Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-01-02
THE DETECTIVE SCANDAL.
What Detective McDevitt Has to Say

What Detective Mcs3evitt Has to Say.
Detective McDev1tt sent the following communi-
cation to-day TO the District Commissioners:
WASHINGTON, d. c., January 1, 1893
To the UC1scrGiP the Commissioners Of the Dsfifci
81 Columbia:
GENTLEMfN-I have the honor to acknowledge
that the contents OF your order OF the 30h OF De-
CENTER last were duly communicated TO me by my
lnme late superior officer, Lieutenant AdolpauS
kckicn have the honor, likewise, to assure your
hGhOrabie board that after contiguous service OF
more than twenty-one years / AIN too deeply i'm
pressed with the duty or obedience to my superior
ofiicers to hest tie one moment to obey comma nd
however harsh, cru,l, or degrading it may be- My
ell respect, however, constrlins me to say that,
In view OF the letter q copy OF which / herewith
tran,nip delivered by me on the % of said
month OF Decembar TO the acting naajor and SUI
perintendent OF police. in obeleace OF q former
order OF your honorable board. your direction 40
SUSPEND JLnes i. Nj Dewitt IRON duty am TO pro-
hibt nm from G,iy Intercourse
tchh d"y cthe' n,e"ibtIS Of 6:e polic, Jo,'ce OF
trhdtereJ rank or grade :" caused me some sur,rise
oaseu rs Use order was, upon ec pdjte testimony,
received In my absence
hope may be permitted to add, without giving
on"noe FOR assure your honorable board that
none IS intended, / relied upon the privi.egr OF
belng heard In person and by witnesses. before
Ou!awry S, ould be passed against me; for. though
l WAS IN humble 'mber OF the police force, was
born, and cope l shall remain, an American
Cit zen.
rs have no right to comm unIcate I'm any man.
naf whatever, with even tie highest officer of the
police force, by the terms of your order. hope will
BIZ p3rinned Ter requesting OF your honorable board
duly certified copies or the following document
Oh file. rs am advised, in the office OF Lieut..
Adcinhui Eck:on, IN charge OF detective cOrpS
n ,mt'ly: telegram received from George w.
Waliing. superintendent If the metropolitan GO,ice
OF New York city, by Thomas p. Morgan. then
SHffrtntendt mt OF our police force, Gate October
-. 1873, to the effect tb 1T BrOckway (known in
connection with the JohnH. Magruder cheek forgery
as Monroe) WAS rot wanted. Second Letter of Ran
dolph COyle, then United States assistant district
attorney, OF about the same date as the telegram
addressed TO Thomas F. Morgan in. the same
Official capacity, to the effect hat he had inquired
into the proofs against Monroe and Others Off
c!Jliy. in connection with the SINE forgery, and
that there was no suiic mt evidence to justly the
further detention OF said parties.
nope may be further permitted to ask that
your honorable board WILL at the earliest day con-
sfStent with your other duties furnish me with
copies OF the written charges, w: "MemOran-
cum No l." alludei to in your recent order as it
Is reasonable to suppose that viii find It neces-
Sary t. the proper and sufficient preparation of
my defense, as only know, IN. common with
other c1t'Z ms, that accusations have been made
Imprisoned ieiOns, and attempted to be sustained
by prominent citizen who frankly admits that,
lcr purely mcrcenarv reasons, h. compounded a
iti2ny. nave Tie honor to lie your ODE iient SER
want, JAMES A. MCDEvITT.
DETECTIVE M'DEvITT TO CAPT. VERNON.
DEPARTMENT. OF METROPOLITAN POLICE,
DETECTIVES OFFICE,
zoe AZ street nor, Invest
WASHINGTON. ID. G., December g. 1882
Capt Charles Il. Tc,n0a, Inspector. ana Actfna
Major and Superintendent Of tie Metropolitan
SIR:-In obedience to your instructions OF this
morning, requiring me to make statement in re-
SpeGt TO certain charges contained in letter of
j. w. Thompson. chairman of the "Citizans' Com
lnittpe, Sc-caiied. transmitted to you by order OF
the honorable Commissioners OF the District of
Columbia, have the honor to reply that as I am
accusation Ill ned n
letter II fleets upon any individual member OF the
detective force" by name, that said charges are
vasu a anu ihaeinte am wholly at loss to re-
AS the laws and regulations Of the District of
Columbia, and of the United States relating to the
force OF which ] have been member since the
fall OF 1861, within few months after its original
organization, clearly and explicitly point out the
mode and manner In which charges against any
and all members OF the detective fOrce'' shall be
formulated. preferred and tried, most respect
fully but earnestly ask that be not required to
force by being compelled to answer loose, tntlef-
mite and slandtrouS accusations, Informally and
and spirit of such laws and reguia-
tons But, having every respect for
the honorable Commissioners of the
Dstrict.who have given dignity the letter by its
formal transmission to you in your official capacity
with instructions to ''inveStigate the factS' con-
tanned therein, il gives ne great pleasure to say
that, if any or the so-called facts were Intended
TO reflect upon my integrity conduct as il MEN,
Der OF SAID defective force" they are wholly mis-
bic that have, from time to time, passed, since
the organic itiOn of said sctiZens committee, be-
fore de premises in which IL Is alleged, In said
letter, they held their meetings, 1t was done with
out regard to the existence OF such committee or
It's place or meeting and without any purpose
Whatever, on my part, OF subjecting either the
commit ee itself, or any member OF it, any citi-
zen having business with said committee to an
"tspiOnage" or with intent to watch the said
premises" am wholly unconscious of having
done anything that would inttmd,t tie any person
Whons0ever having any connection with said
committee. / can further, most respectfully as
sure you that have not changed my usual habits
In the discharge OF my official duties since the
creation OF said citizens committee.
Permit me to say, IN conclusion, that am ready
and willing to meet any and all persons, before
any constitutional or proper tribunal, who will
formulate any charge against me; aud further
Invite the fullest and most searching investigation
into my official conduct, and ready and willing
TO meet any and all accusers before any tribunal
clothed with such powers as are necessary to q
proper and Intelligent investigation.
Twenty years service and more continuously on
the force has, perhaps, untitled Inc for the aVOca-
lions Of civil life, and large and dependent fam
lis demand Of me, not only that my reputation
for honesty and integrity be preserved as ind!s-
penSaDle TO their happiness and success In lie but
that they may be supported by my daily earnings.
hope may be permitted to add that the lowest
criminal Is entitled, under the constitution OF the
United States, "tO be informed or the nature and
cause or the accusation, and to be confronted with
the witnesses against him"
With great respect,
JAMES A. MCDEvITr
ELECTION OF OFFICERs.-The Washington sick
year as follows: Executive committee-presi,ieDt
w. Mahr: yicf-prpSidPpt. T. TOPnSe. recOrfiin.r