Omaha daily bee., 1899-11-15
CHIEF BIXBY STEPS ASIDE
Hands in His Resignation to Take Effect
This Morning.
PATRolMAN ALBRo APPOINTED TO PLACE
Reinstatement of Sergeant Bergman
Given by Bixby ms the Cause of
His Resignntion--Mnyor Has
Nothing 10 Say.
pATRolMAN ALBRo APPOINTED TO PLAt

with today Frank A. Bixby will cease
| to be chief of police and city marshal Of
the city OF Council Bluffs and his place
will be filled by Samuel l. Albro, who until
| this promotion came SO Unexpectedly to him
held down a beat as patrolman on the force.
Chief Bixby's retirement is a direct re-
suit OF the suspension OF Night Sergeant
| Gus Bergman, which caused SO much dis
sension in the ranks of the local democrats.
The CHIEF considered he was getting the
! worst end of it all through and when he
| learned that Bergman was to be reinstated
| he decided on sending in his resignation,
which he did yesterday morning in the fol-
| lowing communication to the mayor:
COUNCIL BLUFFS, Nov. 10, 1s99.-Mayor
Jennings: Dear Sr-I herewith hand you
vember "S ' is 1899. i am fully convinced I
cann9t continue longer With S, satisfaction to
lily 'e'A VI 'o'' +. A. BIxBY.
This communication Chief Bixby handed
| to Mayor Jennings during the forenoon, but
| it was not until late in the afternoon that
the mayor notified Bixby that he was pleased
to accept 1t and that he had appointed Pa
trolman Albro to the position.
Chief Bixby, when seen yesterday after
noon, said 81 handed in my resignation as
under the circumstances l consider l could
not possibly hold the position without COM
| promising myself. regret now that stayed
| in the office as long as have and did not
| accept one of the many advantageous offers
! 1 have received to go back into the business
in which 1 was before being appointed chief
| of police At best a chief of police in this
| city always gets the worst of It, First one
| is down on you and then another, and then
| IL you are democrat the republican papers
| are jumping onto you all the time and If
| you are a republican the democrat papers
| are at you. l would not be chief of police
again in this city for ten times the salary.
"If the efficiency of the department is to
| be maintained and the men compelled to
stand by the rules and regulations, these
' rules must be enforced to the letter. There
/ cannot be any favoritism-one man dismissed
| for a certain offense and another excused
| for the same infraction Of the rules. In Berg
mans case, Rule of the regulations, which
| are supposed to govern the department, pro-
| vides that any member of the police force
| found in state of intoxication while in uni
form will be promptly discharged. This rule
was enforced to the letter only very short
time since In the case Of patrolman who
happened to be the worse for drink while
on duty.
! "As to the threatened investigation of the
| department, as / stated in my communica-
tion to the papers last Sunday. / was and am
still perfectly willing that one should be
| held. Every cent that has passed through
! my hands in the way of fines from fallen
women and other sources has been accounted
| for and is entered on the books of the de-
| partment. I understand it is charged that
have received fines from sporting women and
sporting houses which have never been en-
/ tered on the records. This brand as delib-
crate falsehood and defy any person to pro-
! duce scintila of proof to substantiate such
a charge. l leave the department without any
feelings of animosity to anyone in it and
| all hope is that my successor, whoever he
may be, will have an easier row to hoe than
| / had"
Samuel Albro whom Mayor Jennings an
nounced as the new chief of police and city
marshal, was entirely unknown to fame until
| he received an appointment as patrolman.
| That he Is a man of more than ordinary
| nerve and courage he showed when he and
Patrol Driver James, after fusillade of re-
volver shots, succeeded in shooting and cap
( turing ]. A. Gregory the desperate and
horsethief who shot Constable Mess at Love-
| land and kidnapped Sheriff Morgan's son.
| Albro is a quiet and unassumng man who
J has the reputation of always attending to
| his own affairs He has clean record as
patrolman and when Night Sergeant Berg
man was suspended he was appointed to
temporarily fill the position. He has the dis
tinction of being the tallest and thinnest
man in the department. standing over six
| feet in his stockings.
Mayor Jennings declined to discuss the
matter last evening beyond stating that he
had received and accepted Chief Bixby's
resignation and had appointed Patrolman
| Alhrn IN the DOsitiOn He declined to say
whether Bixby's resignation had been ten
dered at his request or not. When asked II
! there would be an investigation OF the de-
partment he said he was not prepared to
say anything.