The San Francisco call., 1908-10-14
Police Commissioner KeiI Is
Said to Have Agreed
to Resign
Chief Biggy Strives in Vain to
Induce Pet to Remain
on the Board
Relatives Grow Weary of the
Notoriety and Official May
Not Finish Term

Hugo D. Keil has abandoned his
desire to be reappointed police COM
missioner. He has done so reluctant
ly, it is said, under the pressure of
family influence and against the pro-
test of Chief of Police Biggy, who has
found in Keil a strong supporter in
the misdirection of police matters.
Keil's term as commissioner ex-
pires January 8, 1909, but it has been
intimated to friends by members of
his family that he will resign at the
end of the year, eight days before the
mayor will be called upon formally to
name man for the vacancy. Keil's
intention to quit the department be-
came known recently to Biggy, who
learning of the influence that was be-
ing brought to bear on the commits
sioner, availed himself of the first op-
portunity to counteract it. In the pres
ence of the commissioner members of
his family and several of their friends,
who are said to have Joined with the
KeiI family in the effort to induce the
commissioner to quit the board, Biggy is
reported to have placed his hand fondly
on the commissioners shoulder and in
tones of unctuous admiration remarked:
MIR. Commissioner: Your retirement
from the commission would mean
great loss to the city. Your forcefuI
manner, your unquestionable fairness
and your standing as a citizen combine
TO make you a most deAirable member
of the commission. 1urs
BiGGY AND POLICE BOAT
But the Keil family had heard
enough of their relatives connection
with the police commission. 1t was
only a few nights before, they recalled
that the telephone bell at the KeiI
home in Belvedere had rung. and a
voice that sounded like Biggy's had
asked If the commissioner was there.
No? Well, it is very important that
he should attend a meeting of the COM
mission tonight in San Francisco" add
ed the voice. Next day the papers con-
tanned no reference to an important
meeting. but they did refer to the log
of the police department launch show
ing that Commissioner Keil and
friends" had been using the boat for
night excursions on the bay.
Nell uiltA pldfntu SIdHu against
Father Caraher in tile latter's attempt
to prevent the commissioner from
building of a noisy nickelodeon in the
shadow of st. Francis church, the COM
missioners peculiar decisions on mat
ters pertaining to the regulation of no
torious places in the tender1on, and his
inactivity in enforcing ordinances gov
erning disreputable places beyond the
confines Of the tenderloin. had already
& no rridn of 81 20 \
forced the latter to the realization that
its name was getting undesired notori-
ETY..
KEEL AGREES TO QUIT
You must resign from the commits
sion,' a near relative is said to have
urged. Keil demurred at first. but the
relative was firm, and after rejecting
he is said to have agreed to retire He
could not quit at once, in the midst of
the storm of public protest that was
raging about his ears, nor could he en-
dure the humiliation that would ma
turally follow the appointment of an
other man to his place at the end of
his term of office. SO he decided to re-
tire few days before the expiration
of his term
This is the story that comes from
KeiFs home in Belvedere. 1t is a story
that his most intimate friends are
telling. And it is a sad story for Chief
Biggy, who is wont to obey directly
the instructions of Keil, ignoring the
other members of the commission. who
are said to be supporting Biggy for no
better reason than that they can not
agree on another man for his place
Biggy and Keil spend nights together in
this city. Frequently Keil. who has no
known regular place of residence in
San francisco, shares the apartments
of Biggy at the Hotel Nordoff, or else
they go to the Hotel Stewart or the
Rollins.
Keil is said to have informed tbe
mayor several days ago ago that he
contemplated retiring. The mayor II
Is reported, simply shrugged his
shoulders in acknowledgment of the
information.