The San Francisco call., 1908-12-05
Rumor Carries Story OF Buggy
Being Seen Alive Since Sup=
posed. Drowning
Commissioners Fail to Discuss
the Appointment at Their
Regular Session
Mayor Only Credited With In
tention of yetoing Person
Considered Unworthy


No time. has been fixed for the Sc
lection of the new chief of police. Act
ing Chief Cutler who is also president
OF the board of police commissioners,
declares that the time has not yet come
for the board to consider the appoint
ment of a-successor to Biggy. When
the time will come he processes his in
ability to say.
Rumor continued to carry from lip
to lip yesterday the strange story that
Blggy was still alive and had been
seen since the hour of his supposed
drowning. The chief of police has been
reported alive in various places, but
without the exactness of detail as to
his appearance which would impress
the skeptical.
One story that went about yesterday
had 1t that the delay in selecting a
new chief was due to the uncertainty
of the commissioners as to Biggy's
having been drowned. All the COM
missioners. however. have expressed
their belief that Biggy was dead as
the result of an accident
Behind the delay in the appointment
OF new chief stands the plausible
explanation that the commissioners
have not yet reached a working agree
ment in the matter. So far there has
been no discussion of the appointment
In the sessions of the board and at
least one of the commissioners, Charles
A. Sweigert, has no candidate to pro-
pose for the position.
MAYORS ATTITUDE UNKNOWN
How far the mayor Will interfere
with the naming of a chief remains
to be seen. From his own statement
1t may be gathered that he will die
tate to the commission the name of
Biggys successor, but many who are
close to his honor think that he will
only exercise the veto power on the
name of nybody he considers unworthy
the preferment
While the men in the department are
hoping and praying that the new chief
VIII be selected from the force there
is a general fear that he may be drawn
from military or civil life. The COM
missionerS are mum in the matter and
only vouchsafe the declaration that they
have no candidate and have given the
subject no thought
The commission has decided that the
log of the police boat Patrol is part
OF the records of the police department.
and as such is open to the inspection
of the chief and the commissioners
alone.
Owing to this decision, which was
called forth by the inquiry of acting
Chief Cutler, the public will have no
check on the use of the Patrol and the
commissioners may junket about the
bay as much as they please without
fearing public disapproval
PATROL SEEKS BIGGY,S BODY
The heavy rain squalls that swept
the harbor yesterday did not interrupt
the search for the body of Chief Biggy.
The police launch Patrol, in charge of
Captain Conboy, was out all day, and
the military and naval patrols at the
Preside, Angel island, Lime point, Sau-
tsalito, AlcatraZ and Goat island tray-
eled their beats with undiminished
lvigilance.
y <everal times during the day and
might word was received of objects
floating on the bay. Every report was
investigated by the crew of the Patrol,
but each investigation ended in disap-
pointment. and at the end of the day
the sea had not given up its dead