Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1865-05-17

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report Of the late chief OF police was presented
at the last meeting Of the Council. We publish
IL, as IL contains an official account OF the city
police during the past year. and isa matter OF
public Interest:
To the Honorable Mayor and Common Council
Of the City Of indianapolis:
GESILEMES have the honor TO submit the
follouing report Of the operations Of the police
force of the city of Indianapolis Curing the past
twelve months.
Upon assuming control Of the police. tS enty
Elk members constituted the force. The city
was fuil Of solciers aud recruits and new regi
ments striving daily to 6ll up the quota for the
one hundred days service. then forming. This
number was wholly inadequate to guard the
city and ares, the numerous petty thieves. At
that time my duties called me 70 the field With
the 1891 regiment and left the force in charge
of Lieot. John ). Bray, who proved vigilant
and capable officer.
Upon nv return, the floating population was
still larger At a rough estimate, should com
pu,e the people in the city, soldiers and citizens
to number sixty thousand Seeing once that
with twenty-six policemen il was impossible 10
guard city covering so much ground aud with
such a mixed and numerous population, ap-
Piled 10 your honorable body for an increase Of
force, which was promptly granted. giving me
sixteen additional men.
men, the whole police duty Of this city has been
performed for the past ten months. and in so eff
cient a manner to bring compliments from the
chiefs OF police of our principal western and east
ern cities. In this connection would state that
upon the call for troops last fall. large bounties
being paid for recruits and substitutes, an influx
Of bounty Jumpers, from New York aud other
cities, filed our streets with scoundrels and
thieves. They came, as they expressed IL. on a
IL a.. =.
indianapolis. and they were bound to have the
plunder: but their JOY vas soon turned to mourn
ing. for the activity Of the police and the excel
lent guard and detectives under direction of that
Of nerve Coloue A. j. Warner, soon
broke their organization, and placed them in sale
quarters in the guard house OF the soldiers
home
Colonel Warner says in a letter which
append to this report, that as
indication of the activity and CO opera.
ton of the police force with the military
ia bringing the guilty TO justice, and preserving
order may be cited the tact that since August
last, shown by the records of this Office, over
two hundred deserters, bouuty,jumpers and other
military offenders have been arrested by mem
bers of the police force aud turned over 10 the
post provost marshal. Many of these offenders.
arrested as bounty Jumpers and deserters. we're
really professional thieves, cut threats and pick
pockets. who while they came here to enlist for
bOunties intending TO desert, and also piled their
regular vocation whenever All opportunity OF.
ferei"
When the population Of the city is taken into
consideration, the extent of ground covered, the
numerous railways adording an easy means Of
escape for criminals, and the fact stated that there
have been bank robberies, no heavy roOberies
OF any kind. the efficiency of the police will be
scxnowledeed,
Below will be found the number OF arrests and
for what offences for the past FEAR:
Murder. 4; assault with intent To kill. 10, grand
larceny, e5; petit larceny, 10; malicious trespass,
>; keeping houses of ill-iame Al; occupying
houses of ill-fame. 1872; visiting houses OF
III fame. %; public indecency, IL; exhibit
ing obscene pictures. 3 iutox' ,tion. 749;
prostitution, l65; assOciating with prostitutes
30; assault and battery loo; disturbing the peace
lie; carrying concealed weapons. 10; gambling,
D; exhibiting shows without license So: riotous
conduct 2; unlaw iul assemblies, 20; violation Of
liquor law, =; committing nuissnces, 9; violation
OF cemetery ordnance. 4; running vehicles with
out license. 80; hitching TO lamp posts, 9; hitch
ing to shade trees. 30; feeding horses On streets
and snow ordinance, SIS; violation of market
ordinance 5; obstructDg sidewalks, streets, and
alleys, l66; violation OF Sunday ordinance. 81;
driving on sidewalks. a. building without per
mits, 5; fast riding and driving on streets. &c;
shooting in the streets. Is; public bathing. 3;
violation of dog ordinance. 46; leaving teams
unhitched, 81. violation of fish ordinance, 3;
violation of wood ordinance. l; running locomo.
tives too fast, total 1921.
These are arrests exclusively made by the po-
lice. Ii will be noticed that the arrests for
into xication. reach the enormous number of
.749. We can trace, to this intoxcation, the
numerous crimes enumerated in the above list
We have. for assault and battery, l25, and
disturbing the peace lie, almost directly attrib-
utsble to intoxication. but it will be noticed that
but five have been arrested for gambling Many
people ask. "why il il that no more arrests are
made for gsmbling?" Ii is simply from the fact
that positive proof is required by the law. that
MONEY is bet, lost and won and from the fact of
gamblers having counters" to represent money,
knowing the police. the proof can rarely be
made
These counters are ivory chips Of no specific
value. Most of the gambling done in the city
is what is called "bucking against the tiger
thst is playing against faro bank Now, when
it is taken into consideration that police force
of forty one uen bave, during the last twelve
months, made three thousand two hundred and
thirty one arrests. it is enough to establish the
efficiency OF the police which have had the
honor to mmaud
They have done everything could reasonably
have expected. They have been upright, honest
men. vigilant In their duty, enduring hardships
and privations. sacrificing their health for the
public welfare. and deserve the thanks of the
community.
In addition, l would state that over eighty de-
serters have been arrested by the police and
placed in custody of Capt David Braden. dis
trict provost marshal besides nu mber of United
States prisoners. which | have no list Of have
been handed over TO the late United States mar
shall Garland ID Rose
In conclusion. would respectfully tender
my thanks TO his honor the mayor, John Osven,
and your honorable body for the cordial
operation and facilities you have rendered. me in
the performance of duties, necessary as they are
responsible and labOrious.
SAMUEL CRANER,
Chief of Police.