The daily gazette., 1883-05-19
OUR tMODEL' POLICE.
THE sToRY OF AYEAR's SHORT
REIGN.
NICE lBADING FOR THE PUBLIC
A Forceof InCompetents, Devoid of Dis
ciplirs or EhicIency-Evil Results OF a
Poliot Of Greed.

;
Observation-Disclosures and dissatisfaction
prevailsAt the City Hall, and the police
force Is family divided against itself
James / Hawkins is the prime cause of all
the trouble in his determination to "run
this maEhine myself" And he does run IT,
According to common rumor he has been
making money fast, evidently impressed with
the idea that the days of fees were num-
bered. When the present body of men
termed police force, was organized year
ago the GAZETTE very plainly gave a few
facts concerning number of the appointees
and clearly set forth the inefIiciency of the
entire force as body from Mayor Hawkins
down to John Quincy Adams, now sergeant,
and dire confusion was predicted. The
prophecy then made has been verified in al
most every particular, and the city
now is under the control of a
body of men who either take no in
terest In their work or make their positions
a lever by which to do more political lifting.
Mayor Hawkins at once assumed the role OF
dictator towards his men, in many cases
even becoming a bully. The patromen,
with the exception of few favored ones,
who fawn like spaniels at their masters
feet, have been deprived Of their just dues,
while witnesses have failed to obtain the
fees prescribed by law. The men have been
| powerless to help themselves, and when a
number of them, represented by Sergeant
| Decker, called upon the Chiei to endeavor,
| If possible, to secure fair and equitable ad-
| justment Of the fines and fees, they were
told to mind their own business. From that
time the dissatisfied men were marked, and
Sergeant Decker has been crowded out to
make room for John Quincy Adams, the
cool-headed officer who almost killed q boy
he, baI Ia,
sneaking into the base ball grounds, by hit
| ting him with stone.
During the past year close review of the
| files of the daily papers shows an alarming
list OF police shortcomings, which II is hardly
| necessary to cnumerate. Several officers OF
the "model" force nave been convicted be-
| fore the criminal cOur-, others have been
discharged for drunkruues., cases OF brutal
ity are found r,bberies have become numer-
Gus, and arrests OF thieves very inirequent,
rat fights have been visited by Hawkins, in
subordination prevails at the Hall, prisoners
have escaped from cells in mysterious
manner, criminals have been known to
avoid arrest in q suspicious way ard
chaos rcigns supreme. And the whole
situation resolves itself thus: Dr. j. P.
Wales is Mayor only In name James L.
Hawkins is Mayor in fact, Hugh Mcconnell
is acting Chief, and the force has but three
sergeants when four are prescribed. 1t is a
clever case OF "tail waggiug the dog" and
| in nearly every official act in which the
police we're interested 1t is safe TO say that
| Mayor Hawkins has dictated to DR.. j. P.
| Wales. The writer o this has himself seen
police officers deliberately and insolently in
suit witnesses at police hearings and not
one word of reproach was uttered by DIR.
Wales, who presided.
Inc haa Epn fS1 ,,alr
an itemized bill of expenses In big cases,
even though requested, but the grand totals
of fines, etc., have been enormous. Double
pay has been received for feed of prisoners
confined in the hall, notably the notorious
"Bob" Allen, who "es aped" few minutes
before the Maryland Sheriff arrived to take
him away. An innocent black man was
roughly and with curses thrust into a cell
for liberating Allen, when the latter posi-
lively says it was white man. Some say
jealousy released Bob Allen.
Outside of the hundreds of incidents
with which the public are thoroughly
familiar, murmurings among the officers are
numerous. Many of them "could tell tales
that would astonish you" and it is fact
that those who have failed to recognize the
great Mayor Hawkins as 'little God" have
been ignominiously turned down and sat
upon. A favored few have been given all
warrants to serve in which there were any
| profit, while Hawkins and Mcconnell re-
| served for themselves all special "detectige''
work. 1t has not been rare occurrence for
patrolmen to give Hawkins piece of their
mind in plain and unvarnished English, very
| forcibly emphasized. 1t has been common
occurrence for Hawkins to complain when
some energetic patrolman made an i'm
portant arrest; and on one occasion at least
| tha al hO af tbn all
has remarked to an officer, "What in the
hell did you arrest him for? Me and McCon
nell was on his track"
The story is long one and all decent citi.
zens, irrespective of party, have become
fully awake to the fact that James l.
| Hawkins is not the man for the place and
should be laid aside for a man with somt
ability as a ferreter out of criminals instead
of devoting his entire energies to booming hi
ward, his party and his pocket.
Want of discipline has been the grea
draw back to efficient service, and view o
the police force at roll-call reminds one very
forcibly of the muster OF Jack Falstaffs re
cruits. No two men are dressed alike
Some have all winter clothes, Others ar,
dressed in summer rigs, one has black ha
and other light one, some" wear short ant
| some long oVercoats, some wear belts anC
some do not, one man sports pair Of bas
ball shoes, or has brogans, heels are rul
down, boots are nnpolished, stars dimmet
with tarnish, and a regular "go-as you
please and don 't-care- a-continentaP appear
pearance prevails, Sergeant Mcconnell
sports black slouch hat, a loose fitting
black coat and sinks along very much II
] the same manner as dime-noVel detective
which he is very desirous of being consid
: ered He is often mistaken by strangers a
the Hall for a farmer who has been fleece
] by bunko men, and is after police interieI
ente. Many of the patrolmen make it
rule to inquire where his hoe is and hoy
soon complaining will be done.
All the good pieces of detective work az
complished by the "models" during til
past year can be counted on the thumb {
one hand, and thieves and rascals in and ou
of the city generally smile and grin deri:
! lively when they learn that the Wilmingto
! police have a clue.
The above is but faint and imperfeC
!. outline of the situation, and volumes coul
be written. For the present the above wi
suffice.
%~s-