The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-09-20
mitchell WOULD
REMOVE BAKER
Goes to st. James Bent on
Getting Gaynor's AS
sent to Il.
BAKER PROMISES TO ACT
Told by the District Attorney
That He'd Better Grand
Jury Summons Him.

John Purroy Mitchell, the acting Mayor,
went Ia ~ James last night seriously
bent on asking Mayor Gaynor to assent
To the removal uf Police Commissioner
William Baker lie saw the Mayor.
hut neither would saw with What result
Nj Mitchell il TO announce something at
the city Hall to-day Before he left the
city Hall yesterday he told the reporters
thar he had no doubt of his own power oi
removal. but that he wanted to keep the
proms. he had made not Ia remove any
uf Mayor Gaynur'- appOintee- without
Mayor Gaynor'- consent
Mr. Mitchell made little effort to evade
inquiries aA To the object of his journey
20 ~ James He did not care To say in
so many words that he was going to ask
for Bakers Dismissal. but he did say that
snch was the natural inference To he
drawn.
He made II plain that he believe - the re-
spon-ihtlity for the ineffective police
work which wis brought To his attention
I
on Bakers shoulders He thinks Com
missioner Baker has been insubordnate
and he carried Ia Mayor Gaynor last
night a letter Baker had written to him
declining To take the blame for open gam
bling and streetwalking and laying the
conditions To- IN. embargo ON precinct
plain clothes men The acting Mayor
thinks that thiS complaint il n reflection
on Mayor Gaynor. since II was Mayor
Gaynor who forbade the Use of such
agents Of the police captains.
Mr. Mitchell aaid that he would make
Police Commissioner Bakers letter public
to-day and that he would have no state
ment 70 make until to-day regarding mis-
with the Mayor He init
mated that the statement would hav" to
do with the matter ~ Bakers removal
IN cas-. m" Mayor declined to go into the
matter lie lef' the impression that he
did not cons der that Mr. Gaynor's jour
nsy from Hobok-n into the city two weeks
ago last Sunday with the Mayors flag
living was an executive act that would
prevent the acting Mayor for a fortnight
more from exercising full power under
section y - the city Charter which pro-
vide- that the acting Mayor shall have
to appoint or remove II the
MAYOR ~ absent from the city or is dis
aided Nv sickness for thirty DAYS
Mr. R.k-r has not concealed his in
difference - the acting Mavur- attitude
~ the matter 81 his removal lie has
shown that he feels perfectly secure IN
hI- tuinmi-sIuuer-hIp While refusing 20
DISCUSS the question with newspaper men
he mas told acquaintance that he thinks
lac j. AZ" aud that b." will be permitted
to e. ah-Ai and make . sincere effort 10
-hIt up th. gambling houses
h. VA. told very frankly Yesterday
by District Attorney Whitman that
gambling has got Ia stop ia New York
or som. folks IN the Police Department
would b- indicted bv IA. Grand Jury
H.. replied that he could stop u Ia twenty
four hours II he was allowed To- Use a
.ufiicien' force of plain clothes men.
The District Attorney remarked that
tn. plain clothes man problem was one
IN. Police Commissioner would have To-
settle m the cry Hall. but that there
need he no mis- understanding about the
matter Of stopping gambling. whatever
the means
who will do it, asked the District
Attorney And the Police Commissioner
said
Il will
This morning the Grand Jury gets ight
A - Aa.t.-
ponaa- have been served on acting Mayor
Mitchell commissioner % Accounts Zoe
dick. CummissiUnsr Raker. Inspector
smiling Dick Walsh. Inspector George
Mo- lu-key and several minor polio"
ofilcials J EdsAr eaycrAfi. the foreman
vt m. Grand Jury. suggested 20 the
district Attorney yesterday that since
conditi ions seemed TO bs worse than for
years u would he oil for the Grand Jury
to proceed At once Mr. Whitman agreed
10 app"a- personally 20 examine wit
presses
The acting Mayo did not want 90 80
before the Jurors, because he did not
think thar hia prc-Dnce waa necessary.
He has arranged - appear This morning.
ho~eVer. with transcripts 81 evidence
~ 10 gambling houses ard immoral re-
sorts obtained by Commis-ioner fosdick's
1hi- evidence has not yet
bcer turned over tn the District Attorney
or ~ the Police Cpmmi--ioner.
The present crusade had taken on this
aspect last night District Attorney Whit
man. although insistent that he IL work
ing hand in hand with acting Mayor
Mitchell. declines To make the District
Attorneys office branch station % the
Police department He has told the
Police Commissioner that gambling must
be p,it n stop 20 or other laws than the
Bowling act will b" brought into play.
but he has also sah that the street walk
ing scandal viii not he dealt with BY the