Los Angeles herald., 1907-08-21
TAHOROUSTS
POLICE BOARD
CHIEF DINAN's DAYS ARE NUM-
BERED
coMMIs ssIoNERs WHO UPHELD
HIM DISMISSED
San Francisco Likely to See Another
Flight for Office Between
Old and New App
poIntees
BY Associated Press.

BY Associated Press.
SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 2O.-The first
act for the carrying out of promise 10
clean up the sub-departments OF the
municipal government was performed to-
dav by Mayor Taylor when he sent 10
Police Commissioners w. r. Hagerty,
A. M. Allen, P. F.. Finn and Harry D.
Moore notifications of their removal from
office. A separate notification was ad-
dressed to each, and the four documents,
typewriter and lengthy, were denVered
at a session of the board at the city nan.
The notices were allowed to lie on the
secretary's desk until the three commits
sioners in attendance at the meeting,
Finn. Wallen and Moore, had transacted
routine business. The absence OF COM
missioner Hagerty was remarked ana tne
story went the rounds of the crowd that
he was ''in hiding to avoid notice OF re-
moval'
AT $3.50 o'clock the board went into con-
ference in an anteroom peninu closeu
doors. where Commissioner Hagerty was
awaiting them.
At 4 o'clock Finn, Wallen and Moore
returned to the board room and an
nounced to the newspaper men that tney
had received notification of removal
from Mayor Taylor, but would pay no
attention to it.
Commissioner Finn, speaking lor Hill
self and his associates, said:
1.-THE mayor assumes to remove US for
cause alleging, among other things, that
we are not fit to serve because we have
refused to oust Chief of Police Oman.
We will pay no attention to DIR. Taylons
communication. We will continue to be
the board of police commissioners until
the courts put us outfit they ever DO.
That is the only removing authority we
will recognize" .,.rr <r'
May Resist New Board
'rWhat will you do if the mayors new
board comes here and attempts to take
possession of the records and supplant
you?" he was asked.
Leave that to u.s." he answered.
It was learned that the commissioners,
supported by Dinan, have decided to use
force If necessary" to prevent their ap-
pointed successors from assuming office,
and that If an attempt is made to seize
the boards records, Dinan purposes to
call in his bluecoats and eject "all tres
passers."
Mayor Taylor's notification Of removal
reads in part as follows:
'.You have retained in office as chief
of police jeremiah f. Dinan, who has
been, and is notoriously unfit for said
office. He has shown himseifto be lack
ing. In that character and efficiency
which are necessary for one to possess In
order to properly discharge his duties-fn
office. He is now and has been ever since
he assumed the duties of his office an
associate of persons of low character and
he does not possess either the respect or
the confidence of his subordinates. He is
utterly lacking in either the disposition
or the energy necessary to deal with the
criminal class of this city.
''He kept large numbers of patrolmen
in districts where they were not needed,
instead of detailing them where they
were needed. He has taken no effective
means to suppress houses of prostitution
in respectable residence districts, and
such houses are now maintained there.
He has permitted such houses to flaunt
themselves in the open, while under him
that discipline has been relaxed without
which a police force ceases to be an in
strument of order Besides all this, said
Dinan has been and is now under two
separate indictments charging wilful and
corrupt misconduct in h.. office as chief
of police.
Scores Commissioners
Notwithstanding such accusations you
did not suspend Dinan from office, nor
have you made any public investigation
of the character of charges so made
against him. You, knowing all these
things and having full knowledge of the
lack of qualifications of Dinan to hold
said office, have insisted in retaining him
in office. You have well known, and do
now we'll know, that houses of prostitu-
ton not only f1aunt themselves in the
open, but are maintained in respectable
residence districts.
without good reason you have granted
permits for the sale of liquor which for
good REASONS have been revoked. Com
plants have been laid before you of the
keeping of disorderly houses by persons
licensed by you to sell liquor and these
complaints you have declined to hear
"You have known well and do now well
know of the existence of pool rooms in
this city in violation of law, and that
places of gambling are openly maintained
and gambling indulged in, in violation of
law, and you have done nothing to bring
about the suppression of the same. Pur-
suant to law and to the provisions of the
charter of the city and county of San
Francisco, I do hereby remove you from
the office of police commissioner in and
for the said city and county, and as a
member of the board of police commits
sioners in and for the said city and
county"