The San Francisco call., 1907-02-19
COLBY IS APPOINTED
CHIEF Of DETECTIVES
Selected by Dinan to Succeed
Captain Duke, Who
Resigned
FAVORED BY LEAHY
But One Police Conrnis-
sioner Consulted Before
Vacancy Is Filled
FAVORED BY LEAHY

Instead of having a meeting yester
day. as was expected, with the Board
Of Police Commissioners, Chief of Po-
lice Dinan took an automobile ride with
Commissioner Leahy, and on his re-
turn to his Office astonished everybody
by announcing the fact that Captain
Harry H. Colby of the southern station
would be on hand this morning in the
chair of the. captain of detectives, sue
ceeding Captain Duke. While Colby
had been discussed as a possibility 1t
was known that he had said he did
not want the job, and Commissioners
as we'll as police captains expected to
be consulted as to who should be
Dukes successor.
II appointed Henry H. Colby to the
position of captain of detectives. /
had no meeting with the Commission
ers, and I did not consult any one else.
/ have the authority to name Dukes s
successor, and I exercised it, said
Chief Dinan yesterday afternoon about
8 o'clock. after having spent almost
the entire afternoon with Police Com
missioner Doc" Leahy in an automo-
bile trip about town.
1t is declared that there may be ex-
cellent reasons for Leahy's not wishing
to be Identified with the arbitrary plac-
ing of new man In important a
post. None of the other Commissioners
knew thing about the matter. They
had not been consulted nor their wishes
learned. Perhaps, it is said, Leahy does
not care to appear too prominently as
the power behind what is generally re-
garded as a peculiar choice.
Commissioners Creswell, Umbsen and
Hagerty had expected to be consulted.
Umbsen said few days ago that while
the power to appoint a captain of de-
tectfves rested nominally with the
chief, it was but reasonable to expect
that that official would consult the
board on whose continued favor Df-
mans position depends. While Dinan
may appoint whom he pleases as cap
tain of detectives, the Commissioners
may appoint whom they please as chief.
But Jerry Dinan apparently feels sure
of his position, for he failed to con-
suit any one except Leahy.
A meeting was planned for yesterday
afternoon, at which the Police Com
missioners were to meet the various
police captains. from whose ranks the
new detective captain must come, and
the detective sergeants, who are more
shan any others Immediately concerned
in the appointment of one who shall be
their boss" But the meeting was
called off, The Commissioners will
have to content themselves with a dis
cussion of the affair this evening after
Colby has been "on the job a day.
Commissioner Creswell was surprised
at the suddenness of the appointment,
but said that Colby would have been
his choice anyway. Commissioner
Umbsen would not be interviewed, but
it is understood does not like the ap-
pointment.
The record of Captain Of Detectives
Colby is notable chiefly for its unevent-
fulness. He has had no experience as
a criminal hunter and has been con-
nected with no notable case. Many of
the years of his association with the
Police Department have been spent at
the desk of the complaint bureau.
In brief, Captain Colby's record fol-
lows: Appointed patrolman April IS,
1880; sergeant, 1889; lieutenant, 1902;
captain, September 29, 1905. He has
been in command of the Southern sta
tion.
Captain Duke will assume command
this morning at the Southern station,
exchanging positions with Colby and
losing SIS per month in the reduction
which he sought because of the harass-
ing methods employed by his superiors
and the encouraged insubordination of
some of his detectives.