New-York tribune., 1918-01-24

January %, 1918.
Mr. John f. Hylan,
Mayor, City of Nea0 York,
City Hall, Nc1v York City.
Dear Mr.. Mayor: | have received
from your hand Letter Of this date
asking for my resignation You
doubtless have in your possession
my letter of yesterday, wherein I
called to your attention the intol
cradle conditions under which you
have expected me to perform the
responsible duties of my office.
which, as you know, accepted with
the express understanding that
was to be and remain unbound
and unfettered.
With some detail have cnumerat-
ed some of the many acts on your
part which, if persisted in, would
compel me to sever my official rela
tions with your administration.
regard your notice of today as COW
ering mere pretext and as proving
to demonstration that | could not
have continued to serve as Police
Commissioner without the abandon
ment Of my principles and the loss
of all selfrespcct.
For the reasons which | have
stated in my letter of yesterday,
and not because of the unwarranted
criticism which you have made in
your letter of to-day, | now resign
pO1ico Cn,D iOpo,,
In doing so, deem it important
to impress upon your mind the in
justice Of your insinuations, which
only serve to emphasize the fact
that your real purpose in seeking
my retirement is the consciousness
on your part that | will not permit
you to dictate the selection of my
staff, regardless Of the public well
fare.
Was Arranging for Trial
The presentment to which you re-
fer is that of a grand jury empan-
ellcd on August 27. 1917 1t was
not made until January 1S, 1918. A
The matters to which it refers oc-
Cured at q time when | was not
connected with the department and
months before my appointment to
Office. 1t is clear that the grand
Jury was not possessed of evidence
justifvine the Indictment of the
motorcycle policemen to whom your
letter relates.
If such proofs had existed these
policemen would long since have
been in the custody of the law and
their trial would have proceeded in
the Criminal Courts. Hence it be-
came obvious to me that before tax
ing action. it was important to
ascertain whether the proofs which
the grand jury found to be lacking
and which would be sufficient to
warrant summary action for their
dismissal from the force could be
found. Without a moments delay
proceeded to rive the subject the
attention which it's Importance de-
served. My deputy Mr.. Livingston,
forthwith conferred with the Dist
trict Attorney. discussed with him
the evidence which had been gath
cred; CHARGES against the men con-
ccrned were prepared. and the essen
tial prelmnaries for their trial
were in process of arranrnment
During our interview yesterday I
Informed YOU that it was my inten-
tion to place these men on trial with
OuL QcIEN anu tHHl l HHU dlTeHuN re-
uuestcd the District Attorney to con-
duct their prosecution in nv depart
ment. You gave your unqualified ap-
proval to this course. and | was about
to take the steps necessary to carry
out this plan when you called me to
your Office this morning and deliv-
cred to me your ultimatum.
Says Mayor Is in Error
You are in error in saying that
made the statement that | would not
suspend these men. In view of the
character of the charges. their sus-
pension would have followed almost
as a matter of course. did call your
attention to the fact that unless suf
fcient legal evidence was forthcom-
ing their Dismissal should it take
place. might be reversed on appeal.
Past experience certainly warranted
the remark. | did not, however, de
cline to deal promptly and earnestly
with the situation. was engaged in
making every effort to give them a
searching trial
| have felt the responsibility of my
Office and have recognized the i'm
portance of administering it in full
accordance with the oath that took
when | entered upon the performance
of its duty, and I can assure you that
the law has been strictly enforced
and that there has been no laxitv in
its application to evildoers can ap-
peal to the public with entire conf
dence to indorse this statement.
Let me say to You in conclusion
that it is because resent your un-
fairness and the injustice of your
innuendoes that deem myself fully
Iust'hed IN making public the true
reasons which have actuated YOU in
asking for my resignation. Very
truly yours,
(Signed) F. II. BUGHER.
Police Commissioner.