outraged by this circumvention of his authority and fired Emmons, filling the position of police commissioner with his friend Thomas Wilcox. Buckley, mirroring the anger of the broader Detroit public, initiated a crusade against the perceived corruption of Bowles, which eventually led to a recall election. Accounts of Buckley's position on the recall differ by source. Some sources claim that Buckley, despite his disdain for Mayor Bowles, actually opposed the recall, either because he considered it undemocratic or because he favored impeachment as a way to eliminate taxpayer expense. One account of the events claims that, despite his continuous anti-recall stance, Buckley mysteriously changed his position in his final broadcast before the recall vote, suddenly strongly favoring Bowles' recall, to the confusion of his audience. Alternate accounts claim that Buckley vehemently supported and spearheaded the recall campaign and frequently took to the airwaves to encourage his listeners to fight for Bowles' recall. Some accounts claim that Buckley persisted in promoting the recall despite receiving a threatening phone call warning that he would be "taken for a long ride" if he did not cease his efforts. Other accounts claim that Buckley inexplicably altered his firm pro-recall stance in his final broadcast before the vote, reportedly cautioning his listeners, "Some of you have taken this recall business very seriously, and to you of that class we say, do not be so het up." Days before the recall vote, a fellow reporter and friend of Buckley's, Riley Murray, received word that Buckley was in grave danger, although the source of the threat is still unknown. Murray implored Buckley to make a list of people who could potentially have motive to kill him. Murray hoped to secure this list in a locked box and to have Buckley broadcast its existence to dissuade his enemies from causing him harm. Murray's efforts were in vain; after considering Murray's proposition, Buckley allegedly stated, "I'll be alright." On July 21, 1930, the day of the recall vote, Buckley broadcast from City Hall to inform his "Common Herd" about the latest vote developments. At the end of the vote, Buckley announced that Mayor Bowles had been recalled by a vote of 120,863 in favor of his removal to 89,907 opposed. This event garnered wide publicity both within and outside of Detroit, as no mayor of a large city had ever been recalled before this point. After Buckley's broadcast, his