National Republican., 1882-12-23
THE CASE OF THE DETECTIVES.
Sharp Letter from the Chairman OF the
Cltizens, Committee.


Citizens Committee.
As was stated in THE REPUBLICAN yester-
day, conference was had between the chair
man of the citizens committee and Judge
Wells, which will probably result in the
speedy bringing before the courts some of
those detectives against whom charges have
been preiegred. Judge Wells is in thorough
harmony with the committee in this matter,
and has acquired considerable information
himself beyond that obtained by the COM
mittee.
Among the recent letters received by the
chairman of the committee is one from Mr..
H. f, Davis, who formerly was engaged in
the wholesale grocery business in this city, in
which he says:
During the time was engaged in the whole
sale grocery business in Washington my store was
broken into three times. On the first and second
times employed detectives, and paid about half
the value of the goods taken, A few of the goods
were recovered, but not the parties who stole or
who had them, and rather than to pay more to
detectives, used considerable money to make the
store more proof against thieves and WIS success
inl. then believed that there was colluslon be.
tween the thieves and detectives, and have had
no reason to change my mind"
| The committee state that they have for
some days been aware that the detectives
were endeavoring to discover their plans and
who was furnishing information and to that
end have closely shadowed the National Met
ropolitan bank building. To put stop to
this Mr.. Thompson yesterday sent the follow
ing letter to the district commissioners:
,WAsnLNGroN. d. G., Dec 90 1ss2-HoN ]. r.
WEST PRESIDENT BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS OF
DISTRICT OF CoLuMBGA--Sir! II has come to my
notice that certain members Of the detective force,
whose conduct is now being Investigated by the
committee OF citizens on behalf OF persons who
claim TO have suffered from the practices of the
detectives, are IN the habit of lettering il wonld
seem unnecessarily, in the vicinity ofmy office
am informed that their presence is regarded
| by parties complaining as an intimidation, and
they express reluctance 10 attend for the purpose
| of giving information to the committee while
their every movement is watched by the de-
| teclives.
is deemed proper to call your attention to
this matter in order that the practice complained
OF should cease, If upon inquiry 1t should appear
| to the commissioners that a proper discharge Of
the duties of the detectives does not require their
attendance at or espionage over the premises re-
ferred to. IL is hardly to be supposed that the
district government is compensating these detec-
tives to watch persons who allege that they have
been victimized by them in conjunction with
criminals,
| Very respectfully, J. W. THOMPSON,
| Chairman Citizens Committee
This letter was at once referred to Major
Brock with instructions to investigate the
facts represented therein by Mr.. Thompson,
and to report forthwith
1t will be remembered that when the com
mittee of citizens was formed it included the
name of Col. William A. Cook whose legal
acumen and long experiencein i n district affairs
it was expected would be of great assistance to
the other members in the investigation it was
proposed to make. 1t is said that Col. Cook
has not acted with the committee, and that last
evening after the publication of the above letter
of Mr.. Thompson to the commissioners, he
addressed that gentleman a letter requesting
his name to be dropped from the committee
1t is understood that Mr.. Cook gives as his
reasons for this action that in affairs of such
magnitude as that in which the committee are
engaged, the utmost caution should be OBJ.
served, but that in this instance excessive
zeal had exceeded discretion.