Evening star., 1947-09-05

liner Murpny taxes
Full Responsibility
In Boswell Promotion
Fire Chief Clement Murphy said
today he alone was responsible for
pushing the recommendation of Pvt.
William H. Boswell for the post Of
assistant machinery superintendent
and that he wished to correct any
other impressions.
Returning from three-week vaca-
ton, Chief Murphy said the impress
sion apparently had grown in some
quarters that the controversial ap-
pointment was steered by Deputy
Chief Frank G. Berry, for whom Mr..
Boswell drove before his promotion.
II want it fully understood that
any action taken by Chief Berry
during my absence was in compn-
ance with instructions I left with
him, and that Chief Berry is in no
wise responsible for Mr.. Boswell's
promotion" Chief Murphy said.
Chief Murphy also defended for
the first time through the press his
selection of Mr.. Boswell and the
circumvention of a Civil Service
competitive examination for the ap-
pointment.
Customary, Chief Says.
"In the 80 years I've served in
the Fire Department it has been
routine to appoint the assistant ma
chinery superintendent without a
competitive examination" Mr.. Muir
ply said. 81 never knew of one
appointed any other way.
II wanted to name a man inside
the department and I felt that Mr.
Boswell was the best qualified man
available"
Mr.. Boswells promotion from the
rank of private with 1898 yearly
salary to the $5,023 yearly pay, but
not the rank of captain, has been
protested by the Executive Board
of the Firemen's Association, Local
SO (AFD. The compliments in
sisted Mr.. Boswells qualifications
were inferior to those of a number
of other firemen.
Tracing Mr.. Boswell's appoint
ment, Chief Murphy said that he
assumed full responsibility for events
after Chief Berry recommended the
promotion.
On July 81, Chief Murphy con-
tacted the Commissioners for per-
mission to submit to the Civil Serv-
ice Commission Mr.. Boswell's quail
|iflcations. This permission was
granted August 4, Chief Murphy
said.
Ordered Berry to Act.
Since the Civil Service Commits
sion's decision had not come
through when he started his vaca-
ton, Chief Murphy left word for
Chief Berry to carry on with the
matter, he said.
On August II, three days after
Mr.. Murphy departed, the commits
sion reported Mr.. Boswell was quail
fed for promotion and on August
% the commissioners approved 1t.
In answer to published reports
that Mr.. Boswell acted as co-signer
on a note for a $2,400 loan he OBJ
tanned from the Uniform Firemen's
Credit association, Chief Murphy
said tat was true, but 1t had no
bearing whatever on Mr.. Boswell's s
promotion.
II did not know until checking
today that Mr.. Boswell signed the
note" he said. This is not the first
time I have borrowed money from
the credit association. I have done
it many times before and so have
hundreds of other men"
Recalls Leaving Note.
Chief Murphy recalled that he left
the note on his desk early last month
and asked one of his assistants to
contact the needed signers. Gus
tomarily, a signer is required for
each 500 of the loan, but in this
case the president of the credit
association thought 40 or II signers'
would be sufficient.
Chief Murphy said the assistant
asked Mr.. Boswell to sign the note
when he dropped into the office. 1t
was nothing more than he would
have done himself, the chief added
Meanwhile, the Commissioners
moved yesterday to speed up inves-
tigation of the feud in the Fire De-
partment between Chief Murphy
and members of his command.
Commissioner John Russell Young
said Acting Corporation Counsel
Chester Gray, who was ordered to
conduct the investigation 10 weeks
ago, has been removed from the
case. He has been replaced by As
sistant Corporation Counsel Oliver
Gasch, who has orders to use sew
eral members Of the corporation
counsels staff to speed completion
Of the probe.
Eager to End Dispute.
The investigation was taken out
of the hands of Mr.. Gray because
the Commissioners are avoWeoly
anxious to end the controversy
which began June II when Capt:
Joseph w. Conroy accused Chle1
Murphy of demoralzing the Fire
Department.
When Capt. Conroy, who Is presl-
dent of the Firemen's Association,
dent of Local 36, hurled his charge
Local SO (AFL), hurled his charge
before q House District suocom-
mittee. the Commissioners immeol-
ately ordered Mr.. Gray to conduct
a full investigation of the charges.
He has, however, submitted no re-