The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-05-31
AS OTHERS SEE Us.
An Eastern Reporter On the Indiansp-
oils Police Force.
Record OF the Criminal Court
The ST Louis Idea.

by the way" said o newspaper correspondent
and editor, who was recently visiting friends in
this city, ON his return home to Pennsylvania
from New Orleans and O tour OF the South, your
police force is the subject OF no little comment
East and South. You have relieved many cities
of some OF their worst characters By cap
turing and sending them 10 prison when
they have visited Indianapolis. The
papers frequently contain local mention OF certain
men well known 10 the writers, as having at last
gone TO prison from Indianapolis. II you could
stand away from your home SIS have been doing,
you would know better how true this is. The New
York, Baltimore, Philadelphia, and even Boston
papers have frequently referred 10 the force OF In
dianspolis as having made q notable arrest wind.
ing up with remarks on tie adrotness OF the Grim
insl and the inability OF their own police to cup
ture him where he was best known"
"lou seem to know something OF police and
their work as well as OF politics and expositions"
was suggested.
Amy person who reads the papers knows these
things, wss the response. LOOK at n base ball
club. II il is at the bottom OF the list OF league
teams, every man who ever. attends the games
name OF the champion c,l6. Men VINO
watch police vork-and al newspaper men O.
can tell you where TIE best forces are maintained
and what Is their secret o. success ana failure"
Please explain"
Certainly. prominent man In my town went
Chicago has fine force in many respects. bat
there is too much red tape in the system. How
ever, word was telegraphed to the chief for his
arIest, bat it did no good. Response was n ade
that he Was not in the city. Three days later he
came in and gave hlmtelf up Where the police
are so slow is IL any wonder thai our correspond
ent there IN reply to telegram asking Tor plrtic
lars said he had not been arrested? Yes, and more
than that II is actually asserted that the chief did
| not know OF ii himself until man was sent on sr
| TO bring the prisoner back y
That's pretty fought story"
no ffoof oraa "a rft
like every other Organized Institution in acity, Is
reflex OF the character of the town. Chicago used
| 10 be fsst place. IL IS bf coming sluggish. Look
at Cincinnati. With ell OF her differences among
those controlling the force and the lack of system
and riRid prosecution OF vioators OF the law. is
itany wonder that a. one time the jail OF Hamii.
| ton County contained twenty-three murderers? Is
itsny wonder that the elcquenee OF great crim-
escape from the saiiows caused a three days
riot in the city, the destruction OF the Court.
Tie sending down to that corner OF the State near
" al the military Of the State before the terrible
''But our Criminal Court is a great factor iu all
this work"
"Yes. and It is credltable to the county that
The strict administration of his oiics by
the Establishments OF the friends OF prls.
oners l understand that in The past
year l2i prisoners have gone North, besides forty
| eight boys who have been sent 10 the Reform
school. To be plain and still conservative. your
half: but 1t is neatly dressed, made up OF perfect
| tyres OF physical men, and no one ever accus s
| tie m(n OF standing in With thieves. So much
can not be said OF other forces over the country.
| Plnkerton detective recently told me the
IndianaI oils police force is doing better work
than the force OF any other city IN the Union. BY
the way, one OF your men went 20 Cincinnati the
other day TO get prisoner and Jailed 10 bring him
back because Of an alleged defect in the requisi-
| ton papers. This was remedied, and then the
officers OF that city demanded the Identification OF
the prisoner, which was also done. Then theS re.
fused TO allow him to be brought here. Your OIL
Ger hit them harder than he knew when he re.
| marked: 'All right, gentlemen. / am not sur.
| pised at the riot you had here last year"
| what is the trouble with other forces?"
TOO much politics The men would all 10
TO serve keeps them in check. One OF the officers
OF my town tracked quantity OF stolen go DDS 10
| ST. Louis recently. He got policeman detailed
TO 60 down the street with him, and soon locat ed
| the goods in house kept by gang OF There's.
The visiting officer wanted 10 20 in and secure IN 2
goods. hut his efficient assistant said no that a
| warrant must be put in the hands OF n Constab 10
| 10 be served. ot course, the goods never cane
| back. 81 Louis IL good town for thieves an
cnt.throats. but Door p ace for police. The same
snatch q pockethook from collecting
| clerk. The crowd raised cry aud
| started I'm pursuit. but the 81 Louis policem N
did not join IN the pursuit. No. he stepped into
| store and telephoued TO headquarters the facts,
| spd actuslly gave the direction the thief 10 *.
| They probably failed 10 talcl him.
| "How about Louisvitc?"
"lCuitvlle Is little better. but the same trouble
| II % be found there. Too much red tapc. toe
| much politics Oc(a ionally, however. n tpasm o
virtue causes general cleaning out OF the dens oil
vice i'm certain sections, and Tor feyeral weeks 81
time there Is peace and quiet In tue town; but tue
| old order OF things soou comes back, aud aga n
| fphraim Is joined TO has Idols"