Los Angeles herald., 1907-06-15
Detective Side Will
Feel the First
Temblor
City Hall Believes Some
Older Men Are
FOssilized z
Commissioners Are Determined to
Make Changes and Stimulate Ac-
tion on Part of the Depart
ment's Worst Strikers

Because 1t is contended some Of the
older detectives have become fossilized
and Mayor Harper has ordered some
reductions to the ranks there is war
on in the Los Angeles police depart
ment.
Acting Chief Paul Flammer and Capt.
Walter Auble refuse to WELD the
hatchet, and have put that unpleasant
job up to the police board. They say
they await definite orders.
The detectives who are marked have
set their political influence at work,
too, and no one knows where it will all
end.
Chief Kern is absent in the east, and
the mayor hesitates to take radical ac-
ton just now If it can be avoided, but
some of the older department employees
must Immediately show a respectable
effort at earning their salaries at once
or younger men will be given a chance.
Such is the gossip that has leaked
out at headquarters, though SO re-
ligiously is the source guarded that
only denials are met with at every
stage of inquiry.
Shakeup Is Feared
Some weeks ago the council at the
suggestion of officials, passed an ordi-
nance making the shifting of detectives
possible and at the time it was re-
marked that this was preliminary
to a general shakeup. This was de-
MED by the heads of the department,
who claimed that it merely granted
powers that had always been under
stood existed, but put the administra-
tion on a definite basis.
Mayor Harper and the police COM
missioners have for some time been
dissatisfied with the work of some of
the older members of the detective
force, who had been resting on their
oars so long that they were content to
let the younger and more energetic
sleuths do most of the work. The
mayor as ex-officio head of the depart.
ment, has ordered that soldering cease.
Kern Is Disclplinarian
In city hall gossip centers it is limited
that Chief Kern and at least two of
his captains have not worked together
as harmoniously as might be. This
lack of harmony has been called to the
attention of the civil service commits
sion In roundabout way. The chief,
though inexperienced as a policeman,
has had long experience as a council
man and in handling men, and as soon
as he got the grasp Of things he en-
forced discipline in the department.
Where in the past reports from the men
struggled in hours and days late i'm
mediate reports in writing were re-
uuired on all Investigations.
Detectives who warmed chairs for
hours at the station were notified to
get busy Many of these plain clothes
men had been in the habit of ignoring
the rule to call up headquarters hourly,
but Chief Kern insisted on compliance
with this rule.
~ Youngsters Make Captures
Friends os the mayor called his atten-
tion to the discrepancies in the cap
lures and reports made by the younger
and older men of Capt. Flammers
force and it was apparent that the
minority of the employees were doing
the majority OF the work. Right here
the present trouble started.
Underground talk concerning friction
among the heads of the department has
heen rife for some weeks. but when
Chief Edward Kern and his secretary,
Lyle Pendegast, started east to attend
the International Police Chiefs con-
vention 1t was supposed that the trou-
bles had been at least temporarily ad-
justed.
one lieutenant and one sergeant are
said to be slated for decapitation within
a week. Tuesday night the trial OF
Lieutenant Lehnhausen, for twelve
years on the force, is scheduled, and
others who hold responsible positions
in the department will have to face
charges, too. The charges are conduct
uabecominG officers.
The Lehnhausen case grows out OF
remarks that official is said to have
made concerning Chief Kern to Act
ing Sergeant Hartmeyer. Lehnnausen
and Hartmeyer were once bosom
friends, but are the reverse now. Cnle1
Kern heard of these remarks the day
he started for jamestown, but con-
cluded to let the board handle the case,
and merely instructed Capt. Bradish to
prefer charges in the regular form.
At police headquarters profound lg-
norance of any dissatisfaction among
the officials or between the officials and
the patrolmen is expressed. The dlf-
ferent captains declare they are salts
fed that matters are running smoothly
and say they cannot understand where
the reports of trouble have sprung
from.
'I have not heard of any one being
dissatisfied" said Capt. Paul Flam-
mer, now acting chief of police, when
seen last night ITO the best of my
knowledge. the commissioners and
mayor ard satisfied with the way the
department IS running, and there has
been no difficulty with them so far as
1 am concerned"