The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-08-23
FINS WRITTEN
FOR CHIEF OMAN
New Board of Police Commits
Sioners Accepts Officers
Resignation With AIacrity.
PASSING OF TOUGH GANG
ANOTHER STEP FORWARD BY
SAN FRANCISCO.

San Francisco. Aug 22.-Notice Of his
removal from the office having finally
been served on, Police Commissioner w.
NJ Hagerty, Mayor Taylor this morning
appointed A. D. Cutler as commissioner,
thus completing the new police board.
Immediately before the convention of
the new board this afternoon the sur
render OF the old board was announced
| to the assembled newspaper men by their
attorney, Frank J. Murphy. In a type
written statement prepared by him,
Mayor Taylor is eastigated for what is
called his remarkable and arbitrary as
sumption of the power of removal" He
is rather bitterly accused of trying and
cOnvicting the chief of police without a
nearing, and decreeing his dismissal, in
palpabie violation of the provisions Of the
charter"
Reasons for Stepping Down.
The statement concludes as follows:
We do not recognize the cause. as
signed for our removal as sufficient in
law or in fact; but having in view the
paramount public interest, we have de-
cided to relinquish possession of the Of
flee OF police commissioners peaceably
and without trouble. Any other course
would mean two police commissions, both
claiming to exercise the powers of that
body. Confusion and decentralization
would result in the rank and file of the
police departmental department recOg
nized as one of the most efficient in the
United States. Property rights and life
would lack adequate protection, and a
condition would exist little short of an
archy.
For these considerations affecting the
public, and for no other, we shall make
ers and functions of the police commits
siOn." 1t was learned from some of the
old commissioners that it is their pur-
pose to make their removal by Mayor
10 tit.
campaign; to carry the question on to the
stump and to fight il out at the polls.
Their endeavor will be to graft on to the
Labor Union candidate for mayor a pre-
election promise to reinstate them in Of
flee il he is elected.
New Board in Session.
At 2:30 o'clock Commissioners Sweigert,
Keil, Leggett and Cutler filed into the
board room, where a large crowd was col
lected, and took seats facing the five cap
tains of the departments and the captain
Of detectives. W. d. KOilmyOr, Mayor
Taylor's legal advisor. presented to Sec
rotary Shelley the certificates of their
appointments, and as their lanes were
read by him in turn they took their Of
fetal seats
Notably the first business to come be-
fore the new board for consideration was
the resignation of Chief of Police Oman,
a very brief and formal communication,
in which he relinquished office without
stating the cause ana thanked the men,
bers of the departments for their faith
fulness. II move the resignation of Chief
Oman be accepted" said Commissioner
Leggett Chairman Swigert put the ques-
ton, the secretary called the roll and il
was done. On motion of Commissioner
Cutler Oman was given thirty days leave
of absence, with pay, in view of past
service"
Captain NJ. Anderson, the ranking Of
ficer of the force, was elected acting
chief. As ne rose to shake hands with
the commissioners the crowd turned it
self loose. Adjournment was then taken.
Oman Makes Statement.
Immediately after the election of Captain
Anderson, ex-Chief Oman gave out the
following statement: THE charges
against me contained in the communica-
ton of the mayor whereby the police COM
misioners have been removed, are merely
a reiteration of charges that have here
tOfOre been made against me. They are,
as 1 have said before. absolutely false.
though perhaps the mayor may not be ap-
prised of that fact. My reasons for re-
firing from the department are that from
the nature of the charges assigned as
cause for the removal, it is obvious that
it is the desire of the present administra-
ton that 1 should resign. This being so.
should 1 retain my position / would only
jeOpardize the rights and interests of
many friends in the department 1 leave
the office of chief of police without,
believe, q single enemy in the depart
ment. 1 have been absolutely just and
fair to all its members and under the
conditions I do not think any other per-
son could have done better by the city of
San Francisco as chief of police than
have 1.
81 desire further to state that the treat
ment 1 have had at the hands of the DO
lice commissioners will never be forgot
ten by me. Under very trying circum-
stances they have continued uninfluenced|
by fear or favor to deal with me justly,
considerably and impartially."