The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-07-02
ACTION BY MAYOR MCCLELLAN
Due to Picture Of The Brooklyn
Youth.
Commissioners Had Been Directed to
Take II from Gallery and Re-
fused-w. r.. Baker
In CHARGE.

police history occurred today when
Mayor Mcclellan summarily removed
Commissioner Theodore A. Bingham
for characterization after the latter's
refusal to comply with certain revolu-
tionary orders Issued by the Mayor
yesterday.
The mayors order came at the con-
ciusion Of his investigation into the
alleged prosecution by the police Of
George B. Duffy, an inconspicuous and
almost friendless Brooklyn lad, who.
II was averred, was repeatedly arrested
without just cause and whose phdto-
graph was retained In the rogues gal
lery despite the failure Of the police
to obtain conviction against him.. The
mayor stated that at least two of
General Bingham's lieutenauts were
guilty OF misconduct In this affair and
accordingly he demanded their remov-
al.
With General Bingham's retirement
today went several Of his closest adj
vfsers and the leading supporters Of
his regime. AS the head of the new
regime, the Mayor appointed william
r. Baker. hitherto o deputy commits
sioner. who indicated that q consider-
able change in the policy OF the de-
partment was to be expected.
"The law will hereafter be enforced"
he declared, with regard to the fact
that New York is a cosmopolitan city
with a cosmopolitan population"
General Bingham and his friends
were tonight outspoken In their de-
claration that the principal reasons for
the mayors act were political and that
the commissioners Independence Of the
politicians had resulted in his removal
only few months before the important
municipal elections of the autumn.
Bingham IN hitter.
In q statement tonight the deposed
commissioner said:
'T leave the ONCE with very little
regret It Is q fatiguing task. and
this Is what It leads to.
Politics have brought about this
change. I have done the best I could
10 give the city a clean and honest
| police administration free from any
! ttuge of any party politics. But with
the approach of an election the bosses
have said Il would never do to have q
police commissioner who gave square
deal all around.
There are many things In the ad-
ministration of New York's police sys-
tenn which should be- changed. ] waa
changing them as fast as posi- le--too
fast 1 guess. from the outcome.
Above all ] have tried to keep the
police department free from political
control and It Is safe to say that as q
i
commissioner among the politicians
that New York has ever had"
The head Of the Citizens Union gave
out a statement in which he said:
I'VE are with General Bingham be-
cause we know he has not handled the
police force in the inserest Of any pol:-
tics or party. In view of the vital I'M
portance of fair election and an honest
count this fall we had hoped that he
would continue In off1ce."
General Bingham, who IS a graduate
OF West Point. came to the New York
police department shortly after he had
retired from the United State army
with the rank of Brigadier General
He had occupied the post OF superiu-
tendent OF public grounds and build
ings at Washington but when Presi-
dent Roosevelt succeeded Mckinley
frequent differences of opinion between
the two resulted in General Bingham's
removal to an army post in Buffalo
where the loss of q leg In the perfos-
nance Of his duty resulted In his re-
tirement.
His appointment as police commits
sioner was Mayor McClelian's DECLARE.
tion OF independence Of Tammny Hall
and of opposition to political control
of the police.
General Bingham's last important Of
hcial act was his acceptance of tho
designations OF his secretary, Daniel
@. Slattery, and of his deputy Commits
sioners, Bert Hanson, F. Bugher and
Arthur Woods. He had previously de-
clined to Gus Slattery and Hanson
whose removal the Mayor demanded
and It was principally upon this point
that the split came.
General Bingham has nothing to say
tonight about his plans for the future.
At am now q has been," he said smil-
ingly.
GaynOr I'm LLmslight.
Todays climax of the Bingham-D Duffy
controversy has brought forward in the
political limelight Supreme Court JUS
tice william J. Gaynor. who called the
Duffy case to Mayor McC1ellan's atten-
ton in a series of scathing letters In
which he attacked General Bingham's
administration of police affairs. Jus
tice Gaynor has for several weeks been
mentioned prominently as a possible
candidate for the Mayoralty to succeed
Mr.. Mcclellan.
His comment on the result of the
fight against General Bingham was:
This case Is only the beginning Of
the restoration OF free government to
New York City. There is no place I'M
der our political system for the auto.