New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-12-18
DEVERY AGAINST YORK.
BIG POLICE sHAKEUP AsCRIBED BY
SOME PERSONS TO SPITE.

| The reasons for Chief Deverys extraordinary
/ shakeup in the police force continue to cause the
1veliest kind OF speculation. Several theories were
! advanced yesterday. one OF which covered the
entire situation and all Of which lacked conhrii'"-
| ton from the Chief himself, who kept away from
! Headquarters and only communicated with rev
! trusted subordinates by telephone. Commissioners
| Sexton and Abel declared positively that they u,U
/ not even know the transfers were coming, anu -
| wardIy at least. placed the full responsioAi'S 80
! them upon the Chief Politicians generaly on oo
I sides of the fence denied having asked Tor am
| transfers and with one accord everyoooS' ,"N
ing Hugh Mclaughlin. seemed 10 unite =" NV ~
grand chorus TITS up TO Devery!
One theory which found favor in Demoera.ic
quarters was that sorle of the transfers couio DC
accounted for only upon tho basis OF 1antna"S :
PIatt deal Those who held this theory pointer Ecu
out that nearly all the captains VINO sot
berths' I'm the shakeup were Republicans mciuo-
ING Price and Titus and argued that DeVery hopeo
tbns 10 nropitiate Republican favor and save his
own head should the proposed new police bill be-
come law.
CIovernor-elect OdeII and William H. Ten Eyck
set this report at rest without delay. The Gov
ernor-eIect was his home in Newburg when
representative OF The Tribune saw him.
Governor" said the reporter 1.-THE rumor is in
circulation in New-York that yJur suggestions
were acted upon by Chief Devery in making the
recent changes VIII you say If the report is true
or not?'
There is nothing in t." said Mr. OdeI.
Mr. Ten Eyck said: II Mr.. Platt yesterday
and there is truth in the story.
HUGH MLAUGHLIN PASSES THE LIE.
Hrgh Mclaughlin the Democratic leader OF
Brooklyn who has taken violent offence at Dew
erys removal Of Deputy Chief Mclaughlin from
that borough to Queens. has a theory covering the
Chiefs reasons for BrOoklyns part OF the shake
up at least, and he announced II yesterday with
out mincing words at all, saying. among other
things: He made them in the interest Of bad gov
eminent. and nobody knows il better than he
Why didn't he have the manhood to come and
proclaim his real reason?. Why didn't he SAY he
was doing it for spite? If he had said that-which
is, in fact, the TRUTH might have had some re-
spect for him. If he doing what he believed
to be right. how was it that he was ashamed to
announce the changes in his own office? He tele-
phoned the changes to his Office 1t was too dark
deed; he must have been in cellar. see that
Devery says he made the changes in the interest
of good government. When Devery made that
statement he lied"
DONE TO HUMILIATE YORK.
This brings the searcher for first causes down
TO the police theory; and the average policeman
though averse to allowing himself 10 be quoted
generally has a pretty clear idea of what is going
on in the Department The police view is that the
shakeup is primarily due to the fight between
Devery and York. They say that each is doing all
ne spite the other and that Devery made
these transfers "off his bat" in order to hui
lieve that Commissioners Sexton and Abel tell
the truth when they say they ana not know what
secured their promise to stand by him in his fight
the surprise of their lives by the boldness of the
stroke he made.
This is just like Devery, many Of the police say.
and. that he has gone too far in his fat witted
style they admit; just as he made a fool Of him
stop the music in all the first class hotels and
famous ante-election order to the force TO oppose
McCullagh's deputies at the polls. His changing
erang York feels sure his enemy has exceeded
his authority there, and the president hopes to
to have much evidence damnatory of Devery's
which York is pushing with ali his might
! Commissioner Hess expects to be at Headquarters
to-day, and full meeting of the Board may be
held for the first time since he became ILL.,
DEvERY's END IN SIGHT
The Tammany men had little or nothing to say
yesterday about the police mix up. They all ad-
mitted that the defiance of Hugh Mclaughlin was
something not TO be regarded lightly. 1t was de
clared emphaticaIy that Chief Devery had made
the transfers upon his own responsibility The men
who in charge of the organization during
Cookers absence declare that they knew nothing
of the matter until Devery gave the order. They
regard it as a declaration Of war on the part of
DeVery against Commissioner York Hugh Me-
Laughlin and others in Brooklyn who have been
saT that he has nut Tamrnapv i'm had bo on the
eve of a Mayoralty campaign. All the Tammany
They seem TO think that Devery's career is coming
III,
occasion TO kick at some people whom he dOesn [
like
John c. Sheehan said last night: These transfers
We're not actuated by desire for the good of the
force. There a financial reason back of it.
| Chief Devery knows that his day Is drawing to
close, and he wants to get the last drop he can
! 1t is apparent that the Tammany leaders are
stupefed by the rash action of the Chief. Already
| the Tammany men are speculating upon his sue
! cessor 1t is said that John F. Carroll. John
/ Whalen and John B. Sexton have decided that
Devery must go. In the mean time Hugh McLaugh-
grimy announces that either Devery goes or the
| Kings County organization cuts loose from Tam
! many. II DeVery remains Mr. Mclaughlin will
| take it that Tammany supports him. Iammany
needs Kings County badly in the coming MayOralty
! campaign and il said last night that Mr..
Devery's ready for the signature "fnis,
! SO far as the Police Department is concerned.