Waterbury Democrat., 1902-01-23
RYAN MADE CHIEF.
Veteran Captain of Hartford Police
 Department Promoted.

Veteran Captain of Hartford Police
 Department Promoted.
 Hartford, Jan 23.-Captain Cornelius Ryan was elected chief of police last night by a unanimous vote of the com- missioners. The election of captain was held up by the republican mem bers of the board. After the table was cleared of routine business Mayor Harbison said that at the previous meeting he had announced that he would call the members together for conference about the position of chief, but he had not done so. He suggested that an informal conference be held. An executive session was called for i Commissioner Huntington moved that an informal ballot be taken for chief of police. Commissioner Quinn said he did not see any necessity for an ex- ecutive session and Commissioner New ton was in favor of one.
 Mayor Harbison said that the con- 1 ference would be informal and there would be no election. He put the mo- tion for an executive session, offered by Commissioner Wise, and the three republicans voted in favor of it while the three democrats voted against 1t. The motion was carried by the vote of the mayor, who was in favor of the secret session. This action was looked upon with surprise as short time ago Mayor Harbison announced that he was not in favor of secret sessions by city boards.
 The secret session occupied ten min
 utes, and during that time Captain : Ryan, the clerk and the reporters re , tired. When the open session. was re } sumed Mayor Harbison arose and ad , dressed Captain Ryan as follows
 Captain Ryan, six votes were cast fo
 you on an informal ballot, and thel
 formal action was taken and you wer, declared chief of police On behalf o the city and of the commissioners, congratulate you upon your unanimou election as chief of the departmen with which you have been connected s many years. The election is in a sens a reward for your faithful duty. Fo forty years you have devoted the prin cipal part of your life to lifting tn a department up to its present hig
 standard and I hope that under you
 administration and watchful care will be held in the same esteem as
 has been in the past The mayor
 remarks were applauded.
 s In reply Captain Ryan said: "M \ Mayor and Commissioners: I than you sincerely for what you have don \ for me tonight. I see you have al \ preciated my services in the past an Y l hope you will have no cause to r < gret your action in the future" I'll II new chief was given a round of al E plause for his remarks. No ''string } was attached to his promotion.
 Cornelius Ryan, the new chief of D ,s lice, fills the vacancy caused by Il )j death of Captain George F. Bill. H
 wears eight service stripes on h sleeves, showing forty years of co
 tinuous service in the department. IT < commission dates October 3, 1S61 F
 came to this city in 1S49 and was CT s ployed at the foundry of Woodruff
 Beach on Commerce street Aft twelve years in the foundry he join, the police force and has been in actu
 service since. He has been connect, with many important cases and in u early days of the force was often ,E the midst of serious trouble maintai ll ing order, the rougher element not Ina ing been trained to respect an offic ga of the peace as it does now. He W r commissioned lieutenant in 1873 and \ the accession of Chief Bill to the he of the force became captain. He is . closely built, wiry man, and when \ took his turn on the streets was a ha one for the toughs to handle. He h
 Wide acquaintance with police O
 clals i'll many parts of the country. M