Evening star., 1901-02-27
GOSSIP FROM GOTHAM
City Worked Up Over Politics and
Police Appointments. d
TALK OF A CoNS4ABULARY BILL
Question as to What CFoker
Wishes in the Case.
"MORPHINE MIKES" SCHEME
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.

Politics and police are highly mixed here
in New York city nowadays. There are
so many ends to the existing complications
!, that it is difficult to keep track Of things.
| First of all there is the Croker end. No
| body seems to know whether The OLD
| Man." who is still at Vantage, will stand
| for Devery's appointment as deputy chief
| OF course, no one believes that Devery was
| appointed without cabled correspondence
| with Croker. But whether these commu-
| nications informed the Tammany Hall boss
| in his English home that Devery would be
| made deputy no one seems to know. Ii
| Croker has ordered the retention Of Devery
1t means a three-cornered fight between
the republicans, the Tammany Hall demo-
J Gratis and the respectable democrats OF
| the Lewis Nixon stripe And a fight like
| this would be fatal for Controller Coler's
chances for mayor of Greater New York
Then there is the Albany end. When
Governor Odell learned last Friday that he
| had been tricked, that Mayor Van Wyck
| had appointed a man in frail health as
police commissioner and that the new po-
lice commissioner had promptly made
Devery his chief deputy, the governor said
things that would not look well in print
Oldtime friends Of Odel said that they
had never seen the governor so angry be-
fore.
Platt FavOrs COnstabulary Bill.
He hurried to New York and confer
ence was held with Senator Platt and the
republican leaders. Senator Platt urged
that the state constabulary bill ought to
be rushed through the present legislature.
This would give the governor not only the
power of removal of the police commits
sioner, but the power of appointment as
well. Governor Odell, though apparently
not well pleased with the situation, did not
ia he ia ta a hillary hill q
that it would be a good idea to give the
present arrangement chance to work
for brief period of time, evidently think
ing that the Tammany leaders would hang
themselves if only given enough rope. So
1t appears unsettled as to just what will
happen to the police department in gen.
eral and the deputy chief in particular.
Then there is the Nixon end. Lewis
Nixon, whose activity on the Tammany
Hall committee of five has caused conster-
nation among the CROOKED and criminal
element at the hall, has cabled Croker that
If Devery is retained he will resign from
his position at the head of the committee
OF five. He says that he will not retire
from Tammany Hall, however, no matter
what happens. Were Croker here he would
probably side with Nixon, but it has been
noticed that during 9Croker's absence in
England he generally adopts the policy of
letting things slide" which in this case
would mean Devery's triumph and Nixon's
downfall. ....
Van "yck VIII DeSefy.
Then there is the Van Wyck end. 1t is
true, the governor has the power of removal,
and he can remove Van Wyck just
Roosevelt removed former District Attor-
ney Gardiner But it is quite serious ques-
ton as to whether it would be good poll
tics for the governor to take step so
radical with an election of mayor, due in
New York city next fall. The mayor will
stand by Devery just as long as he possi-
bly, can. He is on record as saying only
a few days ago that DeNery made the best
chief of police that the city had ever had,
and he will not cease the fight for his re-
tention as deputy under Col. Michael c.
Murphy.
Then there is the Murphy end to the prob
lem. Col Murphy promises to enforce the
law, and those who know him say that he
is man of iron will and that he will do
lust what he says he will do. He is
neither the best nor the worst type of a
Tammany Hall man, and he might have
filled in the gap between the new police
legislation and the election next fall with
a fair degree of satisfaction if he had not
been forced by the mayer to make Devery
his deputy. AS it is now he is in for a
fierce fight, and it is questionable whether
he will not go down in the storm. He is in
ill-health and his friends fear that he will
break down under the strain. Though once
man with a powerful frame, weighing 25O
pounds, he now weighs only ninety-two
pounds. He is frequently helped about by
an dlteuudHl. hdHy years ago he WdS al
ficted with a disorder of the stomach and
throat and ever since that time he has been
obliged to take his food through silver
tube. OF course, with man in Murphy's
condition, despite the fact that he is a
positive character and a born fighter, Dev-
cry is certain to be the real chief Of police
Where Mclaughlin Comes In.
One of the things that complicate the
situation Is the attitude Of Boss" Hugh
Mclaughlin. The political king from the
eastern end Of the Brooklyn bridge is spend
ing his winter In Florida, but when he hears
of Deverys appointment he is likely to say
some things that would make even the an
cry governor Of New York state blush The
Brooklyn organization has sworn to down
Devery. Just at present 1t seems as though
they had been long time doing it, for
Devery, like cat, lands on his feet. The
police commissionership was even offered
to Barney York of Brooklyn II he would
agree to make Devery his deputy This he
refused to do, and the place was then given
to Col. Murphy, the same string of dep
utyship for Devery, of course, being at
tached to 1t.
Take 1t all in all, 1t is a pretty fight and
a pretty gamble as to who will be the next
police commissioner of Greater New York,
for 1t should be remembered that with an
active man in this place the office would
correspond to that Of chief of police in
other cities.
The MayOralty Campaign.
Interest in the falls mayoralty campaign
has been awakened by the action of the re-
publican county committee in favor Of
union Of the forces opposed to Tammany.
Politically these forces may be classified
as the republicans, anti-Tammany demo-
Gratis Of Manhattan and the anti-McLaugh-
lin democrats Of Brooklyn. In order to
win, however. it is recognized that can
didate for mayor must have more than the
approval Of these three political bodies. He
must be acceptable to the chamber of com
merce, the Merchants Association and sim !,
liar organizations, and to the reformerS of |
the Citizens Union, the city Club, the |
committee Of fifteen and Parlhurst So |
ciety and others enlisted in the cause of |
good government. There has already been
much canvassing Of views regarding the |
selection of an anti-Croker candidate for |
mayor. Seven men are under discussion |
for the nomination for mayor to ebpose the |
Tammany candidate. They are: President |
Seth Low Of Columbia .Universafy;. George
L. 'Rives, ex-Mayor Charles A. Schieren Of |
Brooklyn, John D., >Crimmins- Supreme |
Court Justice William j. Gaynor, District |
Attorney Eugene A. Philbin and william