The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1908-11-21
MAYOR TELLS DETECTIVES
THEY MUST MAKE GOOD
OTHERWISE WILL BE.
PUT OUT ON
BEATS.
No More Excuses VIII Be
Accepted in Place
of Results.

Thoroughly Disguised az the poor
work Of the detective department,
Mayor Miller yesterday had the en-
tire force Of plain-clotbes men called
upon the carpet In Chief Wards
private room. and read the sleutbs
the riot act
Results. not excuses, are what
we want and what we must have"
announced the mayor with an en-
phasis which left no doubt as To
what would happen unless there
was a right-about-quick movement
shown by Captain OF Detectives
Tenants squad
IL was plain, unvarninhed
criticism that the detectives listen
ed 10. The mayor made no at
tempt 10 conceal hts supreme dis
gust at the poor work OF the higher
arm of the department. lie told
them in few. strongly emphasized
sentences that the man who did
not make good from now on could
expect 10 don q uniform and walk
a beat
Inattention 10 duty, failure to
keep the city cleared OF people
whose occupations numbered them
among the ~undesirabies." apparent
lack Of energy. and neglect OF ordin-
AIRY precautions In carrying out or
dera Of their superiors. were among
the things which the mayor said
he would not stand for any longer.
A continuance Of present condE-
tons means a quick and thorough
shifting In Seattle's detective force.
the city's chief executive announc-
ed And he added that there could
be no middle ground. no halimeas-
ures. no temponzing.
Take Their Choice.
There are just two ways 70 han
die this situation" said the mayor.
"One Is 10 Top off heads nnannounc-
ed. and the other IL 20 give you
warning. This can be considered
as a warning. And Il will be the.
last word on the subject. Either
you get the results which can be
reasonably expected OF you. or You
viii make room for someone who.
can do the work properly.
There are some things for
which there can be no excuses,
and none should be necessary. I
know that you can do better than
you have been doing look to
this department for results. not en-
plantations as TO why such things
should be. just remember, one
and all. that in the future there
IL 70 be only one rule by which
you will be judged, and that rule
Is results"
Lack Of Harmony.
For many weeks the detective
department has been hampered by
petty iealousies and a complete lack
Of harmony. AS a natural conse-
Qucnce there has been a conspicu-
Gus absence Of results. Some Of
the detectives are hardly on speak
Ing terms with each other and have
spent more time nursing their
private grudge than they have In
looking for thieves and burglars.
The dynamiting Of the home of
Ivan r. Lee several weeks ago "a
fair example OF what the detec-
uves are doing The man who
was dispatched 10 the scene Of the
outrage walked through the ruins
Of the wrecked home. asked a few
questions, and returned to the de-
par,ment A few hours later two
detectives who were on the street
learned OF the outrage by chance
and they went out because one
Of the men lived nearby and he
WAS afraid his wife was worrying.
They also walked through the
wrecked front OF the building. ask
ed a few questions. and went to
bed later without leaving any report
al headquarters. One suspect.
whose name was first reported to
the officers by a reporter. was ar
rested, denied his guilt, and was
later released.
II anything more has been done
10 investigate this crime the police
hlotter or the records OF the de-
tective department do not show
H.