The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-06-27
THE FIRE MARSHAL.
DIR. BIacItburn,s Resignntion-HIs HonornbI
001ctnl elareer.

Omciai Career.
DIR. A. w. Blackburn, who has held the position Of
Fire Marshal of this city since 1861 few days ago
placed his resignation in the hands of Mayor Fox,
e seT rSdar ne site OF It's
know that the Mayor will probably decline to accept
the resignation, and most sincerely hope that such
will be the case as 1t Is rarely indeed that any
sponsible public position is filled with much earn
esness, ability, and integrity as Fire Marshal Black
DR.. Blackburn is a native of Stafford county, vir-
ginia, and received his education at Kenyon Col
lege, Ohio. During the war against the Seminole
Indians in Florida, he was in the military service in
the Second Dragons, and his first visit to Phadel-
phia, which was made In 1886, was in connection
with army business at the termination OF hostil-
tes in 1889, he removed to Philadelphia, and has
continued to reside ever SINCE His first occupation
here was In drug store, and while engaged In this
business he received the soubriquet of Doctorn by
which he is still almost universally known.
In 1s40 he abandoned the drug business to engage
in that of journalism and for ten years was OF
the ablest and most industrious reporters that has
different times he was connected with nearly every
daily journal published here at the time His ac-
counts OF the great riots of May and June 1874
especially known for their clear and graphic delinea
tion of the terrible scenes of disorder and violence
which dsgraced the city at that time.
In 1850 he first became connected with the police
department. The Marshal's Police was then In ex-
istence, and the Doctor soon made himself famous
among the "Killers" and other kindred dsorderly
classes who had dened the authorities.
Atthe time of the consolidation OF the city and
ontli districts IT, in 1s54 Mayor Conrad rendered
gift, and afterwards offered hlm the position of
private secretary. Mr.. Blackburn served as High
Constable and detective under Mayors Conrad and
VauX, winning great credit in the working up and
preparation for trial of several celebrated murder
cases. and the detection and arrest of shrewd coun
terfeiters and desperate burglars.
In 1857, Mayor VauX divided the detective forces
into several branches. DR.. Blackburn was assigned
to the charge Of the fire branch, which he has filed
ever since, serving under Mayors VauX, Henry, Nc
Michael and FoX-a period of more than thirteen
years. During that period he had, up to the first
of the present year. arrested 914 persons who were
charged with ncendarism. The number convicted
averages over one month, which exceeds the con-
victons OF any other city of the Union. Since then
four men have been convicted-one in January and
on his own confession on Saturday last, and two
during the past week.
The subject Of this sketch, since $780, has had the
tender Of every position in the Police Department,
from sergeantcy to the chefship out he having so
zealously identified himself with the fire detective
branch, he refused all. His work in this sphere is
so well known to every class OF the community as to
be part of the local history of the city His annual
accepted everywhere by scientists and the the heads
of the fire detective bureaus in all parts of the
world
He has been ever attentive to the duties of his
office, and considering the amount of labor he has
performed he has been but lily compensated for his
will lose official with whom she cannot well afford
to part at this time His health has been on the de-
cline for sometime and he intends soon as he has
recuperated sufficiently to engage in a business in
which the public and the underwriters will have the
advantage of his information and experience.
On parting with public official. such as DR.. Black
well has been we wish him better health and better
success in pecuniary way than he has known
since his connection with the Fire Detective branch
Of the Police Department.