Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1906-03-27
MOUNTED POLICE
CAPTAIN RESIGNS
John F. Fullerton
So Informs the
Governor.
CLAIMS A GOOD RECORD
Difficult Work in Organizing
Force on a Satisfactory
Basis.

The following letter conveying the
resignation OF Captain John r. Fuller
ton of the New Mexico Mounted Po.
lice, Of his Office and addressed to
Governor Hagerman, has just been re.
ceived by the New Mexican with re.
quest that same be published in full,
Socorro, N. NJ, March 26, 1906.
To His EXcellency, Herbert J. Hager
man, Governor of New Mexico, Santa
Fe, N. NJ:
Sir: Replying to your communica.
ton dated March 49, 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 you intended making
a change in the Captaincy of said
Company on first day of April, in this
connection permit me to state that
this Company was organized less than
year ago; that for the first few
months the matter of railroad trans
| pOrtation not being obtainable, was
serious handicap to successful admin
| istration on account Of long distances
between points of operation and the
extensive area to be covered. This
| was, however, remedied after few
months and the force equipped and or
| ganized for business. 1t naturally
takes some little time for force of
this kind to become thoroughly famil.
lar with conditions and be able to rem
der efficient service. The compensa-
| ton provided by law is extremely linn
tied and less than the amount provid-
ed by other commonwealths for similar
service, yet in spite Of all these OBJ
stacles, 1 candidly believe that the
Mounted Police have, during the past
several months, rendered valuable ser
vice to the public 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 appre-
hended and many important arrests
have been effected: much of the busi-
| ness of the Mounted Police has not
been given publicity for the reason
tnat, in the majority of cases, secrecy
| is absolutely essential to success.
Work Is Commended.
have received words of commenda-
ton of the highest character from the
various portions of the Territory, rep
resenting substantial live stock inter.
ests, expressing satisfaction OF the ef-
liciency 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 arbitrarily 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 pas
sage of the act creating the police
force, in which to appoint captain,
(see Section 2, page 3, Laws 19O5),
the evident intention of the legisla-
ture being that no change of officers
was contemplated, and the provision
of law for the enrolment of men be-
| ing for one year seems to have re-
ferred to enlisted men only.
Will Not Contest Removal.
1t seems to me that your contem-
plated action Is unfair and will be the
means of preventing me from demon
strating the true worth of the force
and depriving me of the benefit or
credit accruing from my efforts given
in good faith toward perfecting the
organization to state OF efficiency
which, | believe, is an accepted fact
by the public most vitality interested,
and to which, in all justice, should
be entitled. | shall not contest your
right to make the change on April 1st
next, as hereinbefore stated, although
I believe your action contrary to the
intention of the legislature and not de-
manded by any public interest, and
certainly unfair to the present incum
bent.
You kindly offer your good offices
toward securing for me some other
employment in the territorial service,
which are hereby most respectfully de-
clined ! remain,
Respectfully,
JOHN f. FULLERTON,
| Captain Mounted Police,