The San Francisco call., 1910-10-04
Police BOARD
SOUNDS DEATH
KNELL OF CAFES
Dancing, Smoking by Women
and Mingling With Patrons
Are Forbidden
Supervisors Drive Last Spike
Into Lid by Killing Slot
Machine Bill

Jonn 2 Seymour. former captain Of
detectives and during recent years head
Of the Wells Fargo secret service on
the Pacific coast. was appointed chief
ot police yesterday. vice John R. Mar
|, TN. resigned and pensioned.
Coincident with the installing Of Sey-
mour as head OF the police the cleaning
up Of San Francisco began. Within
few minutes after Seymour had taken
once the same board of police COM
nlissioners which placed him in the po-
sition passed a resolution prohibiting
dancing in the downtown cafes. prohib-
iting the smoking of cigarettes by
women in the same cafes and placing
the ban on the mingling Of women en-
tertainers with patrons of the cafes.
Before the cafe owners. who were pres
ent. in force 10 hear the death knell of
the tenderloin, could recover their
equilibrium the full import OF the
cleansing Of the city was impressed
upon those in the crowded assembly
room by word from the board Of super
visoTs' meeting that that body had
sealed the fate OF thes lot machines by
deciding unequivocally against the
resurrection of the gambling devices.
VICTORY FOR REFORM
The edict Of the police commissioners
against the cafes will have a far reach
ing effect These places have always
depended on the dance floors as the
main attraction of patronage. The sick
~ vaudeville entertainment offered has
long been recognized as but a ruse to
keep patrons in the cafes until the
dancing crowds could arrive after the
theaters. The banishment of dancing
seals the doom of the downtown ten
derloin~ and IL will be but matter of
DAYS until some Of the places will close
mp permanently while others will fold
their tents as the Arabs and join the
solemn procession Of the might lifers"
10 the Barbary Coast-now the only
licensed tenderloin which the city Off
cials viii permit.
When the meeting Of the board of
police commissioners was called to or
der at 8 o'clock yesterday afternoon,
The TumOrs OF impending disaster to the
citE's tenderloin served TO draw mot
hev crowd TO the assembly room of the
commissioners. Scattered among the
spectators We're the anxious faced cafe
owners and many Of the jubilant man
uered merchants, hotel men and citi-
zens whose combined opposition to the
existent tenderloin brought obout its
- downfall
After the disposition of routine bust
ness. the commissioners took up the
Clerk Skelly of the board read the fol-
lowing communication from Chief John
b. Martin:
San Francisco October 3. 1910.
To the Honorable the Board of
Police Commissioners of the
City and County Of San Fran
cisco. State Of California
Gentlemen Your honors BILE board
having heretofore appointed me as
chief Of police of said city and
county without prejudice TO my
status and rank as captain of po-
lice in the police department of
said city and county. and I having
accepted such appointment, pro-
vided that such appointment should
not IN any way or in any degree
ahect or qualify my status and
rank as such captain Of police. and
your honorable board having here
tofore. inorder TO facilitate nv said
apolntment and TO protect me in
ny rights, status. position and
rank as captain Of police afore-
sence from my said position of
captain Of police for the term of
one. year without pay, I do now
tender 70 your honorable board my
resignation as chief of police OF
said city and county Of San Fran
cisco, said resignation to take
erect Immediately. and I hereby
request your honorable board to re-
woke my aforesaid leave of absence
and formally. TO restore me to ac-
tive service in said police depart
ment IN the rank which occupied
and held at the time of nv said
appointment as such chief of no.
lice, 10 wit. captain of police in
the police department of the citv
and county OF San Francisco
J. B. MARTIN.
RETTREs on PENSION
The resignation was unanimously
accepted and John b Martin was shorn
Of his power as chief Of police and be-
came captain Of police on leave of
absence-the leave having been
granted Martin when he took the no
sition as chief in order not to jeopar
die mis- standing as a captain in the
department.
A second resolution was then intro |
duced revoking Martins leave of ab-
sence. This was unanimously passed |
and John B. Martin became again a |
captain Of police and was restored to |
active service. But this was only for
q few minutes The commissioners /
adjourned as a police board and con-
vened as the board OF pensions. A
Communication was read from Martin |
asking that he be placed on the pen
sion list under the retiring rank of !
plain because Of disabilities brought |
about through trying to arrest a muir
derer July q, 1885. His disability was
attested 10 by DR.. Sanford Blum and
: Dr. Albert g. Meyer. and his ailnent
H-as given as "synovitis of the right