The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-06-29
ABOUT THE I !. J.
POLICE FORCE
An Article in The Sun Says
Chief Dolan Is Sacrifice
4. ing the Captains.

Tho Sun published the following article
to-day about tho Police force:
The police force Of this city Ia In state
of decentralization and REORGANIZATION M
a result OF the evident intention Of Police
Commissioners Pyle and Clarkson to
drive every Democrat from the position
now held BY him.
So confident are the mon that plots hays
F, Of obtaining on excuse to order their dis
missal. that every officer from tho oap-
tains down to the pstr0imsn are In a state
Of uueasinsss thatis couduoivs Of disor-
ganizntion.
The attention Of every reputable citizen
has been directed to the workings OF the
Police Commission during the last two
weeks and disapproval is evident among
nearly oil.
Yesterday the absence Of Police Com
missioner A. J. Hart was frequently COM
mented on. Mr.. Hart had gone to Hot
Springs, Va. This - believed to be u part
OF the deep laid scheme now In the COURSE
Of operation. IL was said yesterday BY
several prominent men that Hart has left
Commissioners Pyle and Clarkson alone
ia the conduct Of their own plans with the
idsa that he can return. when these two
Commissioners have thrown out the Dam.
ocrats and say that he bad no hand In 10
and was not present to protest against
such action.
Mr.. Hsrts political friends expect him
to stay at his post and face the music and
unless he Gan satisfactorily explain HE
present action his political associates claim
that he will be politically dead.
The source Of the entire trouble seems
to lie in Commissioner Pyle. 1t Is OPEN
" charged that Pyle is trying to trade the
police department for the reelection OF
his brother lsaap as CITY auditor. For the
success of his plan. 1t 10 claimed, he de.
ponds largely oil Chief Of Police John =.
Dolan aud right I here Is where the most
astonishing Incident In connection Win
iile whole agitation figures
1t Is believed by many that Chief Dolan
Is sacrificing his two captains, Mesers.
Kane and Chambers, and II need be tho
whole force, to save himself.
This claim is made by close students OF
the situation at police headquarters. Tney
say that Pyle and Clarkson have decided
to prostitute tho department, to throw out
the Democrats, even at the expense OF Gre.
ating REORGANIZATION In the force and
have set to work to do 1t at once. Their
Pyle fon nd be needed Dolan to save the
City Authorship for his brother. In &C.
cordancs with this Pyle will save Dolan's
head and in return the Chief Will he ex'
pouted to present Commissioner Pyle with
sufficient counoilnanic influence to insure
the reelection OF Isaac Pyle.
This use Of tho police department to
settle personal grudges and pay political
debts is condemned by the reputable citi-
ing done in evident. All tho while Ser-
geant Massey and Black are spending the
time boosting their game for appointments
as chief and captain respectively.
This prostitution Of Wilmington's ex-
cellent police force is deplored by the ma
jorty Of its citizent. In fact there Ia
decided movement among prominent men
of all classes irrespective OF party afflia-
tions to protest against this prostitution
The effect of Commissioners Pyle and
Clarkson's determination to pay their po'
litcal debts by dismissing men from ths
police force Is disorgnnizlng The force.
This Is not denied. as evidence, OF 1t exist
on every hand. The men are In an uncer.
tain mood They arc constantly on the
lookout for traps set by the com mission.
In view Of this the men cannot give Gill.
Gent service.
1t is believed that all thls agitation will
eventually lead to City Council, where ao-
ton will be taken against Commissioners
Pyle and Clarkson, These mon can't dis
organize the police department and gst
away with 1t. 1t appears to be simply
matter Of the prostitution Of the depart.
ment and popular sentiment Is against
that Should Commissioner Pylex?roceed
in his deal with Chief Dolun at Iliaf sacri-
flee OF Captain Kane and Chambers, and
should he bs upheld In itby Commissioner
Clarkson 1t is believed that the two COM
missioDers will be charged with causing
the REORGANIZATION Of the police forco aud
will be thrown out Of the commission by
vote of City Council.
The matter Is probably the most serious
one coming before the people for several
years. Paat efforts to- keep tho police out
OF politics have beam successful. When
Commissionor Ciarkson' was appointed BY,
Mayor Mclean he promised the peopls
that he would not sanction tho entrance
of politics In the management OF police
commission affairs. The people are look.
ing to him TO fulfil his promise.
INJUSTICE OF THE ARTICLE.
1t is known as fact that Chief Dolan
is tho hardest worked man on the force.
He has to attend to the entire force. When
an order Is given captains duty ends
when 1t is placed in the hands OF the SER
geants or men.
The chief Ia the one who has to see TINT
every man does individual and combined
work. He has no regular hours. Dinner
hour and midnight finds the Chief ot
work just the same as OF auy other time.
The article in the Sun was commented
upon this morning to such mn extent that
Il reporter of the REPUBLICAN called upon
the chief In reference TO 1t.
He said: $50 far M l AIN personally con-
oerned the writer Of that article can say
all he wants about me. But do think 1t
is unfair to the commissioners.
1t is grossly unfair to Mr.. Hart and Mr..
Clarkson. Full arrangements had bosn
made by Mr.. Hart to leave the city before
the meeting was held. II commissioner
Hart had been present at tho meeting tho
decision In Fuhrman's case would have
been tho Same.
He violated the rules aud the charge
WINS proven. So far as sacrificing the CUP
tains to save myself don't have to do 1t.
am here TO do my duty to the people.
have no friends 10 punish or reward. 1
have my duty to perform and will per-
form 1t. My duty Is plain and when any
man violates q rule he must answer for 1t
even were he my best friend. will say
for the benefit Of the writer Of that article
that so far as my position IL concerned
I'm not stuck on 1t 1t Is the poorest
paid and tho hardest worked position I'M
der the Commission .--'