The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-03-29
REILLY BOOM ON
SENIOR SERGEANT LOOKS LIKE A
WINNER FOR SUPERINTENDENT.
POLICE SITUATION CHANGED
NAUGHTIN AND GARFUNKLE AND
THEIR FRIENDS STILL HUsTLING.

They Are Not Frightened by the
Reilly BOOm-GarfunkIe Supporter
offered to Wager on the Result
and the Naughtin People Are
Seemingly as Confidnt of Success.
The Acting superintendent Adj
Vanced Rapidly and Is Now with
the Leaders-FIoated Over Some of
the Candidates on a Wave of Per-
sOnaI Popularity-Has Been a Men,
Der of the Department. for More
Than "A Score of Years and Does
Not Play with POIitics-A Combf-
nation of Circumstances Have
Placed Him in the Front Rank.
The police chief campaign has changed
somewhat and several we'll known polit-
clans predicted yesterday that Acting Sup
erintendent Owen F. Reilly will be elect
ed superintendent of the department by
Council next week.
When the candidates left the post the
senior sergeant was apparently several
lengths behind the other contestants, who
started in a bunch. Little was heard
of his candidacy until Tuesday, when he
began to boom up. and the Morning News
so stated Wednesday. Since that time
sergt. Reilly has added to his following
and bets against the field have been made
by his friends.
Col. Merritt W. Dixon, who at one
time was a prospective candidate for the
office, is an ardent admirer of Lieut..
Reilly, and his candidacy may have had
something to do with keeping Col. Dixon
out of the contest. Col. Dixon said yes
terday that he had known the acting sup
erintendent for many years, and knows
him to be a brave and fearless officer.
He has been in the police department for
over a score of years, and If he is COM
petent to fill the position of assistant
chief he is surely capable of handling
the department alone, said COL Dixon.
Sergt. Reilly has never taken part in
politics, and together with his personal
popularity and long service in the depart
ment, he has turned out to be a formida-
BILE candidate.
For the very reason that he is not a
politician IL was believed at first he had
no chance to win. This, however appears
to have been one of the chief causes for
the boom in Reilly stock. The candidates
who have been prominently identified with
the game of politics, made a hot fight
on each other from the moment the OPEN
ing gun was fired. Reilly was not consid-
cred because he was no politician and
did not own stated number of votes.
While the other candidates fought each
other Sergt. Reillys personal friends did
a good deal of quiet work. The fight
became warmer and when the officeseek-
ers stopped for breathing spell they
saw to their amazement that Reilly was
no longer an obscure candidate, but had
made rapid strides and reached the front
rank. To "a man up a tree" and to many
of the politicians, this is the present sit
uation. The fact that Reilly is mem
Der of the police department, and is In
line of promotion, is a great deal in his
favor, as the fight now stands and he
has received the support of a large por-
ton of the conservative element
Magistrate Michael Naughtin is still in
the contest and will be an applicant be-
fore Council. His friends admit that
Sergt. Reilly has taken a squirt towards
the front rank, but they do not antici-
pate a stampede. They still hold to their
candidate and claim that his peculiar
qualifications cannot be overlooked by
Council. Justice Naughtin's friends are
staunch and are bending every muscle
to land him under the wire first. If he
does not win it will not be for the rea-
son that his friends have deserted him.
Mr.. Charles Garfunkers friends are
still active and one of them offered to
bet yesterday that this candidate will
win out. They argue that he is not only
qualified to fill the police chair, but that
his service to his faction puts him ahead
of the other candidates. They believe he
will be rewarded for what he has done
and intimate that the Reilly boom is only
temporary.
Mounted Sergeant Walter Fleming said
that he will remain candidate and will
put his application before Council at the
proper time. He said that he is certain
that the superintendent will be elected
from a man in the department and in his
opinion Reilly will be chosen. Sergeant
Fleming stated that he would not with
draw because he does not wish to make
an opening for someone else who might
have an eye on the office. He Is con-
WINGED as the situation now stands that
Sergt. Reilly will be the next superin-
tendent of police.
While Mr.. T. w. Hussey is still in the
field ii is understood that he entered
under a misapprehension. His friends
have not left him, but as matters
now stand they can see but very little
hope for him.
CASTOR STREcETvS pAVTNG