The Washington critic., 1886-11-26
WASHINGTON CRITIC
MAJOR WALKERS LETTER.
The Police Department and Its Enc

From THE CRIric Extra, Wednesday, Nov. 2ll
The following communication from
Mr.. Samuel II. Walker, late Major and
Superintendent of Police, was ad
dressed to the District Commissioners
prior to their acceptance of his resigna-
tion, and contains disclosures relative
10 the underhand warfare that has been
made upon the administration of the
Police Department, which will 60. far
toward explaining many things which
are now but imperfectly understood.
The communication was made public
this afternoon:
DEPARTMENT OF METRoPoLITAN POLICE,
WAsHiNaToN, d. G., Nov. "a, 1885.
To the Honorable Commissioners Of the
District Of Columbia.
GENTLEMEN: Your attention is respect
fully called to the following statements:
The charges preferred against Lieuten-
ant Arnold were preferred against him In
dlyidually, for the circulation, maliciously,
OF false statements respecting suggestions or
conversations occurring between officers OF
this Department; but the investigation
of those charges has not brought
to the surface the true history of
the case in all its bearings, pointing to
Otnti DuTtlto utlbE ussOCldttu WIN MN III
an attempt to break up tho discipline and
government of the police force in the Dis.
trict OF Columbia, and to reflect dishonor
and discredit upon yourselves. That you
may thoroughly understand the case In all
its details, might say without fear of con-
tradiction, that the malice and lnaugura-
tion OF this attempt to overthrow the de-
partment dates back prior to my installa-
tion in office and to the administration OF
my predecessor.
II has been q matter of public information
since the legislatng out Of Office of the old
detective force that one Of their number, In
THE PERSON OF JAMES A. McDEv1rr
has been making strenuous endeavors,
using all means, fair and foul, to bring
about the reinstatement of himself. lie
was disappointed In his endeavor before my
time, and bis repeated attempts TO secure
reappointment at your hands having been
frustrated, mean to show that in his dis
appointment, he has made up his mind to
wreck the present police administration, II
possible, aud that of the Honorable
Commissioners, If necessary; and that
be has been aided in this ne
farious work by parties who have like
wise been disappointed in their efforts to
obtain place and prominence by connection
with the police force. / want to say that
the evidence is clear to my mind, and | ex-
pect to you, that In the persons of eX-De-
tectives Block and Edelin, and others, Me
Dewitt found willing tools to assist in the
accomplishment of his purpose.
/ would state that no sooner was | APP
pointed to the Office Of Superintendent of
Police than James A. McDevitt, and such
persons as he could bring to bear to in-
iluence his reinstatement upon the police
force, began to harass me. Finding that the
law and qualifications necessary for ap-
pointment to the force debarred him from
reinstatement 1t was impossible to comply
with their request. He, learning Of these
facts, Immediately began
A SYSTEM OF ESPIONAGE,
threats and annoyance, which have from
time to time been brought to the attention
of your houorable board, aud the evidence
which / have to produce and which has
been adduced at the recent trial ouly tends
to show that this man McDevitt was simply
awaiting favorable opportunity to work
the destruction OF my administration of
this department.
About the first week in September, i'm
mediately after the publication Of my est-
mates aud the letter accompanying them,
showing the necessity for the granting of
tie appropriations for which l asked, the
mails brought me the
FOLLOWING. ANONYMOUS COMMUNICATION:
"DEAR SlR l hope you will pardon the
liberty stranger takes in addressing you,
but did 1t ever strike you that two-thirds
of the Senators and Members of Congress
play poker and drink whisky and run after
women, all of which is quite natural to the
human race. III you undertake to dictate
to them and their friends what laws shall
be enacted TO carry out your particular
ideas, you will find that you have made q
great mistake.
III you are down on poker players, why
don't you raid the Metropolitan Club and
catch all of the District Commissioners,
with their friends, around the poker table ?
Did 1t never strike you that you are en-
tirely too pious in your new reforms -? q. The
extra ten policeman who were allowed by
the last Congress are sneaking around every
Sunday, putting up jobs on the hotels and
restaurants with their pimps. You state
that you are opposed to the spy system.
Still you make the police do this dirty
work. When Congress meets intend go.
ing before Senators Ingalls, and Blackburn
engaged In, and not to increase the police
force, as you only need them to magnify
your importance and watch members Of
Congress in their daily aud nightly move.
meuts, and put up jobs and blackmail
them. suppose in your lifetime you have
played cards, drank whisky and bought lot
terry tickets and ran after women, and now,
because you are Chief of Police, you want
TO make the community think that you in
tend making them moral. You may go too
far and find that Congress can dispense
with the services Of Major Walker, and put
some gentleman in his place"
ARNOLD AND M'DEvITT.
Your attention is called to the fact that
this letter, preceded by nearly month any
conversation which might have occurred
with the lieutenants on the morning cited
in the trial; and l am satisfied that Me
Dewitt had Lieutenant Arnold, who It has
been shown was one OF the first to refer &c
the finding of Members OF Congress ir
houses of ill-fame, speak OF this matter IL
the presence OF the lieuteuants, aud then
after the conversation had almost passed ou
OF their recollection, go to the President
ana make his statement The substance Of
the letters and the subject of Lieutenant
Arnod's address on the morning before Tho
Lieuienants, possess striking similarity
] would call attention of your Honorabl,
Beard to The fact that this letter was read tC
You at the time of its receipt, and informet
you then that was opposed In every sense
of the word, to any such practices as the
anonymous writer endeavored to charge.
THE LETTER READ AT HEADQUARTERS.
On the morning the above letter was re
ceiyed it was read to the lieuleuauts a
Headquarters, aud their uttcutlm wat
called to the Efforts Of outside parties Il
interfere with the administration Of the DE
partmeut, and they were directed to guard
against anything that might be taksr
advantage of to the detriment OF the De
partment, either in word or act, by thi,
anonymous writer or others. Ii remember
correctly, and think | do, Lieutenant
Arnold stated that he thought he could pu
his finger upon the man who had writer
that anonymous letter, but he did not DO 50
ANOTHER ANONYMOUS LETTER.
You gentlemen will doubtless remember
that on Tho snrnnl morning after the re