Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1858-08-14
WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP

respondent in the Union of yesterday morning,
evidently interested in palliating the shameful
failure of the police to do their duty in the
matter Of arresting those engaged in the muir
derous assault on Tuesday night last, makes
various asseverations concerning the affair
which are wholly unfounded in fact. The
statement published in the Star of the day be-
fore yesterday was correct in every particular,
and was written only after having verified
every material fact explained, past any pre-
tence Of the denial Of its truth, If hereafter the
matter shall become the subject Of judicial in
vestigation. We state these facts because We
have every reason to believe that the commu-
nication Of GA Looker-on,' in the Union, is
from the Chief of the Police, who was not a
"looker-on" at the occurrences. The Stars
readers are we'll aware that when it takes occa-
sion to call in question the prOpriety Of the
conduct of public officers, it does not do so
lightly. On due investigation its statements in
such cases have invariably proved correct. In
this case, none of its usual caution was relaxed
and the public may therefore rely on the truth
of its account of the affair But our business
of the moment is with the account in the Union
designed to screen the police from the due effect
of healthy public opinion with reference to
their failure to arrest any of the parties COM
uniting the murderous breach Of the peace, and
the unjustifsble insolence Of Police Officer Nc
Henry to respectable persons apparently, only
because they offered to aid him in the identif-
cation Of those who had violated the law, with
whom all here who know anything of the ins
and outs of our Corporation affairs are we'll
aware that portion Of the present police are
sympathizers. That article is grossly incorrect
in its material allegations; and We have to
say
LIST. The omnibus did not proceed down from
the Northern Liberties, as it alleges, " at a
STAYING rate" butat the ordinary pace of omni-
buses on the avenues in that section of the city.
ID No one on the top of the omnibus used
I" insulting and opprobrious language" as it
alleges, to any one.
Sd. No one left the coach until the man who
had followed it for some distance, pistol in hand,
ran around among some shanties and again
made his appearance with his gang of rowdy
rufians, who commenced stonipg and firing
pistols at those in and on the vehicle 1t was
then high time that the latter should leave it
as fast as possible, and defend their lives as
best they could.
4tb. The persons who brought down the
swivel were all boys-not men, as intimated
5th. The swivel was captured by Mr.. Curtis
and members of the company, and not by the
police, as this correspondent says. On captur-
ing it, Mr.. Curtis Immediately upset it, turning
the wheels upwards, 50 that it was evident to
all that it could not be used to continue the
disturbance On the subsequent arrival of the
police, they took possession of it,
9th. FROM all we can hear, the Chief of the
Police, we regret to have to write, is probably
much more interested in hunting up the means
Of Pallisting the improper conduct of his subor-
dinates, directly or indirectly affiliated with
the gang of rowdies who made the attack, than
in seeking the means of identifying the latter,
which are at any moment to be obtained on
application to James Ward, Esq, j. p, the
president Of the attacked company, who can
furnish him with the names of respectable cit
liens, able, on sight, to say whether any sus-
pected person who may be arrested was or was
not one Of the assailing party.
The peace Of the city must be preserved.
That can only be accomplishments policemen
are in these times appointed by all parties as
rewards for political services Of the lowest
orderly the force of public opinion in COM
Polling the police to know neither friends nor
foes in the execution Of their trusts, and to
keep clear Of grog shops and grog- shop haunt
ing associates; and further, to be civil to all
with whom their functions throw them in con-
tact. The Star has never failed to hold them
to strict accountability for their conduct, it
matters not by which party appointed, and
never will while in the hands of its present
conductor.
Ere the reorganization of the police force
OF Washington, the force of public opinion,
(smarting under the shameful state of things
brought upon this community by the notorious
ineficiency Of the old police, every man of
whom, with but a single exception, if we mis-
take not, was reappointcd as an integral part
of the new organization,) operating on the
grand and petit juries of the District restored
peace and good order here 1t is
as little as the new police organization can do,
to keep the rowdy rufiian gangs under as
wholesome subsection as that in which they
found them Oh taking Office. The only gangs
their organization to violate the
public peace at that time, were those who
paraded the streets Of the city, firing pistols
and disappearing, on the first Monday in June
last, who as VIGOROUSLY hail from the quarter
where the murderous attack on Tuesday last
was made, as they were VIGOROUSLY those who
claimed the reward Of police and other Office
for their political GU services.
While protesting against the prostitution of
the power to accord Office for the reward of
any such persons, We protest more especially
against any afhliation between the police, after
appointment, and any such individuals, and
shall endeavor to prevent the community from
being injured thereby, We care not whom We
may thus offend. Such is the Stars plain
duty to the Washington public, and it shall be
faithfully discharged. The habit of Washing
ton policemen, in loafng around the grog shops
OF the city, is very pernicious one, and must
and will be broken up. The habit of reward
ing political services of worse than question
able propriety with such Offices is the root of