Los Angeles herald., 1908-10-24
WOOLWINE HAS
TRIVIAL DUTIES,
NOT WORTH PAY
SENSATION SPRUNG BY SUD-
DEN ACTION
COULD NOT coNscIENTIoUsLY
RETAIN OFFICE
Says His Zeal in Probing Into Alleged
Graft Caused District Attorney
Fredericks to Take Away
His Commission
THOMAS LEE wooLwINE, city

prosecuting attorney, who was
n shorn of power to prosecute state
offenses, when District Attorney
Fredericks took away his commission
of deputy after Mr.. Woolwine had in
| stigated the present graft investiga
tion last night resigned his Office, de-
| claring 1t an injustice to the public
to draw salary for duties which,
through no fault of his own, he had
been rendered powerless to perform.
! Mr.. Woolwine says he is actuated
solely in his determination to vacate
the office by conscientious motives. He
| is aware, with the power to try state
offenses taken from him, his duties
would consist merely in trying cases
of violation of city ordinances, and,
as these are trivial i'll character, he
knows the work necessary to prose-
cute them, is not at all commensurate
with the money which the taxpayers
are called upon to pay for the office.
In resigning his office, Mr.. Woolwine
wishes the public to know he is not
ungrateful for the support given him
| by those who believe, as he does, of the
existence of protection for vice, and
| that he stands ready at all times to
render assistance in compelling the
I
| books.
Mr.. Woolwine, in announcing his de-
| termination, makes some pointed re-
marks in a letter, accompanying his
resignation. He does not hesitate to
| place the cause of his removal from
| the office of the district attorney be-
| cause of his energetic attempts to ex-
pose graft in high places. He states
plainly and in unmistakeable language
that District Attorney Fredericks did
not dare to retain him in office. fear
ing, if he was allowed to remain dep
uty district attorney, there would re-
suit a drastic investigation in which
special privileges to ''favorites' would
be disclosed and protection for vice
would be found.
The retiring city prosecutor reviews
the grounds for his dismissal from
the Office of District Attorney Fred
| ericks and shows, according to his
statements, he was not wanted in that
office one minute after he had begun
his crusade against graft.
| Mr.. Woolwine places the date for the
acceptance of his resignation at the
| time when Mr.. Hewitt will return
| from the east, which, he says, will
| be in a few days.
Reason for Removal
"Some days ago a weak and faith
less public official of this county re-
moved me from office for the obvious
reason (and no man with grain of
common sense can doubt it) that If
was allowed to remain there would
result a drastic investigation, looking
| to the exposure of a deplorable condi-
| ton of special privilege and vice pro-
lection that has existed in the city of
Los Angeles And to add to his in
! sincerity and perfidy it should be re-
membered he offered to open to me the
/ .,ff f,.na hn
employment of detectives and assis-
tants and to give me a free hand in
such investigation. Though knew he
did not mean a word he said, l ac-
| cepted, to be afterWard hampered in
every way possible, my powers cur
tailed and finally, in the last extrem-
| ity, discharged. And all this to pre-
vent a full, fair and impartial investi-
cation of charges he publicly declared
were groundless, although he had no
means OF knowing one-tenth of what
l had TO present to the grand jury.
1T should not be forgotten this en-
| tire controversy had its inception i'll
an attempt upon my part to force the
| mayor and police commission to un-
fetter the police department and to
compel an equal and indiscriminate en-
| forcement of the laws.
BLOCKED in this purpose by the city
! officials above named, my office is now
emasculated and rendered powerless by
| the district attorney, who, in my re-
moval, deprives me of the right to go
before the grand jury and expose the
| very conditions against which L have
been fighting for mfnths, and in addi-
| ton he has take 4 N me the power
| to prosecute misden uors under the
state law, which has resulted in great
| financial loss to the city and brought
about a condition that would make
| it unwise and unpatriotic for me to re-
ceive a salary from the city of Los
| Angeles for services which l am net
allowed to render.
Office Sacred Trust
'I assumed the duties of this posi-
ton with certain settled convictions.
| Among others that such an office is
sacred trust, and that, like every other
official position, should be administered
unselfishly and with absolutely no
thought in the mind of the office
holder of his own future, for | believe
any public official who allows his of
fetal conduct to be alloyed or in
fluenced by any consideration ~ther
than a conscientious desire to do his
full duty, regardless of consequences,
is a traitor to sacred trust. With
these Interchangeable convictions have
sought to do my duty by the people of
Los Angeles and accomplish the great
est good possible in my limited field OF
action. I never have for a moment
hesitated to enforce the law equally
against the rich and poor alike, and
have attempted to compel respect for
the law from people of influence and
wealth, regardless of the number of
enemies / might make.
ST regret to say that as result OF
the above conditions. am compelled.
from a sense of duty, to announce my
resignation as city prosecutor of the
city of Los Angeles, the same to take
effect upon the return Of Mr., Hewitt
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