Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-03-08
SEVEN OF THE FINEST.
They Have Seen Nearly Thirty
Years Service.
ORIGIN OF THE POLICE FORCE.
Present at the First Roii Cali-Bcfore
the Days Of Uniform~, Helmets and
Baton.-usr who Have Earned Easy
Notwithstanding About the Veterans

~ ~ sons on the ponce lOrce VINO went on
N duty when the metropolitan police
M force was first organized They are
~ Lieut. James W. Gessford, Lieut..
John F. Kelly. Lieut. Charlas r. Vernon. Sergt.
Cornelius Noonan Private Augustus Brown,
Private Goodwin Pierce, Private Caleb Sebas-
tan.
These seven men were authorized to carry
tatons on the evening OF September II, 1861
They have seen hard service and most of them
are still strong and vigorous men, and are
likely to remain "a the protectors of property
and guardians of the peace for some years to
come.
THEIR PRESENT DUTIES.
The three Heutenants are still in charge of
precincts. while the only sergeant left handles
the thousands Of dollars that are paid in fines
at the Police Court Policeman Brown is de-
tailed at the free bridge and does not have to
Go night duty. Officer Pierce is detailed at the
District government building and is not sub
jected TO inclement weather. while Officer Sc
bastian is food Inspector in the seventh or
Georgetown precinct Thus the force is caring
for It's oldest officers in the best possible msn-
ner, looking ont for their good treatment and
good health. IN never forget the first day
We went on duty" said one of the originals to
STAR reporter the other day. 1t was
raining and the first roll call was
at o'clock in the evening. The
city was divided into ten precincts.
When the force organized Mr. William b.
Webb was chief aud there were one hundred
and fifty members. There were no station
houses and the roll was called out IN the street.
was IN the old seventh ward. which was in
South Washington. and answered the roll call
on the cellar door Of the old island hall.
I'VE were pretty crowd that evening
when We started ou:. We had no batons,
badges. uniforms or clubs. but were provided
with small OIL cloth band to put around our
hats bearing the inscription: Metropolitan
police
1.-The first thing the men did was TO go to a
pile Of wopd ami get Gibbs. the regulation size
being y inches long. Some of the primitive
batuns were of cool size and looked as n they
were TO be used IS mallets rather than on
the heads of offenders against the laws"
no HELMETS N THOSE DAYS.
Glow about the hAtsI" inquired the reporter.
''Some went on duty wearing SLOUGH hats.
others had derbIes and silk hats and some hardly
had any hats" was his reply. but it was only
four months before the government furnished
uniforms, cap, and clubs. bu: they don't fur
nIsh them now. The oil cloth, which was the
only thing TO designate the policemen from
other citizens. gave them tn appearance of ho-
Tel pOrters and they we're often called such by
the soldiers.
Police duty was different then from what it
- now. The officers had no time TO loaf, but
II Was always get up and get, as there was al
ways sOmetIuS going Oh. Such "a thing as pa
troll wagon was never thought of during those
days. The persons arrested were marched to
the central guard house, on Louisiana avenue.
In some cases II took the officer half day to
take his prisoner IN and return to his beat
oLD-FAsHIoSED WHISTLES.
'The police at that time had the old-flsh-
toned whistles with ball in them. They took
the place of the rattles that we're used by the
old corporation police. Even after the change
in the forces rattles were kept III many houses
and were used when police assistance was
necessary.
The prisoners were tried at the old central
guard house. the soldiers arrested being turned
over to the military court, which occupied
portion of the building. The punishment
meted out to the offenders was about the same
now. in petty cases the fine usually being IS
and costs. The costs were either AZ, 81 or 81
cents, according To the circumstances attending
the case. The jail building at the corner
of 4th and q streets, where the pension office
now Is. and persons sentenced to that prison
were escorted there by officer and compelled
TO work. The work house situated where
the aims house now Is and 81 was allowed by
the magistrate for Transporting prisoners there.
The officers then used to hire hack or other
public vehicle and go to the prison in style.
Sometimes there would be a dozen or more
prisoners to be taken at once and then ON
nlbus was procured
when the officers first went on duty every
man thought he would not reach the top of the
ladder until he had arrested a murderer and
when the first crime of that serious nature was
committed every man was anxious to catch the
murderer.
THE FIRST MURDER.
at was not long before there was a murder
and then all the officers who heard of 1t started
out to do their best. The killing occurred in
frame shanty on the island or seventh ward.
A man while intoxicated stnbbed his wife with
an oyster knife and then stood over her corpse
as quietly as though nothing unusual had taken
place. The officers surrounded his house and
finally the door was opened and several of the
bluecOats entered.
What do you want here? the man asked
"'Nhy. YOU. of course one OF the officers re-
Piled. Then he was placed under arrest and
locked up. His trial. conviction and death
sentence followed. The Jail had Just been
transferred from the charge of the marshal to
that of the warden. and the law making the
change had failed to me ntIOn who was to exc
cute death sentences. The consequence was
that the prisoner. like several others. escaped
the gallows and got of with a light sentence.
JAMES W. GEssFoRD
is the onl' person now in charge OF a precinct
who can cast that he was made lieutenant by
VI act c Congress He is as good natured as