The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-07-28
BACK DOWN ON O'KEEFFE
BINGH ANS BROOkLYN DEPUTY
ALL RIGHT, SAY REFORMERS.
They Talk n Over NJ Police Headquarters
and Nothing In Produced In support OF
a Letter 20 s;oy. Hughes triticislns
OKcenc-A GOOd OnlrIai. says King.

-tN"t @NsftN W = W w ~ eIFt' "
a Letter 20 Gov. Hughes GriticisIns
OKcenc-A Good OnlrIai. says King.
r. DE Quincy fully. secretary OF the
Law Enforcement Society Of the City and
State Of New York, won't to Police Head
quarters yesterday in regard TO ON
plants he thought he had against Deputy
Police Commissioner Arthur j. O'Keeffe Of
Brooklyn. Commissions Bingham had ex-
pectcd MIR. Tully. as the COMMISSIONS had
received a copy Of the following letter
which Mr., Tully's society had sent to Gov.
Hughes on July "a:
We are glad TO see from reports that some
thing practical IL being done In the way Of
suppressIne gambling in Albany. Last winter
our society took occasion to turn the attention
OF good men from "a vein OF criticism Of your
Excellency and OF the local officials at Albany
10 one OF practical cooperation ~ advising
the procuring Of prope evidence of violations
of the law and the presenting OF the same to
those responsible.
In New York. and especially In Kings county.
we have been working to get the District
Attorney and sheriff to suppress crime, the
police having failed. In spite Of all ounefforts
the conditions have grown steadily worse
because the officials refuse to enforce the
law. Never In the history Of Greater New
York have gambling and all forms OF laWless-
ness been SO prevalent.
The trouble in Brooklyn Is not so much with
the police az IL Ii with the head that controls
them. Deputy COMMISSIONS o'KeeTe. lie
was appointed solely for political reasons,
being a man who was known TO be wholly
inexperienced and incompetent. The. record
Of the Sewer Department was anything but
savory under his charge. We called the at
tention of Mayor Mcclellan and Commissions
Bingham time and again to police conditions
In Brooklyn. We have offered proofs OF
OKeeYe's incompetency and sympathy with.
the lawbreake rs to COMMISSIONS Bingham,
but while the communication have been
acknowledged the facts have been ignored.
MIR. OKeefe stated in IA public speech at the
time Of his appointment that the understand
ing was that he was not TO be interfered with
but was to have an absolutely free hand.
We stand ready to help Commissioner BinR-
ham remove the cause of the trouble by remov-
ing the Deputy Commissioner, and we pray
you to insist that the Commissioner perform
his duty by removing him. We do not do
this without reason. Nearly a year ago we
called the attention Of acting Mayor McGowan
to the condition. prophesying that unless MIR.
OKeere were removed the situation would
grow worse. We call your attention to the
enclosures which afford ample proof that our
fears were not unfounded More can be
furnished II necessary.
Mr.. O'Keefe was on hand to answer
any complaints against i'm. Joseph NJ.
King. secretary of the Sunday Observance
Society Of Brooklyn, had heard about the
meeting and showed up.
COMMISSIONS Bingham told Mr.. Tully
that il he had any charges to make against
Deputy O'Keeffe or any one else in the
Police Department he would consider
them. He wanted something definite. how
ever. He minated that the indefinite
complaints of poor police service which
the secretary had been making were most
annoying as they failed TO show anything
wrong with the police.
Mr.. King said he wanted to go on record
as declaring that Mr.. O'Keefe is the
best Police Deputy Brooklyn ever had.
especially in regard to regulating Sunday
~observanoes. He said he did not want
TO see a good police official injured and
hoped he would not be removed to make
way for some one who was working under
cover to get the job.
Mr.. Tu1y did not ave any specific COM
plant to make against Mr.. O'Keefe and
said 30. Then there was an informal talk,
in the course Of which Mr.. Tully held out
his hand TO the Deputy. They shook hands
and the conference ended harmoniously