New-York tribune., 1910-08-30
W|NKED At VICE mitchell
Continued from first page.


did what 1 did
will Commissioner Baker remain at
the head of the Police Department.
I have no comment or criticism to
make on Commissioner Baker" Mr..
Mitchell said.
How far do your powers as acting
Mayor go?"
I have full power except as to ap-
pointments and removals.
Would you remove Commissioners
Baker if you had the power?'
Mr.. Mitchell shook his head. Il would
not interfere with any department eX-
cent for extreme cause" he said. I am
only acting here temporarily for the
Mayor. and I would not do anything in
any way to interfere with his conduct
of the affairs of the city
In the letter to Commissioner Baker
| that brought him back TO the city from
| his vacation to reduce Inspector O'Brlen
| and order real cleaning up at Coney
Island. Mr. Mitchell referred to plain
cIothesr7en who were sent to the resort
| against the expressed wishes of Mayor
| C<aynor. He was asked who had put the
|
| il was Commissioner Baker
When I first talked TO Commissioner
| Baker about Coney Island" he said, the
| Commissioner ordered the resorts closed,
and Inspector O'Brien told him that it
could not be done without plainclothes
men. The Commissioner said that h5
didn't believe il. but he would put the
|
vo1Id be no excuse for his orders not be-
| ing carried out.
| The Investigation that caused the po-
| lice shake-up and the order for draa-
| tic cleaning up Of the island came after
numerous complaints had been filed IN
the Mayors office. Acting Mayor Mitchell
called on Mr.. Fosdick. the Commissions
of Accounts. for some inspectors TO in
vestigate the island. They made their
| Investigations on August Is. IA. IL and
| Is. and Mr. Mitchell said yesterday they
found indecency principally in parts OF
the Rowerv and not at all near the large
resorts.
on August 10. while Commissioner
Baker was in the city after the shooting
| Of Mayor Gaynor, Mr.. Mitchell talked
with him about Coney Island and or
| dered the vicious resorts suppressed.
few days later he talked with Deputy
| Commissioner Reynolds, Of Brooklyn.
Within two or three days II was reported
10 him that the island was wider open
/ every day Mr. Mitchell then wrote to
commissioner Baker asking him to re-
turn to the city and see that the orders
with regard to Coney Island we're car
| ried out.
No General Shakeup.
As soon as Commissioner Baker re-
turned to Headquarters Inspector John
| 7 O'Brien. in charge of the Coney Island
district. was reduced to the rank OF
captain and transferred to the Mac
| dougal street station, while Inspector
Russell head of the Detective Bureau.
was sent to Coney Island. Acting
Captain Matthew Robinson was sent
from Macdougal street to Coney ISL
and. while Acting Captain Eason, OF
the Conev Island station. was returned TO
duty as a lieutenant. Robinson heads
the eligible list for captains and he was
Island he would be made a captain
Commissioner Baker held two confer
ences with Mr. Mitchell at the City Hall
Yesterday. After the last conference
Mr. Mitchell said that there would be
no general shake-up of the police force
Insnector Russell was borough inspector
Of Brooklyn under Commissioner BIng-
ham and made a record for keeping the
ia on at Coney. When Commissioner
Bingham was removed a friend said to
Russell.
"you will be reduced in forty eight
hours"
The prediction was verified, and Rus
sell was put in command of an outlying
precinct among the goats. He was
transferred later to the 5th street
station and when Inspector McCafferty
was removed as head Of the Detective
Bureau. Russell was put in charge there.
His present detail to Coney Island is
for twenty days. which will cover the
remainder of the season there, until after
the Mardi Gras Lieutenant James Dunn
will be in charge of the Detective
pt,real1 in the absence of Inspector
Russell. Mr.. MltCneI Sdlu ytStti udS t'id'
the selection Of Inspector Russell for the
Conev Island work WAS made by Com
missioner Baker without advice from the
acting Mayor
Fourth Deputy Police Commissioner
REYNOLDS, Inspector Russell and Acting
Captain Robinson, with fifteen plain
clothes men from New York headquar-
ters. held a conference in the captains
office of the Coney Island police station
last night
Before the session started Inspector
Russell said to reporters: You know
what I'm here to do, and I'm going to
do it Three Of the concert halls are
running under iniunctiGns We cannot
interfere with them unless they run after
| o'clock. That We will not allow
After the confab the men went about
the island looking things over.
a DARING FLIGHT AT PARIS.
Paris Aug 2g-M. BielOvucci made a
sensational aeroplane flight above Paris
to-day He twice circled above the Einel
Tower at q height of ., 80 feet