The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-11-17
DANGER OF THE LAWLESS.
The New Police Superintendent Gives
Fair Warning Of His Intentions.
He Orders the Force to Keep a Vigilant
Watch Upon Saloons and Arrest Every
Violator Of the Liquor Laws.

Alvin Travis, the new superintendent of po-
lice, met the Commissioners yesterday, and re-
ceived from them instructions to enforce the
law to the letter, and in all his actions they
promised him their hearty support. When roll
call was over last evening Superintendent Travis
addressed the force and explained to them the
course he intended to pursue. In substance, he
said: II have been instructed by the Commits
sioners to-day to enforce the law to the letter,
and especially the law governing the sale of in
toxcating liquors. I propose to carry out their
instruction, and in doing this l shall expect
the hearty cooperation of the entire force. /
shall expect every man on the force to pay strict
attention to the saloon men who have been vio-
lating the laws. Your orders are to arrest every
man caught selling liquor after IL o'c ok,
or selling on Sunday. 1 will hold
every officer responsible for the enforcement of
the law in his district. Your standing in the
force will depend upon how well these orders
are carried out. If hear of any officer passing
a saloon keeper who is violating the law, the act
will cost him his position on the force. When
you know man is violating the law, do not
care by what means you catch him. You may
use any means within your power to get him.
Stay about his place and let him know you are
there, and if you cannot get sufficient evidence
on which to arrest him, take the names of every
man who goes in out and hand them to me
for use. l propose, with the help of the force,
to suppress every law-breaking saloon in the
city Since the Metropolitan force was orga-
nized it has been criticised for not enforcing
the liquor law. Every man who has bad
charge of it has been criticised by the
citizens for not doing his duty and you and
will be unless we 60 at this matter with deter
mination. If / do not stay in this position
twenty-four hours, propose to have it said that
the liquor law was enforced during my term of
office. In this matter | also expect the help of
the captains and sergeants, and shall look to
them to pay close attention to their respective
districts. We all know the law has been openly
violated. / myself have every night passed by
saloons where knew the law was being violated,
but / did nothing, because / knew my action
would not be Endorsed. In conclusion, let me
impress upon you all that you will hold your
places great deal longer if you do your duty in
this matter"
The superintendent remarks were appauded
by the men. They have wanted sDch orders for
long while, and they are in q frame of mind to
carry them out no matter who has to suffer.
Mr. Schurmann present and, after the
superintendent had finished, remarked to
journal reporter that, since the organization OF
the force, he had never a time when the of
hcers and men much in earnest as at
present. The board, he said. had determined TO
put stop to the complaint about the liquor law
not being enforced. The Commissioners anu che
police proposed to do their duty whether the
Criminal Court did or not. If the Criminal
Court did persist in turning ont violators of the
law, the matter would be brought to the atten
ton of the County Commissioners. and an eff
fort made to prevent the issuing of license TO
men who sold in violation of the law. If the
Criminal Court and the County Commissioners
were willing to shoulder the responsibility for
the non-enforcement of the law, all right; the
board and the police would bear none of it.
The saloon-keepers who are members of the
Liquor League seem to have read the hand
writing Gu the wall, for there was called meet
ing OF the League at Mozart Hall last evening
to discuss the situation. The session lasted for
but it leaked out after the adjournment
that a resolution was passed to the
effect that the orders of the new
superintendent should be respected and
that saloon doors should close promptly at IL
o'clock and be kept closed Sundays. The
Liquor League. however, does not control
majority of the saloons in the city. and whether
the remainder will ignore the order remains to
be seen. 1t is generally believed that they will
obey the law, for time at least, for they know
Superintendent Travis to be a man who means
what he says.
When the clock struck II, last night, the pa
trolmen all started on tour of their respective
districts, in search of volators of the law. AT
o'clock nearly every district in the city had
been heard from, and not single saloon
mad been found open. One of the old
est men on the force said that he
had never before seen the law so generally
obeyed. Resorts that in times past had always
given the officers trouble when attempt was
m0de.to enforce the law, were deserted few
minutes after il o'clock The patrolmen were
generally Disappointed, for they had anticipated
filling the station house with violators.