The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1912-09-25

'NlOlatlOn OF tne law wOuIn De SuDStantlVe
abandonment Of the civil service rules and
to substitute the Police Depart ment for the
Municipal Civil Service Commission.
| II Ia still within your power to revoke
these appointments. submit evidence con-
cerning the fitness or unfltness of canddat pc
on the eligible list furnished to YOU and
after this commission has acted upon this
| evidence make the appointments regularly
| from the remaining names on the list
One Letter From Mayor About IL.
The only communication he had had
! from Mayor Gaynor on this matter up to
I that time Mr. Cropsey said. was a letter
commencing to mis- careful con sider-
| ton" an enclosed letter from Morris
Pollock, one OF the applicants he had re-
| iected Pollock in this letter to Mayor
Gaynor said he had passed successfully
| a II examinations required. but for an I'M
fortunate technical answer to IA question,
| We're you ever arrested?' | answered no.
| | thought the question pcriained to any
thing criminal done by an act of mine.
| The applicant wen. on TO tell iof col
lison between trolley car of which h" was
! motorinun and Il police patrol wagon ~
a result OF which Pollock was arrested aud
indicted for homicide. He was tried and
acquitted. Pollock said no one III the
city had a celeaner or more moral record
| than his and that he was h"artbrolen
| over 'ite lnutbT anu HSkeu LOT diloln'f
hearing. knowing and hearing IN IN" past
Of your good heart and sympathetic
| feelings
| To this letter of Mayor Gaynor's Mr.
Cropsey replied tina. Pollock could not
possibly have misunderstood the question
| about arrests, that he had made no effort
to correct his earlier statemenb until
confronted with the records, that more
| over there was question as to his correct
age. Mr.. Cropsey explained that he
| firmly believed that a certain portion
Of the force must be made to understand
| that truthfulheSs is essential and ii
| seemed to him futile to at tempt to inn
press any such ideas upon "A person liKo
| the man in question" whom tho Com
missioner believed to have sworn 10 a false
| statement in order TO advance himself
| He added that n" intended TO give pref
| erence in the matter Of appointment to
men who gave truthful answers and who
had good records
MIR Cropscy said no had no other COM
munication with the Mayor on this subject
OF appointments until after he read tho
| Mayors letter to him in the newspapers
Of May Is. He did not receive the letter
until after he had read il in tho newspapers
This was the letter transmitting Mr.. Creel-
mans letter. which resulted in Mr.. Crop
| sey's resignation.
The witness said the Mayor had never
directed him to appoint i'll numerical
order.
If ne had wouldn't have taken the Job
| or would have given 1t up II he had made
the direction" The Mayor had spoken
, about it, Mr. Cropscy continued, hut had
given no direction.
MIR. Bucknor read from Mr.. Creclman' s
letter in which the latter said. 1T Is whhin
my knowledge that you officially directed
the Police Commissioner to make appoint
! ments for the rolic" force from the civil
| seryic' eligible list in numerical order,
| Ia mn .t
discretionary choice of one name out of
| three"
/ The witness said that not only had hc
not been so directed by the Mayor, but
he had never seen the Mayor with Mr..
Creelman at any time.
| Refused to obey Gaynor.
The witness said It was true. as the
Mayor charged that he had neglected"
to make certain promotions, although
the Mayor had repeatedly called his.
| attention to four vacancies in inspector
ships and fourteen i'll captaincies. Mr.,
| Cropsey said he had Ietused TO make these
| promotions for two reasons, first, that
in his judgment there was no II cd of
them. there .already being too many in
| spectors with nothing Tor them TO do
| and that there were at least enough cap
| tains and little work foi' them to do. The
same WAS true. he said. of lieutenan $
and sergeants- whole department
was overloaded with officers.
As,for the second reason. Mr.. Cropsey
said he told the Mayor that the situation
might arise that more captains would be
needed. but that he had heard the Mayor =
declaration to prospective captains
regardless of who they WERE" as MIR
Cropsey put it. apd that there were men
on the list and one or two at the top OF
the list he (Cropsey) would never ap-
point. He said he mentioned Lieut.
Peabody and Lieut. Reth as two of these
The Mayor asked what the matter was
with Peabody.
Il said." continued the witness. -you
can I need q ask me that. Mr. Mayor. 70,
have lived in this city longer than have