The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-10-12
DRUHHAANN FORCED TO RESIGN.
FACED CHARGES FOR NOT SHUT
TING UP TENDERLOIN.

Gen. bingham Had a List OF New Gambling
Houses " From Gov. Higgins, but
Probably Correct inspector Threw Up
His and s-Schmlttberge Looms Up.
Admitting that he was not equal to the
a of cleaning up the Tenderloin, lnspec-
tor Thomas l.. Druhan, one OF the veterans
of the Police Department, handed his
resignation yesterday to COMMISSIONS
Bingham, who promptly accepted it. The
Commissions had hauled Druhan up and
shown him a list OF new gambling resorts
that were reported to be running in full
blast in the Tenderloin.
Il want you to close up these places, :
said Bingham.
Il can't do it " replied Druhan. -Ithrow
up my hands,
Commissioner Bingham told him that he
would either have to put the resorts out of
business or get off the force. Druhan
quickly concluded that the job was too
strenuous.
The Commissioner was reported as saw
ing that the list OF new resorts in the Ten
derloin which had caused him to jack up
Druhan had been furnished by Gov. Hig-
gins. This he emphatically denied. He
declared that while a communication vas re-
ceived from the Executive Mansion a month
ago enclosing two letters and six postal
cards complaining Of the existence OF
gambling houses, lone Of them referred to
the Tenderloin or any part Of the district
that Druhan presided over.
Even if the Governor had sent COM
plants about the existence of poolrooms
in the Tenderloin," said the Commissioner
Il would not have been spurred to any
more action than by a letter from any
private citizen.
a list of new gambling places that were
said to be running in Druhan's district was
furnished to me. that's all. | Won't say
who furnished the list, but | felt positive
hat the information that the places were
running was pretty safe. Then l sum
moned Druhan to my Office and told him
the resorts out of business. / was very
much surprised-in fact l was d~umfounded
-when he threw up his hands.
Il like Druhan and have thought right
along that he was a good inspector and
the right man for the Job in the Tender
loin, but when he said he couldn't close
those joints up then | told him that he
would either go up on charges or get of
the force.
From my experience since I nave been
at the head Of the department, il appears
that when a man reaches the grade of in
spector he feels that his working days
are over and that all he has TO do Is to sit
down and take things easy. ] declared
loon after | took Office that I would hold
the inspectors responsible for their dis
tricts. and | meant every word Of il. No
inspector can lie down on the job"
Gen. Bingham said he belived Druhan
was as honest as they make them but that
he lost his nerve in the Tenderloin. Tn
inspector spent t~hirty-six years in the
department, but never before had a COM
mand in Manhattan. He was appointed
in Brooklyn and served there until he was
sent to the Tenderloin to succeed Inspector
Schmittberger. Right along he has felt
that he couldn't trust the plain clothes
men; he was honest but suspicious, and
for that reason he was very often in the
dark "a to what was going on in the pre-
cincts under his command.
COMMISSIONS Bingham said last night that
he didn't know who would succeed Druhan
in the Tenderloin. He was asked il he
would put Schmittberger back and he re-
piled:
Il don't know. If | thought he was the
only man who could do the work | would
surely put him there
The retirement Of Druhan makes Ave
vacancies in the Inspector grade. The
Commissioner reiterated last night that
he would not promote any one OF the five
eligibles on the list.