proven, whatever might be the discriminating circumstances.
 "It is also a fact that the police depart ment was put upon notice by the judge of the inferior criminal court that it was use less to arrest parties for violating the Sun day liquor law unless an actual sale of liquor could be positively proven; and thus it was that the efforts of the police to en- froce the law was rendered practically futile.
 q do not hesitate to say that the record of the police department under my admin istrSti as chief of police in the matter of raidihg gambling houses and convicting those arrested for that offense will com pare favorably with that of any other city in the country with the present admin istration of tre police department of the city.
 ..riticises Mayor
 "Why does the mayor absent himself from those public functions, where it is proper he should be present, and where it is his duty to be present as the city's rep resentative and spokesman? Why, instead does he select someone else to do the hon. OTIS on such occasions?
 "Why does he almost invariably appeal to some prominent member of the board for information as to how he should rule or act on questions raised in debate? Why does he not, as his predecessors have done act himself and upon his own intelligence and responsibility.
 Why should he refer the petition of the Mormon elders to the local ministers, when the law is before him, which, if he is un- able to understand, he can readily have construed by an able city attorney?
 "If at the expiration of his term of office he has discharged his duties as honestly and fearlessly as I endeavored to discharge mine during my fifteen years connection with the Birmingham police department, he will at least retire with his own self respect and conscience unimpaired."