The sun., 1907-11-09
POLICE BUREAU SHAKEN UP
CHIEF BRENNAN or THE ELEC-
TRECAL SERVICE SUSPENDED.

No Proper Accounts kept. Miles ST Cable
Rnl@xlmg and the AppAratan Beanlnd the
Times-znndounats Service Being In
stalled m New Headquarters Building.
The bureau Of electric service Of the
Police Department was shaken up yester-
day. Michael n. Brennan. the chief. was
suSponded without pay pending further In
vestigation of his management and seven
patrOlmen were - transferred TO regular
duty.
This action, according 20 a statement
given Ont &C Headquarters yesterday. was
the result OF an inquiry into the methods
Of the bureau by Second Deputy Commits
siODer BuKher. Prof. George r. Sever Of
Columbia University. whom Commissioner
Bingham specially retained. and Henry
r. Blackwell Of the electrical branch Of the
Bureau Of Water supply Gas and EIec-
tricity. Mr.. Blackwell will take temporary
charge OF the electric service in BrennRn's
place.
Prof. Sewers preliminary reports showed
that the apparatus used 10 altogether in
adequate and twenty years behind the
times. The Commissioners OF Accounts.
who made an Investigation at the request
OF Gen. Bingham reported that no records
whatever had been Kept Of supplies issued
or purchased. One Of the other things
wrong II that miles Of telephone cable
bought from the He'll Telephone Company
have disappeared. Engineer Blackwell has
been climbing down manholes and peering
into conduits all over town trying 10 find
the cable. Brennan has been unable to
give any help in this.
L. is also charged that there ~ lack Of
organization in the bureau and that Bren-
nan was responsible for IL. His reauisi-
tons were approved by Commissioner
Bingham and he was held responsible for
the transmission OF orders and the general
running Of his bureau. The operators. IL
has long been known, have done more or
less az they pleased. There has been no
check on them a. to Obeying orders. On
one occasion an important order was sent
out from the Commissioners Office ma rlSed
Rush FOR transmission over the wires
The operator who got H. and whose name
has not been learned looked at il carslessly.
then let IL lie for four hours beRNre sending il.
II u well known that the telephone bu-
reau has always been n pleasant place for
men with political pulls. IL has been n
place OF delay IN securing quick cOnnec-
tiOns. Even Commissioner Bingham has
chafed under this service
There is no accusation OF dishonesty
against Brennan. He Is popular around
Headquarters for his afTabe WAYS. lie has
never been a policeman. although his re-
Iirement would place him ON the pension
roll OF the department. His Job wAA Origi-
nally TINT Of a civilian. He was lucky
enough 10 be legislatAd into the depaEt-
Tnent at the time Of the Greater New York
consolidation. His salary is Sl.OOO higher
than that Of captain or inspector.
10 was the approaching completion OF the
new building for Headquarters and the
installation Of new telephone apparatus
that brought matters tO a head with Brennan
that brought matters TO head with
Brennan. When Gen. Bingham looked
into the apparatus being installed he was
surprised to find that IL was not the best
obtainable and that Brennan didn't realize
the true situation. This led to the eN-
pert Investigation and Brennans suspen-
sion. A modern equipment will now be
installed and the whole service brisked up
generally.