National Republican., 1882-12-11
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.
A COMPLAINT OF THE POLICE.
IN fbS L,JjInr

10 WG EuHOT.
WASHINGTON, d. c., Dec. 9.--Sr:-It is in
deed new departure in Washington when
newspaper here dares to expose the evil of
our detective and police force If you do not
| take back track in this matter the citizens
will have great reason to bless the eight-page
| paper.
have often tried to get n few facts on this
| matter published in some one of the daily
| papers here but thus far have tried in vain.
In the hope that your paper will prove itself
power not afraid to speak the truth about de-
tcctives and policemen, will relate some of my
own experience on this head. At three diff
ierent times entry thieves have stolen valua-
BILE overcOats from my front hall. All have
! been reported to the police, without result.
Three times my basement has been entered
by burglars at night, goods taken, and moth
ing been recovered by reporting to detectives.
The second time two valuable carpets were
stolen, and from the contradictory stories
that my servant told had reason to believe
that she was an accomplice in the theft. De-
tective VCss asked TO see my girl in private,
and after that told me that he thought 4" she
had no guilty knowledge of the transaction"
When l showed the detective piece of the
carpet that was stolen, he and his chief en-
couraged me to think that they should find it
for me without doubt. inquired if it was nee
| essary for me to pay them for their trouble,
and received for answer that it was not-that
they were paid by the city. After that l
| called several times to inquire if the carpet
had been found, always to get negative an
swcr. / had made up my mind that would
not pay them to find the carpets if l never
got them and they, at last tired suppose,
of my inquiries. said one day: "Your carpets
were probably taken from the city within
twenty-four hours after they were stolen."
In saying this they forgot the first promise
they had made of soon finding them for me.
The last time my house was entered by
burglars did not think it worth while to re-
port it to the detective force. Why should
one report it? The only one who gains from
the report is the detective, who then compels
the thief to share the spoils with him; and
for one, had quite as lief the thief would
| have the goods as that those who are paid to
guard us from thieves, themselves traitors, as
well as thieves, should reap a part of the
sp9ils. The thieves incur the danger and do
| not pretend to be better than they are, while
the detectives who share their spois are cow
ards and hypocrites in addition to thieving.
| 1t is not long since dishonest servant
robbed me of silver spoons-one of them an
heirloom in the family that l much valued.
Although | knew who stole them, and sup
posed they were in some of the pawn shops of
the city, l did not consider it worth while to
report the loss to our detectives.
prominent business man of this city said
to me not long ago, that "if one half of the rob-
berries in this city were made known, our po-
| lice and detective force would be driven from
the city by the indignation of the people,"
An artist, whom l know, lost his watch. He
went to the police office to report it. He hap
pened to have personal friend doing duty
there as clerk. This friend privately said to
him: at is no use for you to expect to get
your watch again, unless you offer half its
worth as reward; do that and you will soon
get it again" He took the advice and his
watch was soon returned to him.
A lady of my acquaintance lost several
hundred dollars and had good reason to think
her washerwoman stole it. She reported the
loss to detectives, but was advised not to offer
them pay for finding it. She could show them
where the woman lived and prove that she
had recently had large bill changed at n
store but the detectives could not help her,
and she will always believe that the thief
paid them part Of the money to shield her,
and that if she had offered in the first place
to divide with the detectives she would have
recovered II portion of her money. II. G. 1.