Evening journal., 1913-11-12
WEDNESDAY. NOV. II. 1918.
cHIEF BLACK AM THE COMMISSION.

extraordinary situation has been created in the
"A Wilmington Police Department by the conflict
ing action Of Police Commissioners in the Virgins
case
Commissioners Bowers and stayton. the former a
Republican and the latter Democrat, have made a
report that tsntamouni TO exoneraton Of all The
policemen from Chiei Black down, who had any
thing whatever do With the Virgins case. In other
words while they find few things TO criticize, they
do not think that anything left undone prece-
TO- attending consequent to the Battle OF Bsz-
ter's Corner in which Virgins met death WAS serious
enough call FOR punishment
Commissioner wiokersham, a Republican the
other hand. finds much in the case that in his
opinion Is worthy censure that he thinks Chief Of
Police Black should resign and that several OF
MS subordnates should be punished by reduction sus-
pension or reprimand according to the gravity Of the
onense as seen by Commissioners Wckersham
The report Of Commissioners Bowers and stayton
has been adopted by their own votes, Commissioner
wlckersham voting against its adoption Commissioner
Wickersham's report has been adopted merely as
minority
II will be seen, therefore, that the Police De-
partment which. the public had been led TO he
leve would he made more efficient as a result of the
Virgins investigation is left in worse plight
In short the Virgins Investigation has done moth
ing Of practical for the good Of the service
Land a. has created in the Board Of Commission
efs breueh that perhaps viii close wholly and
certainly will not m for efficiency in the depart
ment The outcome the Investigation also win tend
to impair still further the confidence Of the public in
that department.
We have said from the outset that the Virgins af-
fair was only an ncden, in the troubles in the Po-
lice Department which have for neficiency and
produced lack OF public confidence We have urged
that's the commissioners extend their Investigation
as to get At the seat of the departmental trouble OF
which the Virgins was nero symptom They
have failed to do II. BY png their conflict Of opin-
,Io
Bict Of testimony they have made conditions worse
than they were before and impaired the already shat
tered confidence Of the public in the department
The ono great thing needed in the department is
loyalty permeaung it from top to bottom. Loyalty will
beget harmony and harmony will beget efficiency or
make nefacency apparent that it will be easily
curahle Of those needs have been provided for
by the divided action of the commissioners. They
simply have made confusion worse confounded by
failing dix down to the root Of the trouble and
by concert action apply the remedies needed tC
make OF the department loyal harmonious and Ell
working force for the protection and benefit o.
the community. They have not ended the trouble
they merely have accentuated 1t by restricting the
Investigation to one dramatic incident and leaving
untouched many other matters which should have re
their closest and air-minded and patriotic
attention.
The underlying trouble stll exists in the depart
ment The commissioners have failed utterly 10 eradi
cate IT, That is unfortunate but it is true and th
people OF our own city are fully OF the fact
They had looked for better results Quite naturall
they disappointed
There is doubt that majority of the Board 0
Police Commissioners has decided in favor Of Chic
Black Time alone will reveal whether the Whining
ton public which relies upon the Police Department
for protection will accept for its the majority
the minority report in the Wiggins The cas-
has beer tried in City Hall The records relating
thereto now have gone to the bar Of public opinio
for review