National Republican., 1883-01-03
Mr.. kCDeviH's Letters to the Commissioners
and Capt Vernon.
His Statements Not Entirely Corobo-
rated by Facts.
Additional Evidence 70 be Brought Cut and Startling
Developments Expected.
Tho Letter Of Assistant United states At
torucy Coylc.

officers have largo number of friends on the
force from their long term of service, and these
have been saying that they would come out
all right that if they had been at all crooked
they had been sharp enough to cover up their
tracks, and that when they made their de-
tense IL would he found imprcgnablc.
THE FIRST MOVE OF M'DEvITr
was made yesterday by sending TO the com.
niissioncrs tho following letter. which was
probablywrtton by Col. Robert Chrsty, whom
IL is said he has employed rs his attorneys
WASHINGTON, d. G., Jan. l. lss3-ro THE HON.
uRABlB THE COMMISSIONERS OF THE DISTRICT
oF CoLuMHlA- Gentlemen: ] have the honor TO
acknowledge TINT the contents OF your order OF
the 30th Of December last were duy COMMUNE
Gated to me 10y my immediate superior officer
Lieut.. AdOlphus ECklOlL ] have the hUnOr, IKE
wise, to assure your honorable board that attcra
continuous service OF more than twenty'on years
am too deeply impressed with the duly OF obe.
diencc TO my superior officers t. hesitate one
moment TO obey Commuud, however harsh,
cruel Or degrading 1t may be. My self
respect, however, constants me to say that
IN view OF the letter u copy Of which | herewith
transmitl delivered by me on the tWCnty-third OF
said month OF December TO the ucting major aud
SUPERINTENDENT ufpOliCc, IN obedence of u former
order Of your honorable board, your direction to
suspend james \. McDcvtit from duty and TO pro.
hbd hin rOBi dHy intercourse or cyHRUHiCd ion G,h
any Other members qIMe r0tceJ force NJ ,chdisrO rank
or Grade" caused me some surprise, based, us the
Oruer was, upon &C pdrts hStaaonU received in my
HBseuCG.
hope may be permitted to add, without Civ.
lug oienSc for assure yOut honorable bOnrd that
none Is intended, relied upon the privilege OF
beug heard In person and oy witnesses, before re-
inUyal nnd before any order in thesnaturc OF out.
lnwry should be passed against me; Tor though
was au humble member of the police force, was
born, and hope 1 shall remain, I'm American
citizen.
As have no right TO communicate, in any man.
ner Whatever with even the highest officer of the
police force, uy the terms of you order, hope
Viii be pardoned for requesting Of your honorable C
board duly certified copies OF the following dOcu-
ments OH iile, as ! ani advised, in the Office of
Lieut.. AdplIhus Eckloi in charge Of detective
corps, namely: a telegram received IRON George
w, Wa ling, superintendent OF the metropolitan
police OF New York city by Thomas =. Morgan
linen superintendent OF our police force, dated
Octuhcr ~ 1879, TO tne effect that Brockway
(knuwn In connection with the John ii. Magruder
check forgery us MDnroe) was not wanted. Sec
ond. Letter Of Randolph Coylc then United States,
MS the telegram, addruSSed to Thomas p. Morgan
IN the same official capacity. to the effect that he
had inquired into the proofs against Monroe AMI
others, officially, In connection with the samc
forgery, aud that there was no sufficient evidence
70 Justify the further detention of said parties
hope may % be iurhSE The, permitted TO ask ass that
sislent with your other duties, furnish Inc with
copies oil the written charges viz: "Memoran-
dunn No l." alluded to In your recent order, as it
is reasonable to suppose that | Will tnd 1t necos-
sary to- the proper and sufficient preparauoa of
my defense, as ] only know, ~ common with
other citizens that accusations have been made
against me by certain tried, convicted, and still
imprisoned felUns aud attempted to be sustained
by II prominent citizen, who frankly admits that
for purely meTcenary reasons, he compounded IL
ie'ony. have the honor t. be your obedienI SER
want, JAMES A. MCDERNlTr
THE LETTER TO CAPT. VERNON,
which is referred to- is as follows:
DEPARTMENT or METROPOLITAN Police, Uetect-
ives Office 2Oi AZ street northwest, WAsnrHGToN
u. g., Dee. ~. lsS3.--CArr CHARLES X. VI:RNoN
INSPECTOR, &s.-sir In obedience to your in
structons of yi, morning, requiring me tD make
a SEE
In letter of j. ". Thompson. chairman OF the
"citizens' committee so.Calied, transmitted TO
you 10y oruCr Of the honorable commissioners Of
The District of Columbia, | have the honor to
reply that, as l am adv iscd, no charge or accusa-
tiOn contained III said letter reflects upo any in
dividual member of tue "dettctivG Iorco" by
name that said charges are vague and Indefinite
i am wholly NJ loss to reply tu the same.
