The Socorro chieftain., 1906-03-31
CAPT. J. F. FULLERTON
Resigns His Position as the Head
of the Territorial Mounted
Police
AT REQUEST OF GOV. HAGERMAN
Did His Duty TO the Best of His
Ability to Perfect company's
Efficiency

The following letter published
in Tuesdays Santa Fe New
Mexican by request is Self-ex-
planatory:
Socorro, n. NJ, March 20, 1906.
TO his Excellency, Herbert ].
Hagerman, Governor of New
Mexico, Santa Fe, n. M:
Sir: Replying to your COM
munication dated March 10, 1906.
stating in effect that you were
not satisfied with the service of
the Mounted Police, of which
have had the honor of being
Captain during the past twelve
months, and that yon intended
making a change in the Cap
taincy of said Company on the first
day of April, in this connection
permit me to state that this
company was organized less than
a year ago; that for the first few
months the matter of railroad
transportation not being obtain
able, was serious handicap to
successful administration on ac-
count of long distances between
points Of operation and the eX-
tenSive area to be covered.
This was, however, remedied
after a few months and the force
equipped and organized for buSi-
ness 1t naturally takes some
little time for force of this kind
to become thoroughly familiar
with conditions and be able to
render efficient service. The
compensation provided by law is
extremely limited and less than
the amount provided by other
commemorative for similar serv-
ice, yet i'll spite of all these OBJ
stacles, ! candidly believe that
the Mounted Police have, dur
ing the past several months, rem
dercd valuable service to the pub
lie and especially have they been
of material assistance to the
stock interests, namely, sheep,
cattle and horses; considerable
property has been restored to the
rightful owners. Many law
breakers have been apprehended
and many important arrests have
been affected; much of the busi-
ness of the Mounted Police has
not been given publicity for the
reason that, in the majority of
cases, secrecy is absolutely es-
Sential to success.
WORK IS COMMENDED,
| have received words of COM
mendation of the highest char
acter from the various portions
of the Territory, representing
substantial live stock interests,
expressing satisfaction of the ef-
hciency of the mounted police
force. No doubt some mistakes
may have been made. However,
! have, at all times, used every
effort to do my duty to the best
of my ability in order to perfect
the efficiency of the company to
meet the designs intended by the
Legislature.
| recognize that you, perhaps,
have the power of removal or
substitution in my case, if arbi-
trarily exercised, yet the law
creating the Office of the captain
of the Mounted Police failed to
fix any definite period or term of
Office, but limited the authority
of the executive TO sixty days,
after the passage of the act Gre
ating the police force. in which
to appoint captain, (see Sec
tion ,, page ;, Laws l905), the
evident intention of the legisla-
ture being that no change of of
fcers was contemplated, and the
provision of law for the enroll
ment of men being for one year
seems to have referred to enlisted
men only.
WILL NOT CONTEST REMOVAL.
1t seems to me that your con-
templated action is unfair and
will be the means of preventing
me from demonstrating the true
worth of the force and depriving
me of the benefit or credit ac-
crueing from my efforts given in
good faith toward perfecting the
organization to a state of effic-
iency which, believe, is an ac-
cepted fact by the public most
vitally interested, and to which,
in all justice, should be entitled.
shall not contest your right to
make the change on April LIST,