New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-12-22
PROBE FOR SHELLY
LETTER ROUSES IRE.
Girl Serfice Com mission TVW
Prefer Charges.

President Polk and the entire Municipal
Civil Service Commission were much dis
turbed yesterday over a letter purPcrting
% have been written by John 2. Skslly.
assistant secretary Of the commission. 20
Senator James J Trawley. who IN Nc
vcmber was az Mount Clemens. Mich. with
Charles F. Murphy. the Tammany leader
The letter apparently Is one Of those
which Mr.. Murphy alleges was stolen from
his room a. Mount Clemens. and which
later found their way 10 William r Hearst
1lr. skellv Is represented ia IL IS saying
that Secretary Frank \. Spencer had done
suesuonatle ~crk TO- one 81 Senator F-Sk
ley's constituents and should be rewardsa
by being made president OF the commis-
sion. Sksllys letter. I'm part, vas as fol-
lows.
Kew York. November 70 800.
Ny Dear senator. Your letter received,
and was very CAD 20 hear that you are
having q large and exc .tlng Iirne. ] q n
ctllghied 20 know that You have MI Spen.
Cef's matter under consideration want
% tel YOU another eood eot On his part
IN having oursfriend IS case reviewed
by the commits on ana approved J know
from Rafferty, mar - was in very had
on his physical examination. ard as q
his s.eslgAt. ! save HIM = test myself y
SO YOU zee thar We have a friend in Spen-
Ger. aud q friend thar can be relied upon,
Who IS willing 81 any tine 10 60 the limit
Tor US For this reason my anxiety CON
tinues - further his interests IN teing
ulesioent OF the commission. lie has also
dug Up the position % superintendent OF
seiieTes his VIII m no. n Jerry's iposition:
also foreman et ysra. which pays sl,seD per
snnun.
President Polk OF the Municipal Civil
Service Commission made the following
statement.
The letter alleged 70 have been written
q senator Frawley ana signed John ?.
Sicily, which appeared in this mo nlng's
American. does such gross injustice 70
Frank 4. Spencer, an honorable and faith
iul public servant, and 50 tends 10 lessen
the lonn1ence or the public IN tie integ-
rity ~ this commission, that ] deem j. de-
sirable that the facts Of the case mem
L-onea therein should be SET forth in detail
The ce1ect or The writer Of the letter was
possibly 20, magnify or misrepresent Mr..
Spence.'s Political activity, and thus 10
help Inn e obtain an once for which ] am
Informed he has not been candidate al
any time.
The name left blank in the case referred
. ln Tbs American" Is that Of Dennis
Mccarthy, candidate for promotion from
sergeant 20 lieutenant ia the Police De-
partment- During the present administra-
come -ton with physical examinations, and
therefore was entirely unaware OF any &C
uol taken IN the case under consideration
In tact, 10 my personal knowledge, he did
not know thar there was such . man IL
The service OF the city
The actual facts in the case are as fol-
lows, Mccarthy took the usual physical
examination required OF al candidates FOR
~ motion in the Police ana lire depart
ments. The beet Of this examination Is
disease ana tuberculosis and IS n sueh
physical condition that he would De able
2 perform the duties OF the higher posi-
uon- II Other words. u IS qualifying test
and not part q the competitive exaui-
nation. The eyss;ght test IN promotion
examinations IS the same which is given 10
men Tor original entrance 20 the service.
Almost rsTrect eyesight IS required, Or,
as L is raIed m the Opticians tables. 90
come up % this standard Ire exsmining
physicians mark on his physical slip the
eAael raung n ne eyeslght test which
sion Consults with the head OF the depart
nent toI which the examination Il held az
70 The standard which Is deemed neces-
sary.
In The examination fo- lieutenant there
were eseNen men who were n the same 20
s.ton as MeCar;hy-that IS. they we're
allowed 70 enter the examination regard
less q the fact as 10 whether tfhey had
T ma: ,I s2 sRPsal 2: no. TIE test shows
e man q his tine ~ life, ara there Is not
TIE sAs basis q truth Tor saying that
This commission is striving - do every
thlng ~ lts power 70 impress al candi-
Gates, and The public IN general, with the
absolute fairness ana impartslity. and
that candidates are not 10 seek political
influence, or, what is worse, 20 paw money,
20 obtain positions on the various eligible
lists. The letter "a this mornings "AneTi-
can" ] consider most unfortunate for the
reason that lt tends 10 destroy confidence
n lhls coinmiss-cn, and - makes II easy
Tor grafiers 20 frigh,en the credulous into
pay ms money 10 them.
I think that skelys letter u Senator
Frswley can be charged Up 10 ove-enthus!-
ssn IN tehalf Of a friend" said M Spen-
Ger last night Il have not tried 20 be
appointed president Of TIE commission and
am not q candidate for the place. NJ
Sicily must have thought ne was doing
ne 2 Kindness by writing what he did"
The commissioners. Messrs. Polk, Apple-
ton ana oKeefle. were IN conference yes
terdsy over the matter % preferring
charges against shelly. IL was learned that
charges vii be preferred.
John a. Mason. clerk OF the Democratic
STATE Committee, also sent q letter 20 Mr.
Murphy az Mount Clemens, under date Of
Novemter g, IS fellows;
Nv Dear Commissioner: JUST line 70
wish you and your family a very happy
Thanksgiving.
Tie state chairman is in town. Inelosed
clipping shows The msnner % TALK he IL
lncuis gang n Very cordially yours,
JOHN a. MASON.
The Interview wes the one il which NJ
Corners said he had nfty-nve counties BE-
hind him and would 5e reelected state
chairman. 10 meII6r II Murplw opposed