New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-04-28
SAYS FLYNN HAD PROMISE
Friend Tells of Mayors Practical
Promise to Make Him Police
Head on May 1, and Ex-
plains His Action.

Mayor Gsynor. in an official statement
said some enc in the grand Jury room
but not a member Of that BODY. csve on
the story Of FIynn's resignation. wrioI
he said he told to the grand jury.
District Attorney Whitman. his s-
sistant for the crime invest cation
George Gordon Battle. the only men t.
whom the Mayors statement could point
get out a signed statement. denying tha
the Mayor testified to any such thine
before the grand jury. MIR. Whitman hsc
already put the Mayor in the Ananis,
Club.
II was reported that the Mayor wa.
! planning huge upset at Police Head
quarters which would clean out The
present incun,berts Of the non uniform
force. including Commissioner James c
Cropsey and Clement j. DrscoIl. Firs'
Deputy Commissioner.
| Commissioner Flynn will be called
a9ai, before the grand Jury 70 day. /,
was reported that the Mayor would also
/ he asked to appear before that body =
second time
| A close friend Of FIynns quoted hir
as having said that the department wa.
"the orookedest layout he ever knew
men high up in it known to be crooked
were still kent in
Flynn was practically promised the Con,
r1-;ssionershp. and was unwilling TO stay
and play second fiddle in a department,
where he was the only practical police
man.
From, a man close to Mayor Gaynor
came the double edged story that a n, .r
high up in the Police Department had
told hin, that Flynn was 80 crooked he
couldn't lay straight in bed" but this
: IAI Ak@& L
had often criticised viciousIy both Oris.
coll and Cropsey. he had never said a
word against Flynn.
After Mavor Gaynor's official state
nent. putting the blame souarely up n
District Attorney Whitman and his as
sstsnts for the publication of the FLYNN
story. based. as the Mayor said. on his
testimony before the grand Jury on
Wednesday. had been published. Mr..
Whitman went into conference with
Judge O'Sullivan To that conference
were called one after another. MAYNARD
Hollister. foreman Of the grand jury.
before which the Mayor testified Frank
Moss. Mr. Whitman's first assistant;
George Gordon Battle. and the official
stenographer OF the grand Jury.
The question Of making public the min
utes Of the grand jury investigation Gov
erine the period while the Mayor was in
the room was discussed. but ii was de-
cided that the situation hardly called for
such stringent measures, so as com
promise the following statement. which
,rae e;-oed b,- Nfescrc Whitman Nocs
and Battle. was prepared and given out
"Our attention has been called 70 a
published statement to the effect that
the secrecy Of the grand jury has been
violated and that testimony given before
il Yesterday To the effect that Deputy
Police Commissioner Flynn had resigned
lad been made public by some person
present before the grand jury, and not a
member of the grand jury.
Knew Nothing Of Flynn's Move.
"In our opinion none Of the testimony
given 10 the grand jury yesterday by
Mavor Gavnor has been made public.
No one If us divulgcd any word or part
of the testimony. We had no knowledge
that Commissioner Flynn had resigned
until the fact was stated in the morning
parers."
The District Attorney was willing to
amrlify that statement slightly. explain
ing that he had not been in the grand
iurv room during all of the Mayors ex-
amina lion From what he had heard,
however. Mr. Whitman went step fur
thor than the statement. 10 say that he
rad no intimation that Flynn had re-
signed or vas about 10 resign.
Neiher Mr. Moss or Mr.. Battle. how
on that point Each was asked If he had
been rrescnt during the examination Of
the Mayor. and each replied in the af-
nrn,ative. Each Of them agreed with
AIR Whitman and with the statement
which They Jointly signed that he had
had no intimation from the Mayors re-
marks that Flynn had resigned. hut
when asked ii they had any intlmation
that Flvnn was about To resign, each
If them went back to the statement and
stood upon that
But earlier in the day, when the first
force Of the Mayors hot statement
reached the Criminal Courts Building.
the answer Of the District Attorney was
not so temperate. He said then that he
had been present In the grand jury room
all the time when Mavor Gavnor was
examined on Wednesday until just a
few minutes before the end of the ex-
animation. and while he was there. there
had been no mention nor intimation Of
p1vnn's resignation by the Mayor. Mr..
Moss had Informed him that Flynn 8
resienatiop vas never mentioned by the
,tavor in his testimony before the grand
,urv MFR. whitman added.
"FaIsehood.' Says Whitman.
"Its an absolute falsehood thst there
,os any mention of this matter by the
,,ovor the District Attorney continued.
"rhe grand jury minutes viii speak for
themselves. Mr.. Flynn's resignation. |
understand. has been in the Mayors
,eice several weeks. He had better look
., home He did mention the name Of
vIvnn as a detective he had borrowed
from the government and hoped To keep