New-York tribune., 1912-02-24
.CREELMAN PRAISES POLICE
Denies That He Will Supersede
Commissioner Waldo.
POLICE WAR ON SMOKERS
Magistrate Intimates Crooks
Should Receive Their At
tention First.

Mayor Gaynor will return from Atlantic
CITY to-day. where he went a week ago to
recuperate from the grip. Ii was said al
his office in the City Hall that the police
situation and the rumors OF the retire
ment of Police Commissioner Waldo had
nothing TO do with his return He Is ex-
pected to be at his desk in the City Hall
this afternoon, however, and It is probable
that he wants TO learn at first hand in re-
gard to the police situation.
The statement issued by James Creelnan,
president of the Municipal Civil Service
Commission, yesterday, 10 the effect that
Commissioner Waldo was not to resign,
was regarded I'm some quarters as inspired
rs the Mayor. with whom he maintains ex.
ceptionally close relations.
IT seems that a regular part of my off,
cial duty is to deny rumors that I am
to be appointed Police Commissioner" said
Mr.. Creelman. II had to deny these
rumors at the time that Mr.. Cropsey was
separated from the Police Department, ana
ever since. Recently my house has been
called up several times by all the news
papers In the city after midnight, with the
request to be Informed whether | had been
appointed Police Commissioner or not.
Sometimes these stories were based upon
my name. and sometimes upon my name
i'm connection with other names.
1T is quite clear that this systematic cir
Culatiou OF false rumors is a part OF a
deliberate plan, and | can see no reason
why anybody except professional gamblers
and their criminal and political friends
should have an interest In attempting to
create the impression that Police Commits
sioner Waldo is to retire from the Police
Department
II know that the Police Department IN
carrying out its great and splendid work,
has recently been seriously affecting the
pocketbooks Of these gentlemen. The Po-
lice Department has trodden on the edges
of the politically criminal holy of holies.
DetachmentS of police, all members Oh
the sanitary squad of the Health Depart
ment. assigned to principal subway stations
from Brooklyn Bridge as far north as l4Stn
street. reopened the campaign against
smokers Thursday night and at sunrise
yesterday morning nearly hundred men
who had absent mindedly entered stations
with lighted cigars and cigarettes in thelr
fingers were rerved with summonses to ap-
pear in court. Five appeared in the Nor
risania court yesterday morning, fifteen
were before Magistrate Appleton, In the
YorlviIle court, and another group faced
Magistrate McAdoo in the Tombs court. A
few were discharged, but the majority palu
fines Of from 81 to 50.
Among those served was negro who en-
tered the Brooklyn Bridge station with a
negro woman. lie was smoking cigarette.
When handed the summons he remarked
zone cigarette. one summons" When in
formed that he was right i'm his supposi-
tion. ne said he guessed he would keep on
smoking the one he had lighted and get
the benefit OF IT,
In the MorrisanIa Court Magistrate Butts
took advantage Of the occasion TO admin
ister A rebuko TO the heads Of the Police
Department: Patrolman X. F. Hickey had
served six men at the 149th street subway
station. and after timing five of these VI
apiece the magistrate opened up. he leo
of by asking Patrolman Hickey as 10 the
reasons for his assignment to the SUBWAY
station. and then said
This Is amazing II is an outrage
Robbing and numbering are going on every
dav in this city No wonder our citizens
are making complaints because Of the po-
lice management Of the situation. am
SURPRISED that they should concentrate their
efforts on such things when thievery oil
every kind is going on. A crime wave Is
sweeping over this city, and respectable
citizens are afraid to go out Of their homes
aften 10 o'clock az night for fear OF being
held up and robbed or assaulted, / don't
care whom this hits-its bad police man
agement speak for the good citizens OF
The Bronx"
THE Department Of Health intends tc
enforce 70 the letter those sections OF thS
Sanitary Code prohibiting smoking In the
subway and splitting in trains and on plat
forms and stsirways OF the subway and
the elevated railroads" was the statement
made Yesterday by Health Commissioner
Lederle regarding the campaign instituted
by his department
In explaining the sudden activity or tn+
densrtmeut il was said that ffy-two pa
troInen Of the sanitary squad began al
midnight Thursday TO serve summo Sc :
and that for twenty-four hours the wo
would continue II was expected that tn &c
or four hundred would be served IN that
length Of time