The San Francisco call., 1909-02-14
Police Divided over
SRiIIOf TWODdnCCrS
COnbOy Is Matched
With MCMdnuS
At Ball

The San Francisco police department
is fast dividing into two camps. In
one are those who believe that Captain
Michael Joseph Conboy. commander of
the harbor district and admiral of the
police fleet. is the best dancer in the
department In the other camp are
those who believe that Captain Ber-
nard McManus can dance rings around
Michael Joseph.
The question of supremacy is to be
decided at the ball given for the benefit
of the widows and orphans aid So
ciety of the police department at tho
Coliseum on the night of Washington's
birthday. Monday. February %.
DANCING CONTEST PLANNED
Every policemen's ball is gala
event, but this years function will
make previous affairs look as dim as
asteroids in the face. of a twinkling
star. The rivalry between McManus
and Conboy has resulted in a match to
test their abilities to trip the light fan
tastic toe Captain Henry Gleeson, it
is said. has wagered Captain Mooney
several hundred dollars on the out
come OF the contest Gleasons conf
dence in Conboy is so great that he
has accepted odds of to l. That
there should be odds at all has hurt
Captain McManus' feelings, and he and
his friends are forcing the betting.
Conboy is arrogant in the matter.
He insists that he is the best dancer
in the department and proudly points
to the fact that at previous copper
cotillons he has copped the prettiest
girls on the floor from their escorts
and danced the program away He
says now that he is going to bring the
prettiest girl in the city to the ball
and defies any policeman, particularly
McManus to win away his girl.
WARNING GIVEN PARTNERS
As a consequence of the impending
struggle humble patrolmen who are
take their beautiful best girls to the
ball are warning them to beware of the
wiles Of Conboy and McManus.
McManus has been forced to come
out in the open and declare his agility.
He points to his past record. He says
he has beaten Conboy in a 100 yard
dash and outdrilled him in depart
mental maneuvers. Now McManus not
only challenges Conboy TO the waltz
ing contest, but suggests a Marathon
race. He will give Conboy five yards
start
Both captains have lost their youth
fuI symmetry of form, but they make
up for that in grace. Since Conboy
1 has become a jack tar on the launch
Patrol he has developed a rollicking
air that is quite fetching.
WIDOWS AND ORPHANS, BENEFIT
Aside from the interest aroused by
/ the waltzing competition, the police
mems ball is creating great enthusi-
asm 1t promises to pe the most sue
cessful in the history of the depart
ment. The charity which the pro-
ceeds VIII benefit is most deserving.
The benefciaries are the relatives of
those policemen who lost their lives in
the discharge of their duty. In con-
sequence of the tragic deaths of many
gallant men during the year there is
a deficit of $4,000 in the society's
funds
The committee in charge of the ball
consists of the following: Captain II.
GIeeson. chairman; Captain T. Atchi-
son, treasurer; Patrolman A. J. Rocca,
secretary; Captains Conboy, Colby, An
derson and Kelly; Lieutenants Wall,
Shea, Tobin Wright O'Day, Mullender,
Anderson; Detective Sergeants Ed Glib
son, Bunner. Regan, Burke. Wren;
Sergeants Farrell, Cells, Birdsall,
Hook. Donovan, Rainsbury, FRAZIER,
sylvester. F'itzhenry. German, Green;
Patrolmen Brodt. Colon, Taylor, Egan,
/. Bunner, Conlan. Wrinzler. Mahoney,
T. Egan. Retired: Captains Martin
and Moran, Sergeant S. Campbell, De-
tective Sergeants cambridge and
Aiken.