As the laws and regulations OF the District of
Columbia, and of the United states relating to the
fOrce of which have been n memDer since the
iOll of 1861, within n few months alter its original
Organization. clearly and explicitly point ont the
mode and manner in which charges against any
and all members of the detective 10 icG" shall be
formulated. preferred, and tried and most re-
specially but earnestly usk that be not required
TO degrade myself and njure the efficiency of the
force by being compelled TO answer loose indeii.
mite, aud slanderOus accusations, informally and
vaguely presented and wholly against the letter
and spirit of such laws and regulations. But,
having every respect for the hOnorable COM
missioners Of the district, who have given
dignity 10 tho letter by its Formal trans
mission TO you IN your oiiibial capacity,
thned therein, II gives Inc great pleasure to say
that, ifnny OF the so.Callcd iacti were intended
20 reflect upon my integrity or eoadnct as mem
Der OF aid de- eCtye force" thcg are wholly mis-
taken and uniouuded. Although II may be posi-
bic that ] have from time 10 tiEc passed since
the organization OF said citizens committee" be-
fore the promises in which " is alleged in said
letter they held their meetings, it was done with
out regard 10 the existence OF such committee or
its place OF meeting, and without any purpose
whatever on my part If su bjecting either the
committee ITSELF or any me Tnber Of II, or any cit
izen having busimes with said committees 70 an
"premises.' am wholly unconscious of having
done anything that would inIimidate any person
whomsOeVer having aly connection with said
committee. ! can further most respectfully us
sure you that have not changed my usual hab-
its in the discharge OF my official duties since the
creation OF said cltizelIs' committee,
Permit me TO say In concluson that am ready
and willing to meet any ami all persons, before
formulate any charge aglius, me; and further,
invite the fullest and most searching invest lion
into my Official conduct, nnd am reudyaud willing
To meet any and all ncCuseTs before any tribunal
clothed with such powers aS are necessary to u
proper and intelligcnH investigation,
Twenty years service and more continuously
OH the force has, perhaps unhttod me for the
avocatons of civil liih, ana large aud dependent
family demand ofmt not only that my rcpula-
ton lor honesty ard integrity be preserved, MS
Indispensable. to thplr happiness nnd success in
life, but that they may be Supported by my daily
earnings.
hope may bo permitted to add that the lowest
criminal is entitled, under the constitution of the
United States, 10 hc Informed of the nature and
.cuuse Of the accusation, and to be confronted with
the witnesses against him."
With great respect, JAMES a. MCDEyITT
An examination of the documents, certified
copies of which are asked for, shows that u
telegram was received by Mai. Morgan, when
chief of police, IrOm Supt. Walling, of New
York, TO the effect that BrOclway, alias Mon
roe was not wanted. hut that Assistant Dis
trict Attorney COylo did not state, rs is set
forth in Mr., McDevitVs letter, that he had
inquired into the proofs against Monroe aud
others, officially" in connection with the for
gerry of the Magruder checks, land that there
was no sufficient evidence TO justify the fur
ther detention Of said parties"
The following is
THE LETTER or MIR. CoYLE
referred to, from which it will be seen that all
his information was derived from Detective
MGDevitt's statemeGts;'
OFFICE OF UNITED STATES ATTORNEY, DISTRICT
or COLuMBA-WAsHlNGTON, d, g., oct, "a, 1870
MAJ. TuoMAs p. MORGAN, Chief Metropolitan Po-
lice Dear mr.; From Detective McDeyu's state
meut, do not soc that there Is any evidence usti.
iyiug the prosecution of j. d, Monroe IN conneC-
tlou with the recent check iorgeries, and do not
s,eany inproprIe'y inyour TsiSasnS q, hm; Yours
ASS. United States Attorney District OF Columbia.
4 REPUBLICAN reporter asked
MEMBER or THE CITIZENS COMMITTEE
last night what he thought of McDovitts let
Ter. ''Of COURSE" said he, he must make q
fight, and as the letter was drawn by his law.
yrI-iur you know Mac couldn't write any
such dpcumont-itis is very ingenously drawn
hat / was talking to gentleman yesterday
who said he told McDevitt two years ago that
he would be brought up with round turn
suoner or later a. don't understand" !" con
tinued he, how il is that McEllresh was sus-