The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-04-06
Defeat Of Councilman Wolf VIII
Cause Police Shakeup.
New Chairman for Police Com
mittee Must Be Found.
TALK OF MR.. GREEN.
He May Be Named for the
Place.
Many Changes in the Other
Council Committees.

The defeat of c. V. Wolf for mem
Der of the city council from the Third
ward will result in a complete reor-
ganization of the police committee of
the city council, and in all probability
will bring about the removal of A. E.
McCollum as chief of police.
Councilman Wolf is the man who
was responsible for McCollum's ap-
pointment, and now that the people
Of the Third ward have virtually set
the stamp of disapproval on Mr.. Wolf,
the result is the implication of Nc
Collum in his fan. The charges
which were made against Wolf. and
which led to his defeat, were of such
a nature that they implicated the
chief of police.
Mayor Bergundthal has stood by
Wolf throughout this contest, though
he has not said much for publication.
Wolf has been one of his trusted adj
v1sors, apparently, though there are
rumors that the mayor has become
suspicious of the Wolf McColIum
regime recently Mayor Bergundthal
was asked today what changes would
be made in the police committee. now
that Wolf is out of the council, and
Councilman Nell has refused to con-
tinue as a member of that commit
tee He said:
about any changes in the council COM
mittees. I must talk the matter over
With some OF my friends before I know
what I viii do
1t is likely to be one of the most
perplexing questions which has come
before the mayor since he took office.
TOT II involves to great extent his
own political future. Mayor Bergl1nd-
thai knows now. if he did not know
before election, that the people of To-
peka are pretty thoroughly stirred up
over the manner in which Wolf and
McCollum have been running the no
lice department 1t was the so-caiIed
"bolters' from the law and order
ranks that defeated Wolf, and it
doesn't take much of a politician to
ns0re out that if Mayor Bergundthal
appears to endorse the Wolf McCoI-
lum system, he will jeopardize his law
and order support. which even now is
inclined to desert him.
1t is customary for the mayor to an
nounce his committees for the year at
the first meeting when the new coun-
cilmen are sworn in. This year that
first meeting will be held Friday night
at which time the vote of the election
will be canvassed by the present city
council, the result declared and the
new members sworn in
At present the members of the police
committee are SaTnpel T. Howe, C. ".
/ Wolf and Geo. Neil With Wolf and
Neil out, there will be two places to be
| filed. Some think that VIM. Green
may be selected by Mayor Bergund-
thai to take VOLTS place on the com
mittee, but it is rather likely that the
mayor will select some eouncilmen
who have served in that body, and
know more about the business in hand.
| Swendson, Ryder and Hughes are all
mentioned as possibilities, but if the
mayor should appoint Hughes, he
would be treading on dangerous
ground, for he might be giving Mr..
Hughes an opening to make things I'M
| comfortable for him.
Take it altogether it is a very trou-
blesome problem which confronts the