The Police Chief Who Refused to Reopen Seattle's Red-Light District

It may not be amiss to give to the public some of the facts leading up to the recent unsuccessful attempt to remove Chief of Police Rogers.

It will be remembered that Rogers was appointed to his present position by Mayor Phelps, acting with the police commissioners who had been appointed by Mayor Ronald. As the charter requires, two of these commissioners are Republicans and two Democrats. The Democrats opposed the appointment of Rogers, and the Republicans, J. N. Wallingford and J. O. Niggle, supported it.

Mr. Niggle is the confidential clerk of J. F. McNaught. Mr. McNaught is the owner of a portion of that district commonly known as Blackchapel. The buildings on Mr. McNaught's land had once been occupied by prostitutes, mostly French, Japanese and Black women. These were driven from this district under the administration of Mayor Ronald, and the crib had comparatively few tenants when Chief Rogers entered upon his duties.

Shortly after the appointment of Chief Rogers the prostitutes who remained in the Blackchapel district were compelled to leave. Immediately thereafter Mr. Niggle demanded of the chief of police that he allow Blackchapel to be reopened. When this was refused an appeal was made by Mr. McNaught and Mr. Niggle to the mayor, who also refused to permit Blackchapel to flourish. Other persons supposed to have influence with the mayor and chief of police were then appealed to without avail by Mr. McNaught and Mr. Niggle, and when they found that it would be impossible to accomplish their end so long as Mr. Rogers held the position of chief of police, Mr. Niggle reversed from a warm supporter of Mayor Phelps and Chief Rogers to a bitter opponent.

It seemed an easy matter for Mr. Niggle to unite with the two Democratic commissioners, who were opposed to Chief Rogers on political grounds, and thus throw him from office. Mr. Niggle undertook to carry out this plan. His opposition to the chief was not due to any failure on the part of that official to do his duty, or to any change of opinion on the part of Mr. Niggle as to his efficiency, but was due simply to the fact that under the present administration the reopening of Blackchapel is not to be allowed. It would have come just the same if some other man than Rogers had been chief of police, for, as long as Mr. Phelps is mayor, Blackchapel is not to be reopened. Mr. Niggle was on the police commission to have Blackchapel reopened or to make trouble. The plan to remove the chief was checkmated by the action of Mayor Phelps in removing Mr. Niggle, and by his subsequent action in removing Commissioner [name illegible] for their united effort to oust the chief from office simply because he had performed his duty faithfully in accordance with the policy laid down by the mayor.

These are the facts in the case. Mr. Rogers' removal was attempted by Mr. Niggle because the proprietors of Blackchapel were not permitted to rent their cribs for purposes of prostitution. We believe that the sentiment of the community will sustain Mayor Phelps and Chief Rogers in the attitude which they have taken in regard to this matter, and that they will condemn the commissioners who have allowed themselves to use their official positions for the furtherance of the interests of the proprietors of Blackchapel.