Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-10-24
Head of Police Department
Resents Interference
With His Office.
NOT THE ACTUAL BOSS
Others, He Says, Had Been
Given Authority Which Be-
Ionged to Him.

Chicago, Oct 24-John McWeeny,
chief of the Chicago police depart
ment, yesterday sent a written resig-
nation of his position to Mayor Har-
rison and followed it three hours later
with verbal statement TO the mayor
that he was through with the Job.
The reason for his action is under
stood to De the series of vice reports
submitted to the mayor by Second
Deputy NJ L. c. FunkhoUser, although
neither Mayor Harrison nor McWeeny
would confirm this supposition. For
weeks there has been coolness between
the mayor, the chief and the second
deputy.
McWeeny walked into the Office of
the mayor Wednesday afternoon aul
said:
I'm not the head of the police de-
pastment. Other people are going
over my head and l am going to quit"
Mayor Harrison told Chief McWeeny
to think the matter over and talk to
him again. Yesterday at IL O'Clock a
messenger went from the office of the
bore McWeeny's formal resignation.
Shortly after o'clock McWeeny called
on the mayor.
Il am through" he said, Il won't
be down in the morning"
That there was storm brewing was
evident about the city hall all day.
For an hour after lunch the chief was
closeted with his brothers, James and
! Patrick f. McWeeny. Six police lieu
lttenants, yho.- -GaiISd-as a delegation
waited for fong time to see the chief.
Several prominent politicians hung
around his outer office Two aldermen
called. He would see no one. He
left his private office by side door,
went to see Mayor Harrison and re-
turned to call in his secretary, Viii
liam Luthardt.
Il won't be back, Bill he said, as
he again left his Office by the side door.
MUCH FRICTION.
Neither Mayor Harrison nor Nc
Weeny showed any inclination to dis
cuss the causes which led up to the
resignation Mayor Harrison even de-
clined to confirm or deny the report
that McWeeny had quit
IN talk about it tomorrow" was
the only reply made by the mayor
to all questions.
Yes, l have resigned boys" said
the chief 81 was through at 2:30
this afternoon. ! do not believe 4
want to say anything further"
Have the present vice conditions
anything to do with your resigning?"
he was asked.
Il will not answer any more ques-
tions," the chief replied.
Have you turned in your keys and
your starr"
my desk and my Office were never
locked. The star | wear was given
me by personal friends and l am not
going TO turn 1t in"
Friction among the high officials OF
the department caused by clashes on
the vice situation have made the posi-
tion of the chief anything but pleasant
With McWeeny nominally in control
of the vice and gambling situation,
1 First Deputy Herman F. Schuettler
and Second Deputy Funkhouser have
made repeated raids on gambling dens
and reports on vice resorts Innum-
). cradle arrests have been made while
q McWeeny declared that gambling had
n been eliminated and that disorderly re-
sorts had all been closed
The chief is said to have been par
ticularly dissatisfied with Major Funk
houser and to have resented some of
= the reports submitted by him to the
mayor.
SUCCESSOR NOT KNOWN.
McWeenys resignation brings into
the foreground the all-important ques-
:. tion Of who is to be his successor ?''
: McWeeny last night professed to have
no information on the subject. With
the mayor. in whose hands the formal
appointment rests. refusing to make a
statement, no authoritative prediction
can be made.
Several police captains have been
mentioned as likely candidates .or the
position. which has a salary of $4,000
attached to it, Among them are Cap
tains Thomas ]. Meagher of the Des
PLANES street station, John J. HaIpin
OF the detective bureau, Patrick ]
LAWN Of the Hyde Park station, P. d
> o,Brien of South Clark street station
. and Morgan A Collins of South Chi
cago.