National Republican., 1883-07-13
DISTRICT DETECTIVEWO
The Present Force Hampered in Their Efforts
10 Detect Crime.
What Chief OF Police Dye and Detective
Carier Say Upon the Subject.


Carter Say Upon the Subject
The recent arrest of Burns and Loguc, the
noted cracksmen, and the failure to hold
thcm for a definite oflense, has set good
many people to talking in way that does
not speak we'll for the efficiency of the Wash
ington detective department On the other
hand, the present detectives frankly admit
that they are laboring under great disad-
vantaGes, and that their service is not so tho
rough as the law contemplatos. They openly
charge that they are hampored in the pursuit
of criminals by the old detectives, now under
indictment, who, for purposes of their own,
throw every obstacle in the path of Justice.
In fact it has been matter of common street
= talk for some time that the old de-
tectives, especially Mcllliresh, McDevitt,
and Miller, are engaged in scheme
to break down the new detectives by cover
ing the tracks of those who ought TO be in the
clutches of the law. Said an old police official
to q REPUBLICAN reporter, g I'll tell you just
what the trouble is. The fellows under in
dictment know all the Cracksmcn and thieves
of the country and the new fellows don't
Now there are in this city to-day at least ten
of the most daring housebrcakors to he found
anywhere. The old detectives know them,
but won't give them away. They can 60 along
committing burglaries with impunity, because
the new men can't get on to them, and the
old fellows are laughing in their sleeves and
practically aiding crime by refusing TO spot
the crooks. Some people 20 so far as to say
that some of the old detectives are in with
the crooks, making them divvy up. The new
men charge that they wero in with Burns
and Logue, and furnished the attorney and
the bondsman to aid in their escape. 1t was
matter of surprise to the old detectives
NJ.
openly accused o friend with having given
them away. But all this is n matter of belief
not of proof. In my opinion, the only bad
thing the old detectives are doing is to get
on to the thieves and their booty
and then go to the owners of the
stolen goods and propose to recover for
price OF course the crooks give
up tho greater part of their spoil on pledge
of not being arrested or prosecuted. In this
way they arc given license to go and do the
same thing over again. and of course this
makes more business for the detectives. But
the real fault for such state ofthIngs is with
the police department. If Mai. Dye had full
swing l believe he could put on men rs we'll
fitted for detective work as the men now un-
der indictment The present force is made
up from old policemen, and it will be difficult
for them ever to learn the business thoroughly
enough to do effective service"
Tho reporter called on Mai. Dye yesterday
tion to show that the indicted detectives were
interfering with the administration of the
criminal laws. Maj. Dye politely declined to
be interviewed in an official capacity and
suggested that it would be improper for him
to discuss in the newspapers the present con-
ditiOn of the police department On being
pressed the major said that he had rather not
be brought into this matter at ALL but if
mentioned he hoped to be quoted correctly.
OF course he had not been deaf to the street
talk that the indicted detectives were aiding
criminals. II is probable the men are capable
of it. Personally he had an opinion OF their
honesty that could only be expressed in OPP
probious terms, but they are under indict-
ment, and it was to be hoped would
havea thorough trial, and he had no desire
to PREJUDICE them These men undoubtedly
found it to their advantage to shield crimi-
nails. They are now in the private detective
business, and it is their game to recover
stolen property for a fee but thoy always let
the criminal 20. When the official detectives
recover property they punish the thieves.
The present detectives labor under the dis
advantage of not knowing the professional
cracksmen, but they are learning them rap
idly, and in short time the force will be
as effective as any Washington ever had. AS
to the Burns and Logue case the major said
that he was in possession of official informa-
tiOn that he cIuld not, with propriety, give
to reporter. 1t was certain however, that
they had powerful allies at work for them.
They had no money and sent for no one, and
yet they were furnished with legal counsel
and bail.
The reporter also called upon Detective Joe
Carter, and got Il statement from him. The
detective said he did not claim to be an eX-
pert in his new line. He had been police
man for eleven years. but of course he did not
know the cracksmen as the old detectives did.
lie and all the other detectives, however,
were fully alive to their responsibilities, and
were doing their best to reduce crime to its
minimum in the city. The indicted detec-
tives were undoubtedly doing all in their
power to hinder tho new force in the dis
charge Of its duty. He had ne proof, but he
did have Circumstantial evidence of
their friendly intervention on behalf
of Burns and Logue. These cracksmen
had less than dollar in their possession
when arrested. When they were put in Jail
the ex-detective, Miller was dodging in and
out of the buildings interesting himself in
their welfare. Mr.. A. b. Williams, the attor-
ney, came to see them without their sending
for HIM. and he was undoubtedly sent there
by parties who paid him fee. Bolton, the
professional bondsman, also came came and
supplied the bail, and he too was employed
and paid by outside friends.
The above is fair reflex of the prevailing
sentiment in and around headquarters. Tho
indicted detectives are held largely account
able for the prevalence of crime. Most of the
officials are open in the opinion that the
presence of so many cracksmen here is due
to an understanding between them and the
old detectves-the object being matter of
mutual advantage.
NERVOUSNESS, debility, and exhausted vi
tality cured by using Browns Iron Bitters.