The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-03-22
CHICAGO.

Cf1lNANOs
= xvw yrxs.A.ARx AND BcRsLAR SYSTEM, AN
ARRANGEMENT BY WHICH EACH fobiceMAN'
wsruorT LEAVING HIS BEAT. CAN coMMCNt
c.rE wrru The NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
rom LINCOLN THE son OF "oLo Aeh
GARFIELD THE VICTIM OF chicAoo fohf'
rca~-es,oneence OF the Richmond Dispatch.l
CHICAGO, March 16, 1881.
rn,caca and her city authorities are ever
on the alert to institute improvements. aua
especiallv Is this the case with matters when
IN any way pertain TO the fire or police nc.
nartments. The former has already reacheh
: degfee of perfection fairly marvellous;
the sneed with which our 6remen get 10 a
conNacration and their efficiency in obtain
inc control of the furious element are un.
snrpa.scd. By the time our authorities VIII
have completed the construction OF the po'
lice telephone ana patrol system, upon
vhich M presept they are busily engaseu,
the poljce department will be furtber ~.
gument in favor OF the progre,siveness VI
the Harden City. AS this system Is as new
IN the rest of the world as II up 10 u moh'n
400 was 10 Chicago, / will endeayor TO ex-
main to your readers its object and work
ngs. -. .o ann,
,ounie,,,oo by means Of telegraph instru-
mems between the central office and all
the stations and sub-stations In the city.
But "a often as those IN charge OF the city
affairs cndeayored to institute some system
by means OF which each pairolman on DIS
beat could communicate with headquarters
thew found themselves baffied. III was
found to be altogether too arduouS TASK
10 teach every policeman upon the force
teie.raphy. The invention OF the telephone
offered new field for work, and SO zeal
ously has Mr.. Barrett, the city electrician,
labored, that at last successor most per
manent character has crowned his lab0rs.
To nut the system In brief: III Is Inc
establishment Of one telephone station upon
each patrolman's beat, by means of which
he can at any time communicate with the
t,on.keeper. Whether he needs aUy aid,
or whether any other necessity prompts
him. he need but step TO the nearest tele'
phone station to communicate his wants 10
those I'm charge, and have them promptly
attended to. The exact working OF Inc
system cannot be better explained than II
has been done by OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
McGarigle IN answer 10 letter asking Tor
information. He says:
"Tbe district connected with station Is
divided into any number OF posts or Dea's.
On each Of the beats there is erected DoX
or a house similar to a sentry-boX, about
three feet by two feet six inches and about
seven feet high, painted bright color and
having sign on the door. Police. Alarm
No. - The doors OF the boxes are Sc
cured by patent trap-Iock that retains the
kew, and, as none but police officers are IN
possession Of the release key, the person
Opening any OF them must await the ar
rival OF on officer or lose bis Key; anu as
each OF The keys is numbered and RECORD
kept of the name and residence OF the per-
son holding 1t, any one giving false alarm
can be easily detected. Inside OF The box
or sentry.box described there Is box ABOUT
the size OF q fiie.alarm box and through an
opening In its side projects lever; inside
OF the box there Is telephone ana the usual
mechanical cOptrivance Tor transmitting the
arbitrary CALL None but officers are is posses
sion OF keys for the inside boxes. All me
inside boxes are connected with the station
i'm the same manner as the ire-aiarm, ana
the signal ~ registered on the same kind OF
register IN use in all electric ire-alarm
systems. A person wanting the services OF
q police officer opens the outside door and
pulls down the lever at the side OF the in
side box; the signal is Immediately regis
tered at the station, where there is a detail
Of three men, with wagon and horses, who
are furnished with all facilities for quick
h,tchiDg, and who Immediately respond to
all calls. The officer on duty is required to
report 10 his station bv telephone once an
hour AT night and once every half-h0ur
during the day. He can also receive infor-
nation of crime committed in any other
part OF the city, and Is required 10
report all that comes TO his notice
OF any importance at any time du-
ring the night or day, without leay-
ing his beat. In cases OF emergency he
can use the arbitrary call, which viii bring
the patrol-wagon TO any box. or re can use
the telephone. and have assistance at any
point he may designate. When the system
is complete there will be an alarm.bell on
every station, aud in case OF murder, burg
larry, or any crime Of which the whole
.force should be notified, immediately a
Signal will be struck. On hearing this
every officer On outs will report at the box
on bis post, when all can be informed OF
-ThSSi has been done, and the officer in COM
mand can bring all his men TO any giVep
point. II required.
"Hopng that this brief description will
DE satisfactory, remain youts, respect
fnlly. WILLIAM J. MCGSRIGLE,
Superintendent OF Police"
The immense benefit OF the system can be
seen from the amount OF work done in 4
single precinct-the Sec0nd--durng Febru-
ary. The substance Of Captain O'DoDneiP>
report was as follows: Alarms responded
to, l.g-coyering 301 miles: making SO ar
rests; conveying 90 injured persons to theil
homes. 8 20 the county hospital. and dead
body TO the morgue: | wild steer running
at large and l horse suffering with hydro
pbobia killed; insane men taken to The
county hospital, 3; destitute persons &c
county agents office, 8; children TO Found
line's Home. 3; disturbances suppressed
IS: streets TANNED with teams, obS'rucuoo'
removed and teams regulated, >; stoler
buggy recovered, /; alarms Of fire Responded
TO, 10; test runs Cor officials OF other cities,
The system will be still further EXTENDED
by placing boxes in private dwellings
banks. offices, etc. when box Is placed
ma private dwelling key OF the house l.
left at police headquarters under seal. III III
alarm is sounded an officer takes the key
breaks the seal, and quietly enters the from
door, much to the surprise aud discontinue
of the enterprising burglar.
AS il has been at last officially announced
hat Mr.. Robert T. Lincoln, son Of the grea
w.r President, is TO be member OF Gene
raj Garteid's Cabinet, it might be advisable
for me, being felow.cilizen Of the gentle
man, 10 make few remarks upon him
Our present Secretary OF War IS a man o
no mean ability, and. what is rarely fount
In those whose parents have occupied eX
allied positions. OF o modest, retiring dispo
sition. II his success in the canvass for tn
position he has obtained had depended
upon his thrusling himself upon the notc
OF the President.clect, Mr.. Garfield woul'
never have paid so high a compliment [,