Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-12-01
Police Chief Buggy Falls Over
board From Launch.
MADE sEAsIcK BY TRIP
Engineer Was Only Person With
Him at the Time.
INVOLVED IN GRAFT CASE
Charges Had Been Made Against
Him in Connection With the
Haas Suicide.

SAN FRANCISCO. December 1.-Wil-
liam j., Biggy. for over a year chief of
police of this city, was drowned in the bay
last night. His body has not been re-
covered. Chief BigGy was returning to
the city from Belvidere in the police
launch Patrol. and when the boat arrived
it was discovered that he was missing.
though Engineer William Murphy. the
see him fall overheard
According to Murphys story Biggy
crossed the bay in the launch to Belvi-
dere, where he went to the home Of Po-
lice Commissioner kiel. resident of the
suburb, and spent some time in confer
ence with the commissioner. 1t was
nearly II o clock when he returned to the
launch and the return trip was started.
The chief came to Murphy in the engine
room and complained of feeling i'll from
the motion of the boat, which was very
noticeable. The engineer advised him to
go to the cabin at the stern. where it was
cooler and Biggy presumably followed
this advice. \ little later Chief Murphy
looked toward the stern of the boat and
saw the chief leaning over the side vom-
iting.
His Passenger Gone. D.,
The engineer did not again look in that
direction until they were close to the city.
as his attention was occupied with the
handling of the boat. He then went to
the stern to inform Biggy of the reason of
slight delay occasioned by the passage
of ferry boat and discovered that the
chief had disappeared.
Murphy hurried to his berth near the
harbOr station and reported that the
chiet had fallen overheard and was lost.
4 party at once set out to search the
baE, and this was kept up all night. with
out result
Biggy was appointed to his position in
September 1907. by Mayor Taylor. At
thlt time Bsgy, who had held several
political offices. including that of state
senator from San Francisco and later
president of the po ice commission of this
city. was in charge OF the person OF
Abraham Ruef. the ex-political boss of
the city. who was under arrest in con-
nection with the graft Investigation.
Charges in Haas Case.
Since the suicide of Morris Haas, the
assailant of Assistant District Attorney
+. ]. Heney. and who shot himself in
his cell at the county Jail the day after
his attempt to kill Heney in Judge Law
lor's courtroom during the present trial
of Ruef, there has been much hard feel
ing between the chief of police and the
graft prosecution. Out of the case have
grown many charges of incompetency
against Biggy and failure to properly
guard his prisoner were pending against
the chief because of the fact that Haas
had pistol with which he killed him
se.f in prison Biggy replied with sim
liar charges against Capt of Police Duke,
wh1. with Detective Burns, searched Haas
in the courtroom, and Detective Sergt.
Thomas Burke who was in charge of the
prisoner at the jail, but none of the
charges has yet been investigated.
Chief Biggy is survived by his second
wife, from whom he was estranged. and
a daughter. His first wife died many
wears ago