The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-01-27
RESIGNATION
Of BURBIDGE
TO CONE SOON
'PerSuaderS" Finally Induce
Mayor BranSford to Ask PO-
lice Captain to Step Down.
HIS QUALIFICATIONS
ARE NOT QUESTIONED
PERSISTENT ATTACK MADE BE-
CAUSE HE is NOT AN "AMER-
ICAN" PARTISAN.

Within few days the resignation Of
John B. Burbidge as captain Of police
will be in the hands of Chief of Po-
lice Thomas D. Pitt. His resignation
will come as the result of a persist
ent effort on the part of the "Ameri-
can" party "persuaders" to have Cap
tain Burbidge removed from office.
At conference yesterday between
Mayor Bransford and Captain Bur
bidge. the mayor either directly or in
directly asked for the resignation of
Captain Burbidge. The efficiency OF
Captain Burbidge as a police officer
did not enter into the discussion. The
mayor suggested that inasmuch as
the captain had been made the object
of a newspaper attack his resignation
would probably be better for his own
interests. as well as those of the de-
partment. There viii be another con-
ference between the mayor and Cap
tain Burbidge today, at which the cap
tain will tell the mayor what decision
he has reached with reference to the
matter.
Time to Consider.
Mayor Bransford last night declined
to give the specific grounds on which
the resignation OF the captain had been
went over the situation today" said
the mayor 4 did not ask him for his
resignation. I preferred to let him
think over the matter for a time and
to give him the opportunity to do as he
thought best. ! would prefer not to
give the reasons at present that sug-
gested the resignation of the captain"
Captain Burbidge was equally reti-
cent about the conference. He said
he of he clf ion l7c
had with the mayor was relative to
his resignation from the police force,
but that he had not made up his mind
as to just what action he would take
in the matter.
Demand of Party Organ.
The resigna ton of Captain Burbidge
from the police force was demanded
first by the organ of the American
party on August 20. when ROderick Nc
Kenzie was made chief of police by
Mayor BransfOTd. The attack on Bur-
bidge was based upon the fact that he
was a Mormon and was not affiliated
with the American" party.
The same day that the article ap-
peared in the newspaper. Mayor Brans-
ford, in a short talk to the police force,
introducing the new chief of police,
commended Captain Burbdge, and said
of police ne did so because he knew
that he would have the invaluable as
sistance of Captain Burbidge.
An Efficient Officer.
On the same day the mayor was
quoted as saying that Captain Bur
bidge was an exceptionally efficient Of
ficer, who always did his duty. He
said that although the captain had been
tifs1p he ha
did not see him wearing any diamonds
and had not heard his buying any real
estate or doing anything else that
would indicate that he had been other
than an honest and conscientious pO-
lice officer. At that time all efforts
to induce the mayor to discharge the
captain failed. The mayor insisted that
if the 'persuaders" wanted. Captain
Burbidge discharged they would have
TO give him a better reason than that
he did not belong to the American
party
Had Plans Laid.
At the city convention of the Amer
lean" party last fall, a resolution was
introduced asking that candidates for
office pledge themselves to appoint
only those who were American" party
members to Office under their adminis-
tration. Largely through the efforts
of former Councilman Thomas HOLIDAY
this resolution was defeated. There is
but little question that this proposed
plank in the platform was drawn up
for the sole purpose of securing the
discharge of Captain Burbidge.
The latest, and probably the sue
cessful attack on Captain Burbidge
was made because of the fact that
Chief Pitt did not make cTeditable
showing as police chief. When he
turned the executive control of the Of
flee over to Captain Burbidge, the
party organ renewed its persistent eff
forts to have the mayor ask for the
captains resignation.
Ali the influence that the ''persuad-
ers' could control was evidently
brought to bear on Mayor Bransford,
and it has evidently finally caused him
to bow to the wishes of the party
bosses and to ask for the resignation.