The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-02-04
HI Health and Absence from the City
Assigned rs the Princi-
pal Reasons.
MAYOR WAS LOATH TO ACCEPT
OFF LETTER HE SENT TO SAFE
TY BOARD PRESIDENT.
When Capt. English Consented Il
Serve He laid 1t Would Not BE
for a Long Time.

When Capt. William z. English accepted
appointment from Mayor Bookwalter to the
Board of Safety it was with the distinct
understanding that he would not hold Of
flee long. Capt. English is just now recov-
ering from a severe illness and when he is
able to travel will leave the city for an ex-
tended trip in search of health. He there
fore. on last Saturday mailed to Mayor
Bookwalter the following letter of resigna-
ton:
Il hereby tender you my resignation as
member and president of the Board of
Safety. to tax effect at as early a date as
may be convenient to you. My resignation
is made Immediately necessary by the fact
that l am at this writing confined to my
room by serious illness at a time when i'm
pOrtant meetings of the board are being
held and with little prospect of an early
return to rugged health and that as soon
as / am well able to travel l shall be COM
PEELED TO absent myself from the city for
some time in search of restoration to a
better physical condition. 1t is. therefore,
due to the city and to yourself that my
place upon the board be promptly filled by
someone who can give a proper attention
to the duties of this important office.
I'm retiring from the presidency Of the
board controlling the fire and police de-
partments of Indianapolis l desire to bear
testimony to the high character, honesty of
purpose and fidelity to the city's best in
terests at all times displayed by my fellow
of the board during my agreeable
association with them as well as to the
efficiency, zeal and ready devotion to duty
of the splendid fire and police forces of the
city, headed by those most excellent and
capable officers, Superintendent Coots and
Taffe.
lin view of our cordial personal relations
L sever my official connection with your adj
ninistration with regret, and in doing so
desire to thank you for the unsolicited hon
or of the appointment so graciously con-
ferred and to express to you my high per-
sonal regard for yourself and my very
best wishes for the continued success and
prosperity of your administration"
THE MAYORS LETTER.
Yesterday Captain English received from
the mayor the following letter. in which he
regretfully accepted the resignation:
lit was with a feeling of profound regret
that i received your letter of the 1st inst,
rendering your resignation as a member
and president of the Board of Safety. Had
L followed my first impulse / would instead
of writing you have called on you person.
ally and urged you to withdraw such resig-
nation. But when i again read your letter
and called to mind the agreement with
which you originally assumed this position,
at which time you gave substantially the
same reasons for not accepting the place
which you now give as your reasons for
reSigning the same, | feel that in justice
TO you there is a limit TO the things which
l can ask you to do merely through the
warm feeling Of friendship which has al
ways CldIdCitIlLtu III dCQudllldnGt III
this connection l wish to bear tribute to
the high appreciation in which your serv-
ices are held, not only by the other men,
bers of the Board of Safety, but also by
myself. Now that you feel compelled to
sever the relationship which has always
been most pleasant l wish TO express to
you my thanks for the sacrifice which you
made in originally taking up this work.
Il sincerely trust that you may soon be
restored TO perfect health and that you may
be spared for many years of usefulness 10
the people of the city of Indianapolis.
while il is with great regret that I ac-
cept your resignation, which in justice TO
you l am compelled to do. 1T is a pleasure
TO be able to remember that our business
relations have always been most cordial
and pleasant. L have not fixed any date on
which your resignation is to take effect.
but would like very much for you 10 set the
time to suit your own pleasure"
Upon receipt of Mayor BoOkwalter's let
ter Captain English notified him by letter
that he would like to have his resignation
take effect at once.