New-York tribune., 1900-12-25
DEvERY WON'T COMMENT.

DEvERY WON'T COMMENT.
When this statement was read 10 Chief Dew
cry last night the only comment he would make
was. Il amt got nothin' to say don't know
nothin' about it," Commissioner Sexton, who
was with the Chief at the time also refused to
make any reply to Mr. Nixon
Chief Devery returned to headquarters yester-
day morning He announced that he had re-
surned command OF the force When asked If
he had been benefited by his holiday he said,
i didn't get no good from my vacation. ca~
cause the reporters chasin' to my house all
the time so thought 1 might as well get back
TO my desk"
The Chief resolutely refused to discuss police
matters. Senator Thomas F. Grady called at
Police Headquarters soon after midday and was
closeted with the Chief for some time
All the Commissioners were at Headquarters
yesterday afternoon ready to hold a meeting for
the purpose or making promotions No action,
however, could be taken, as the eligible list was
not received from the Civil Service Board.
CHIEF Devery late in the afternoon announced
another transfer, which was commented upon
as making the situation as inexplicable as ever.
The Chief said he had taken Captain Stephen
OBrien from the Eldridge-st. station and sent
him to Wakefield, a sub-station, and Captain
Walsh was transferred from Wakefield to Ed
ridge-st. The changes go into effect at o'clock
this morning. One of the peculiarities of the
transfer is that Captain O'Brien, who was head
Of the Detective Bureau under the Reform Po-
at all in the Eldridge-st. station, the most
closely watched precinct of the Department
which has concentrated in that part Of the city.
OBrien was named in the big shakeup to sue
ceed Captain Titus, who had been sent to the
precinct TO clean II up. Titus was then sent to
the Detective Bureau, and o Bren was brought
down from the Wakefield sub-station. He was
on his vacation at the time and this extended
from early in December to January 1. Sergeant
Stephen McDermott made acting captain,
and he served nine days in that capacity. Now
Walsh takes command.
When Chief Devery was asked why O'Brien
had been transferred without his having
chance to do something, he said:
There is only an acting captain in the pre-
cinct, and 1t is too important district not TO
have captain, especially at this time"
The Chief was asked if Captain O'Brien would
be sent back TO the station and Walsh taken off
when O'Bren returned from his vacation, and
he said, NO"
He also said that the installation of a captain
did not necessarily reflect on Sergeant McDer-
He had done well. McDermott would have had
to serve only a week until O'Brien
turned.
PLANS OF THE FIFTEEN
William H Baldwin speaking yesterday Of the
prospective work of the Committee OF Fifteen.
sa'6.
We will not be in any political organza-
& by , as and b Pra
When our work is completed you might go out into
the street haul in any ten men. let them read
the report, and nine Of them would agree that
the findings of the committee were warranted by
the facts and that the recommendations were
sound and wholesome In short the things we
which the officers of city government, from
the Mayor down, would publicly declare ought TO
be done.
As the spirit OF our committee is real improve
ment, shall do everything we can to bring
about such improvement through the existing Of
hcers OF the municipality Of the city They have
the power to do all that we or any other fair
minded citizens could ask. Some of the members
Of the committee have hopes that the enforce
ment Of the law we seek can be accomplished BY
the present officers II so, no one will be more
pleased than I.
But that very power to do the right thing.
vested in our present officers, carries with II
commensurate responsibility for failure which can
not be overlooked. And the man who has the
most power to do the right thing is the man who
should be held most responsible for pa!pa6le der
how easy it was for the Mayor TO institute re;
forms. He showed that where there was a will
the law had provided way for the Mayor to
control the heads OF the various departments.
When we have collected evidence will lay
the fscts before Mayor Van wyck. If he shows
disposition TO DO the right thing and does do the
right thing. he should be commended But II he
does not act the side Of civic purity then he
should be censured in the most effective way.