Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1863-09-26


ing Is Occupied temporarily, and is held at the
mercy OF the landlord The Superintendent
nopes something will be done at once to rem
During the quarter Just ended there have
been $500 arrests, OF whom 1885 were males
~ . females; 2,l4e were married, 3,sl4 single;
sir could read and write. 1,7ss could not read
or write: Inc offences may be classed as fol-
Ws:-Aeainst the person, males 35:s, fe-
males s13 against property, males 1884, females
iso. VI tne cases reported 1897 were dismissed,
6,3 were turned over 10 the military, 2a5 sent to
Jail TOR court, 35l sent to workhouse, 124 bail
for court, 1876 security to keep the peace, 2s3
not disposed Of and 81 punished in niscella-
neous ways.
Fines have been imposed in 2los cases.
Washington paid... ............S56S9 81
Washington supetceded.. ....... $40 16
Georgetown paid. .................... 1880 50
$1,000 So
Amount of property recovered in va
Iious way and brought to station. S63I1 %
Amount taken from loogers and prIs.
oners and returned to them. ........ 26, i42 10
eoo.ro4 10
Besides this, the property clerk has turned
over to claimants &6,S2446; showing the
whole. work Of the department for the quarter
S39,57s64.
have been furnished with lodging; forty nine
lost children restored to parents twenty sick
and disabled persons assisted; twenty two
horses and other domestic animals found an
restored to owners three doors found omen and
secured; twelve fires attended; two horses with
vehicles attached taken up and restored to
owners.
The sanitary laws throughout the whole
police district are pronounced to be in q very
unsatisfactory state; and the insignit1cance OF
the penalties imposed, and the ease with which
sructions to the efforts of the police in their en-
deavors to abate nuisances. The want of
proper sewerage in the cities Of Washington
and Georgetown ia also to be deplored. The
Superintendent recommends that some steps
be taken to remedy these evils.
The detective department has accomplished
a great deal of work, but the accommoda-
tons for them are inadequate.
That crime is greatly on the increase there Is
ITO doubt, ard the police have left nothing I'M
done to change this state Of affairs, and in this
have had the valuable assis lance of the mill
tary authorities. But though repeated arrests,
violent remedies ard public exhibitions of
them in the streets, have combined to make
the most Notorious and dangerous thieves seek
other quarters for the exercise of their talents;
still the city swarms with thieves and bur
glars, and dangerous characters OF all sorts.
The Superintendent sd Is that with insuffici-
ent force it is impossible to do anything like
guard duty, which is the only sure preventive
of burglary.
Every house in the business parts of the
District, where property is left without other
protection than that furnished by the police
should be under constant guard. This can
only be done by having short and straight
beats: the policemen will then be near enough
to each other to furnish mutual assistance.
Owing to the present arrangement OF beats,
which are very extended, interrupted by alleys
and intersections Of streets, it may be said the
police hardly afford any protection against
burglary. Nothing can be done by the Board,
because they have no power to increase the
force. With the increased population and its
material, it is wonderful that the public peace
hts been maintained as it has been.
He makes q comparison OF this District and
Brooklyn, N. Y.-ihe latter, At the last census,
numbering 10000 inhabitants, and this District
1900; the first employs 257 policemen, and the
second 100, and yet in Brooklyn there were but
3, 1G2 arrests during quarter when we report
$500. Thus the number Of arrests in Brooklyn
is ne in 1915 OF its population, while here we
have one arrest for every II So Of our popula.
ton. This is not, however, q fair compariso n,
because our population has nearly doubled, the
large influx being mostly strangers, while in
Brooklyn most of the inhabitants are permanent
residents Burglary and other kindred offanses
have not alone increased in our midst, but all
crimes excepting murder are on the increase.
Houses of prostitution are reported to be fear
fully on The increase, and as it is beyond all
question that prostitution cannot be eradlcated
from cities the only thing to be done is to throw
around the vice proper restraints. In foreign
countries brothels are licensed and placed
under the strictest surveillance, but this is so
repugnant TO public sentiment in this country
that such course here is not practicable. As
the next best thing, the Superintendent recon-
mends that proper restraints be placed upon
the action OF this class of the community; tina
they be registered and excluded from all places
OF public resort, and from the most used thor
oughfares, under severe penalties; and that the
licenses OF all restaurants and tayerns who
harbor them should be revoked at once. This
would be great step towards abating this
nuisance.
Gambling bells are also reported as on the
increase, and the Superintendent assuming
that secrecy gives these places all their power)
recommends that they be exposed to public
view by license, and this he thinks would tend
to diminis b them.
Saia of i-ifu
liquors in small quantities are also feartully on
the increase, and prolific source OF crime.
There can be nothing urged in defence of the
great laxity with which licenses are granted,
The report therefore recommends a consulIa-
ton with the corporate authorities, and that
some means be adopted to limit and control this
growing evil 1t is thought that a more strin-
gent examination of the certificate required as
antecedent to the issuing of a license would
have the effect OF ab.tins to some extent these
places of resort. sr
must fail as long as the facilities of bringing
criminals to trial, and of punishment after
conviction, are 81 meager as they are at this
time. No one can fail to appreciate the impor-
lance Of the speedy trial of offenders; yet, such
a thing is almost unknown. Parties are adj
mitted to bail easily, and cases are postponed
from time to time, until the witnesses get scat
tered and lis almost impossible to gather them
together.
The Superintendent then proceedes to give
the histories of three different parties who
were arrested-one tor dealing in lottery poli-
cies; one for defTauding the Government, and
the other for lnyenting and using machinery
for cheating at cards; all OF whom were arrest
ed and indicted, and admitted to bail in SIN all
amounts, and these cases were postponed
from time to time until now 1t is impossible to
bring them to justice. =. +. !. 5lca* .as
In order TO remedy this, and to bring crini-
nails to speedy trial, 1t is recommended that
tribunals be established for the trial of cases in
conjunction with the Criminal Court; and that
the Board be careful in the selection of m agis-
trates for the trial OF causes at the several
station houses. ~ la4I
The places for the incarceration and punish
ment of petty criminals in this District are pro-
pounced miserably defective.
The County Jail has been complained of 50
often that it ia superfluous to detail its unfit.
ness.
name as no hard work is done there, and it
has no terror for evil doors, as the place is but
q part and parcel Of a charitable institution
the Aims House. This is q subject which
should at once occupy the serious attention of
the Board of Police, and some recommendation
should be made to the proper authorities.
The attention Of the Board is also asked to
the great necessity existing Establishing some
suitable place for the trial. and, il possible the
reform alton of juvenile delinquents.
In conclusion, the harmony existing between
the Police and Military authorities is noticed,