New-York tribune., 1912-12-30
CAYNOR TO REMOVE
WALDO, CITIZENS HEAR
Mayor Reported as Going Over
Head of Commissioner to
Probe Force.
FOX CASE MAY COLLAPSE
Sipp and Dorian, the Missing
Witnesses in Harlem Vice
Graft Charges, Fail to
Meet Dougherty.

The case against PatroiIndH r"s
Fox. which will be called this afternoon
before Magistrate Kernochan IN the
Tombs court. and which was preclpi-
tated by the direct orders or Comhi's-
soner Waldo, is in imminent danger Oh
falling down because the police nave
so far been unable to find George A.
Sipp and Thomas ]. Dorian, the VIII
nesses who can testify against FOX
Early yesterday afternoon heuteh-
ant i'm charge at Police Headquarters
said the two much wanted witnesses
would confer with Second Deputy Com
missioner Dougherty at o'clock last
night. At that hour, however, nothihs
was 10 be seen of either Sipp or Dorian
and Mr.. Dougherty admitted ne khe"
ahsoIutelv nothing OF their where
abouts
Along the line Of the more general
accusations Of police inefiiciency uiioei
commissioner Waldo however, II was
rumored that Mayor Gaynor had begun
an independent investigation oil the ue-
partment over Waldo's head.
Mayor Gaynor could not be found al
his Brooklyn home last night to answer
the current reports. The strongest
feature in the unverifed rumor OF an
independent investigation was the aiic-
CATION that Mr.. Gaynor had sent oirec'
from his office letters to many men on
the eligible list on the Police Depart
ment asking them If they had mad any
offers to put them on the force LOT
consideration. Il was said that MT
Waldo was not aware that these letters
had been sent out
Asto an Independent inquiry. althoush
Harry NJ. Rice. Commissioner Oh A'-
counts. said that that office was ho'
making any such inquiry, a representa-
tive of the Citizens Committee, when
has been making a separate ponce III
yestigation since the Rosenthal muir
der. said last night the Citizens COM
mittee had dropped the contemplation
Of preferring charges against "d'uo
because they believed Mayor Gayhor
would probably remove the Commis-
sioner within a month.
Hard TO Gust Official.
II was explained that although a ro-
lice Commissioners could be ousteo oy
proceedings In the Supreme court II
was an almost impossible task to ac-
complish by that method for the reason
L. e. IA
/ that malfeasance IN office had TO pe
proved and TO establish that rePulreu
/ that proof Of intent 10 suoVert the o"'''
Of office be submitted.
LAWYERS connected with the civic or
ranizations represented on the CltlZehs
/ Committee declared the only practica-
HE methods OF obtaining Waldos re-
I r,ovaI or that of any commissioners or
/ similar public official. were by pre-
ferrinE charges to be submitted to the
Mayor or charges to the Governor.
The court proceedings now pending
and contemplated. II was said yester-
dav are taxpayers suits To enJoin the
Controller from paying the salaries oil
the Illegally reinstated policemen, and
from paying illegally remitted fines IN
the form OF fifteen days pay In which
! they were first imposed.
II was reported that the Citizens
Committee had been proceeding on its
investigation along the lines suggested
bv RAYMOND B. Fosdicks testimony
before the aldermen last week. Fos-
dick swore that as Commissioner OF
Accounts he had received numerous
complaints of alleged grating by Lieu
tenant Becker. and that when he re-
ported these complaints TO Waldo the
Police Commissioner had chosen to
ignore them, and 10 declare TO Fosdlck
that his method OF checks and coun-
ter checks had made grating impossi-
BILE"
This negligence on Waldo's part was
brought 10 The attention of the Citl-
zens Committee early in its existence
II arranged for two conferences with
the Police Commissioner, at the first
of which IL was to go over with him
the general lines on which he admin
istered the affairs of the department
That conference was held In the
rooms Of the Bar Association about
two months ago. The second confer
ence was TO have been held about two
weeks later, but 1t has not been called
! 10 this date. 1t had been the plan oi
the Citizens Committee 10 leave unit
the second conference all its quizzint
OF Waldo along the line Of specific
complaints Of police negligence or ad
ministrative negligence on his part, bu
the report yesterday was to the effec
that II was doubtful II this second con
ference would ever be called, becaus,
of the belief on the part Of some o.
the members Of the committee that an.
action on their part would be largel,
academic, for the reason that actor
by the Mayor in the way of demand
ing Waldo's resignation would be al
most sure To forestall anything in th'
way of lodging charges by the com
mittee.
incidentally. II developed that thu
Citizens Committee had no difficulty II
getting whatever information 1t wanted
W.