100 years ago in The Record
Tuesday, Dec. 3, 1918
Cohoes mayor Michael J. Foley has filed charges against city public safety commissioner T. Francis Kennedy in an effort to remove him from office, The Record reports. Foley suspended Kennedy six weeks ago, after the commissioner led a raid on an alleged gambling house containing illegal slot machines. The mayor alleges that Kennedy acted without the knowledge of police chief James W. Schofield in order to “create dissension and cause the police chief embarrassment and force him to resign.” Under normal circumstances, the mayor would be able to remove the public safety commissioner, his own appointee, at his pleasure. Because Kennedy is an exempt (i.e. veteran) fireman, state law requires the mayor to show cause for removal at a trial. Kennedy recently tried to secure a permanent injunction against Foley, but was turned down by the state supreme court. In order to follow proper legal form, Foley reinstates Kennedy this afternoon, only to suspend him again immediately after filing charges. His new litany of charges against the commissioner dates back to his appointment last January. The mayor accuses Kennedy of neglect of duty, alleging that “he has devoted his time to his private duties in connection with the management of the E. H. Brown Manufacturing company of Troy” while telling subordi- nates to contact him there. His neglect “endangered millions of dollars’ worth of property and interfered with the safety and protection of the citizens.”
There are numerous sins of commission as well. Foley alleges that Kennedy ordered the police to let a Remsen Street man reopen an illegal poker game after he’d been raided, telling officers that the man “was one of the boys.” Around the same time, the commissioner allegedly ordered officers to return a confiscated slot machine to a local barbershop. In general, the mayor claims, the commissioner “has knowingly and unlawfully allowed gambling and the operation of slot machines.”
Other alleged abuses of power include an unauthorized awarding of a $5 monthly raise to an unnamed fireman and the unauthorized expenditure of nearly $1,600 on repairs to the Hose Company No. 1 house on Main Street.
Along with allegedly conspiring to drive Chief Schofield from office, Kennedy allegedly “tried to force members of the fire and police departments to resign for reasons that he could appoint partisans to those positions.” The commissioner allegedly threatened reprisals against those who refused to quit, telling them “he would make it hard for them, so that they would be glad to resign.” His most prominent victim, the mayor claims, was former fire chief T. C. Collin.
Kennedy’s case will go to trial on December 10.