The San Francisco call., 1908-08-07
B|GGY FLAYED BY
MAYOR AND BOARD
Given One More Chance to
Cease CIownisfl Antics on
Penalty of Dismissal

Chief of Police Biggys has been placed
on probation. He was on the carpet
yesterday for nearly an hour in the
office of the mayor. He was told plainly
and emphaticany that unless his ad
ministration showed an early and
marked improvement he would be re-
moved. Buggy was grilled by Mayor
Taylor and by several members of the
board of supervisors. They told the
chief that he had made himself ridicu-
lous, and that if he persisted in his
clownfsh antics he would be given
ample opportunity TO practice them out
side the department.
Biggy was taken aback by the sudden
ness, the unanimity and the violence
OF the censure, and left the conference
with a promise to try to meet the
wishes of the mayor and the board.
The dissatisfaction with Biggy has
reached point where the patience of
the mayor has been we'll nigh ex-
hausted For some time he has been
displeased with the conduct of the po-
lice department, but of late matters
have taken a turn which ne believed
demanded immediate attention. In
stead of ousting Biggy and reorganizing
the entire department., the mayor de-
cided to give him another chance. The
chief has shown such excessive zeal
in matters of small import that he has
repeatedly embarrassed the administra-
ton. His lack of discretion has irri-
tated Mayor Taylor. who tried yes
terday to impress it upon the chief
that the laws should fe enforced with
some Judgment and not blindly.
| Biggy's recent arrest of some
musicians who were playing upon the
] street without permit is q case in
point His theatrical endeavors to
! trap automobilists, his dark lantern
capers in the dead OF night, patterned
after Dick Patterson. the boy detect
| ive." and his fatuous declarations of
policy have disguised the men TO whom
ne owes his appointment.
Not only was the law laid down in
short and decisive words of one syl-
liable to Biggy, but Police Commits
sioners Leggett and Sweigert were in
cluded in the reprimand. They went to
! the mayors Office at $3.50 o'clock and
there they found assembled Taylor and
Superyisors Murphy, Jennings, Clan
mini. Payot and McLeran.
The mayor opened UP on Biggy and
the commissioners, and. after he had
scored the chief, the supervisors fol-
| lowed, each taking the same general
| line. but individually pointing out the
mistakes which they demanded should
cease
you should certainly enforce the law
as you find IT." said the mayor in con-
clusion. THAT is your whole duty. But
Won should use tact and discretion in its
/ enforcement. A first offense, when a
trif1ing technical infraction of an OBJ
scure ordinance, is not on the same
plane as a felony committed by hard
ened criminal. You should act ac-
cordingly.''
Superyisor McLeran insisted that
Buggy should take different attitude
toward the public or give place to some
one who would. McLeran demanded
that the department be conducted
i along reasonable lines and not be
operated as the side show of Barnum
& Bailey's.
one supervisor followed another. and
Biggy, with promises pouring from his
Iips. remained for the entire session
under as hot flre as the city omclais
could direct
commissioners Leggett and Sweigert
exnressed their entire Willingness to
modify their methods to conform to the
standard prescribed by the mayor.
some effort was made to keep the
conference secret, but 1T was not long
before the facts had become public
| The supervisors had left the board
rooms one by one only to reassembIe
i later in the mayors office. They were
greatly surprised when they learned
/ that the attempt at secrecy had been
| unsuccessful
At first the parties to the conference
wera evasive. Mayor Taylor, named as
Official. spokesman. made the following
rems~< designed to cover the proceed
fngs in much the same manner as the
British court circuiar-
THE supervisors and myself held q
conference with the commissioners and
the chief In regard to-Renerai matters