The evening world., 1905-12-15
HAFFEN GOT OUT
WHEN He SIGHTED
DANGER AHEAD
" Duties of His Office >
Is Considered to Be
a Feeble Excuse.

There was considerable speculation Al
over the Uronx to-day as to lust WI,
Louis j, flalfen, for years the abs lut
TRInmsny boss OF the borough sudden
ly discovered that his du les as Bor
ough President were too heavy for in
to continue the work Of leadership a,
we'll Mr., llaffsn has been Byroug.
President for a long time. vet he never
before ollowed that office 20 i'tertsrC
with his leadership. 80 the speculation
over the reasons for his act last night
In turning over his crown TO his inti'
mae friend, Michael j. Garyin, Is quite
natural
TSmmany men see the haad Of Leader
Murphy In the matter Murphy has
been after Haffens scalp for some
| time.
There Is a body Of men in the Bronx,
made up almos, entirely OF gentlemen
who have opposed Haffen at one time
or another during ,he laters pJ-
| lltcal career, who are claiming the
credit to day for Halfens retirement
rhtv have an organization known as
the Civic Leagne, ami the prime OBJ
ject OF the Civic League is 10 gel the
Legisa ture ID send committee OF SEN
ators and AssemblynYp down here 10
investigate the Bronx That is tanta-
mount to asking the Legislature 10 In
yestgate Haffen. Tho civic League
believes that Tammany Hall brought
pressure 20 bar IN Hafen TO retire,
knowing that the League was going to
Albuny well fortified with evidence of
conditions in the Bronx, justityng rs
request tyr an Nestigaron.
Some OF the leading members q the
Civic League are former Park C0mmIs-
sloner John Eustis, James L, Wells.
who was Republican candidate for Pres
ldent OF the Board OF Aldermen at the
last election; Albert E. Davis, Coroner
William O'Gorman, VINO Is a Hearst
man; ex.Judee Ernest Hail. Hal Bell,
who ran against Hhffen for Borough
President, and Arthur c. Bedell
These gentlemen formed the Civic
League three weeks ago and have been
after Haffens scalp ever since. They
have had their investigators in every
department Of the borough and the
instructions we're to get all possible
evidence Of corruption that would be OF
use in inducing the Legislature to act
The net result OF this private invests
gallon is said TO be a revelation "
conditions which would nuke evea the
redoubtable Cassidy, so lately the VIC
tim Of public ingratitude, blush. 1t is
alleged that there has been open col
luslon between contractors and public
officials, to the great boss Of public |
funds, that borough employees have
been. appointed 70 street-opening COM
missions, TO their own great profit; !
that the payolls have been scanda.
lously padded; that contractors for bor-
Ough work have been allowed 30 throw |
up their contracts without their bonds |
men being pcnallzed, 80 that the con- |
tracts could be let over again at much |
grea ter expense 70 the borough, and |
that miles Of streets In obscure dis |
tricts have been paved and the roads /
asphalted unnecessarily, the only an |
parent reason being that the surround |
Ing property is owned by Haffen, MI, |
friends and his relatives. These are
only a few Of the things that the N. |
vestlgators claim TO have diAcoyered
The wise men In the Bronx saw that
Tammeny Hall got wind OF how thor.
oughly the Civic League had done its
work some days ago, and that IL was
delicately suggested TO Mr. Haffen thai
II would be well for him 20 be anythina
but Tammany leader when the storr,
breaks on his unfortunate head.
Tamrnany is in a bad enough way IN
the Bronx what with Hearst men and
reformers, without having It's leader
made the target of a legislative In.
vestigation, To investigate Loui, Hat
fen. Borough President and citizen f.
bad enough, but 10 investigate Louls
Haffen, Tammany leader Is too serIous
a matter 10 be even thought OF.
II didn't cost Charles II. Murphy env
serious pangs 10 see Haffen 20. Hafen
was entirely too independent 10 Eult
Murphy and other downtown Tam.
many leaders, and his head would hava
gone of long ago n anybody had bean
big enough 10 apply the political guiilo-
tine.
II was at a meeting OF the Jefferson
club last night that Leader Haffen re,
signed and named Mr. Garvin In his
place. Mr. Garvin was elected but how
long he will last is a question. He is a
great friend Of Haffen. and some folks,
Of suspicious turn of mind, see IN him a
dummy for Haffen. Incidentally, Mr..
Garvin is an architect, and has the
contract for the new Court House in the
Bronx, He IL wealthy,