The San Francisco call., 1904-10-02
Long Expected Removal OF
the Head of the City's De-
tectives Is Announced
Chief Of Police Whitman
Gives No Previous Warn
ing of Change in Bureau
Deposed Official Exchanges
Jobs With the Captain
of the HarbOr District

! Under orders from the Chief of Police
yesterday Captain John B. Martin,
. head of the detective bureau, and Cap
tain Joseph ]. Burnett in command of
the harbor district, traded jobs.
1t was a surprise to the department,
although Martins deposition has long
been expected by persons ION the in
side" Early in the day the Police Bull
let1n made its appearance and therein
the members of the force read a num-
Der of transfers and assignments, among
them the transfer of Captain John b.
Martin from the command of the detec-
tive bureau to the command of Com
pany G, harbor district, and the trans
fer of Gaptain j. j. Burnett from the
command of Company G TO the COM
mand of the detective bureau. The or
der was announced to take effect at 4:S0
p. IN. yesterday.
Captain Martin says he was unaware
of the change till he read it in the Po-
lice Bulletin, and Captain Burnett was
equally uniformed of his promotion.
Chief Whitman refuses to say anything
regarding the switch" except the
usual formula-"for the good of the de-
partment'
1t has been common report for some
time that the Chief was dissatisfied
with the work of the detective branch
of the department and contemplated a
change. 1t is possible that the new
head of that branch may find it neces-
sary to infuse new blood into it, deem
ing it desirable to have on his staff a
few men With an analytical power of
reasoning in the ferreting out of crime.
Captain Martin was appointed head
of the detective bureau on June 1, 1902,
on the retirement of Captain Seymour.
He has since handled several important
cases successfully and has made hosts
: Of friends. He has said several times
( that the position was not of his seeking
and that he preferred the less strenu-
Gus life of the captain of a district. 1t
: is hinted that some of the men took
/ advantage of his good nature and were
not so careful and active in the per-
formance of their work as they should
have been.
His successor, Captain Burnett, also
has many friends. He has the conf
dence of the Chief and it is predicted
that he will soon prove by his work
that the confidence placed in him by
/ Whitman has not been misplaced. He
received his double bars on May l,
f and it was then rumored that he was
to be put an command of the defective
department. He was the recipient yes
/ terday of hearty congratulations from
/ his brother officers and personal friends
! on his promotion.
( The new Heutenants have been as
signed as follows: H. j. Wright and
F. P. Green to Captain Duke, j. H.
Lackmann and Marcus Anderson to
Captain Gleeson, NJ Carroll to Captain
Spillane, vice Colby. transferred to
3Captain Mooney, and E. r. Wall to
Captain Martin.
Sergeants have been assigned as fol-
lows: L. Shaw to Company A, ]. b.
Cook to Company c, ]. H. Helms to be
day sergeant at Golden Gate Park sta
ton, S. Campbell to Company D, D. w.
= Boyd to Company F, ]. H. Anderson to
duty as desk sergeant in the City Pris-
on, j. E. McGoYern to Company B, J.
T. Donovan to duty in the Police Com
missioners' rooms, and E. F. Ward, NJ.
: j. Griffin. ]. ]. Farrell and p. E. FRAZIER
Z to remain where they are at present at
( tached.
! Sergeant Christensen and squad are
relieved from further duty in China
town and their places will be taken by
! Sergeant Thomas P. Ellis and Police
men Henry Heinz, William Doran,
Henry T. McGrath, c. E. Mum and
r. r. O'Brien. Sergeant Christensen
| is assigned to Company B.