New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-10-17
Former Commissioners CritiClSeS
Waldo for ReinStating Dis
missed Men.
WOULD BAR SUCH FOREVER
Witness Tells of Case in Which
He Discharged q Lieuten-
ant for Whom Gay
nor Interfered.

Department, James c. Cropsey, former
Police Commissioner, severely criticised
the present practice Of reinstatng mem
bery Of the force who have been dis
missed in reviewing the cases OF six men
disciplined by MIN, five of whom Commits
sioner Waldo restored TO their former
places
He advocated placing the Police and
Fire departments under the same rules
which amply 10 the other city depart
ments, where q man may be removed
by the Commissioner in charge after
hearing, and can only be reinstated by
the courts Under certain rigid conditions
Mr.. Cropsey's main argument against
reinstatement was that It destroyed DIS
cipllue In the force. which, next 20 good
mel, was all important. The general
opinion prevailed. he said, whether true
or not, that the majority OF policemen
who went to the courts got back on the
force, and that II they didn't get back
that way they could wait until another
Commissioner came in. with new Com
missioner every six months or so, this
was not q great hardship, especially since
reinstated men were entitled TO their back
nav. except IN cases where they had
made a good living. during their period OF
dismissal
81 should think almost anything prefer
able 10 The present system" said MI
Cropsey when asked what reforms he
would suggest Individuals must always
suffer for the benefit of the whole, and
while II might work an injustice in GER
tain cases to forbid reinstatement alto
sether, j believe that the statute should
be amended IN that direction. The re-
Quirement that mans successor must
be chosen from among the first on the
Civil Service list would be an effective
safeguard against people being removed
for political reasons"
~unheeomins Conduct"
Mr.. Cropsey's testimony helped the com
1nittee over several Of the distractions
which they encountered at the previous
hearing on October 8. He was inter-
rosated on Section l,543A Of the charter,
which provides that the Commissioners is
allowed 10 reopen a case only with the
consent Of the Mayor, given within one
year after the dismissal, on condition that
the applicant was not discharged for
cowarcice. INSTRUMENTATION. intoxication
or conduct Unbecoming an officer. Last
weeks witnesses were unable TO ell
Tighten Emory r. Buckner, counsel for
the committee, on the meaning Of Con
duct unbecpming an officer" though their
testimony showed that Commissioners
Waldo reinstated Lieutenant Thomas r.
Foody after he had been removed on that
ground
- nh
him 10 dismiss Lieutenant Foody and sew
eral other men haled before him on that
Charge Mr.. Cropsey gave a pretty clear
idea OF what ne thought II consisted
when he was Commissioner The main
element, TO hts mind, was untruthfulness.
In the character of e man whose business
81 was TO give evidence IN the courts
every day for the protection OF society
Mr. CrOpsey considered honesty the drst
essential He cften stated IN the tia!
room, he said. that q man who confessed
to q big fault would receive a great deal
more consideration at hts hands than a
man who perjured himself about little
one.
After stating that he himself granted,
no .Tehearings under Section l,543A be-
cause he considered it harmful to the dis
cipline Of the force for Commissioner
10 be continually reversing the findings
OF his predecessor, Mr.. Cropsey plunged
into description Of the six cases placed
before him by Mr.. Buckner. The frst
was that Of Lieutenant Foody. whose
case the committee spdeavored 70 learn
about last week. with Indifferent success
Ea 4 iounr In. CAPTAINS Room.
briefly stated, Mr.. Cropsey's testimony
showed that Deputy Commissioner Dris-
coll had found Foody IN the captains.
room of hts station house, IN company
with a civilisn, two bottles of beer and
a flask of whiskey. Foo5y's defence was
that the civilian was his tailor, who had
brought the liquor with him when he
came 70 collect bis bin, and that ne vas
trying 10 persuade him 10 depart at the
moment when Commissioner Discon ar
rived.
Mr.. Cropsey stated that he believed the
moral effect OF permitting liquor IN a Tia
ton house which ne commanded was
enough to require Foodys dismissal, but
added TO chat no found. in looking UP ME
record, that he had been dismissed by
General bingham iOI pS4hS o7'SSi 49,
ne should have been at the desk, and had
been reinstated Sy Commissioner Baker
after losing an appeal 70 the courts. Con
sfders Bile pressure was brought 10 bear
upon him, Mr.. Cropgey said, 20 prevent
him from disnIissiug Foody. and the
MAYOR wrote 20 him the day before the
trisI inclosing letter from Mr.. Marry.
Mr.. Buekner stated later that Mr..
Mulry" was Thomas NJ Mulry, president
Of the Ernigrants' Savings Bank, No. 81
Chambers street
"a Police Commissioner is called upon
10 decide many difficult and painful
cases" observed Mr.. Cropsey. But my
motto ID, Don't take the JOB at all un-
ICES you think you can live UP 70 what
you believe is hight
The second case discussed was that Of
Lieutenant Lake, Of the Harbor Squad.
who was found on New. Years Eve. 1870,
asleep IN, an adjoining room, when he
should have been doing desk duty. while
his blotter was completely made OUT for
the next day, fully forty minutes before
the day arrived. Mr.. Cropsey dismissed f,
him after o long conference with tho
Mayor, In which he told the Mayor that II
he found the charges sustained he would
Dismiss Lake, and that II the Mayor
didn't want him tiled he had better get
another Commissioner.