The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-09-21
HOUSE OF THE FORCE.
The Police Have Taken Up
Their New Quarters.
THE BEST THE CITY EVER HAD.
quite Changed Appearance OF the Old
County Onices--Seat and Comfort
able Rooms.

Foilce headquarters were moved yester-
DAY to the handsome and commodious
rooms In the building at the corner of
lhlrd street and Iesier avenue, formerly
occupied by the county Jail, the sheriff's
ONCE and the county auditor. The build
ing has been thoroughly overhauled since
the county officers moved out two or three
months ago, and the carpenters, paint
ers and paper-hangers had not
all disappeared yesterday. One who was
familiar with the building as it has been
nearly ever since the great fire. would
I hardly know it was the same structure.
Instead of the high board fence and the
little shacks in front, with a narrow alley
leading to the front door from the street.
there is wide flight of steps and a spa
cious veranda in front. Instead of the
bleak-looking gable end of the building
sticking up above the high fence the front
is now handsomely ornamented with cor
nice work and nicely painted, and it
opens directly upon the street.
The front door is wide enough to take in
the largest hobo in the city full loaded
and with a star-spangled blue-coated min
ION OF the law on each side of him. This
door opens into the large assembly or drill
that the Seattle police force ever had at its
disposal and it is larger than all the rooms
at the quarters just deserted. Around the
sides are fifty lockers, each handsomely
painted and numbered, while the ceiling is
papered in good taste. Near the entrance
are three desks that the chief has dedicated
10 the use OF the three daily papers of the
city.
IN Ga g. H. -
large reading or sitting room for the
ofhcers, supplied with chairs and q big
table in the center. On one wall is the
cabinet for the curios collected in various
raids and coniscated from gamblers, burg
lars, safe blowers and murderers.
On the right of the entrance and OPEN
ing into the drill room is the clerks office,
IN which offenders against the law will be
brought for docketing. Adjoining the
clerks office is the inspectors and further
on the chiefs private office. All of these
rooms are comfortably and neatly furn-
lsned and are nicely papered and painted.
The old cells in the county Jail have
been cleaned out and painted, and the ff-
teen prisoners were transferred last even
Ing just after supper and spent their first
night in the new city lookup. A small
cAANA ID DtlDR tTcCLeu just
south of the building, and the Jail and the
room above will be heated by steam.
Between the city hall and the police de-
partment building will be placed the vault
that has been the city Jail for year and
half 1t will be moved down Immediately,
and will be used to hold the DRINKS and
others who are in for short periods or are
not desperate characters.
The new quarters of the police depart
ment are by far the finest the city ever
had. At the time of the fire the head
quarters were located near the foot of Yes
Ter avenue in the Yesler-Leary building.
Immediately after the fire a little one
story lookup was built at a point almost
in front of the present headquarters in
which the thirty or forty prisoners were
kept for four or five months and until the
quarters were built from which the de-
partment just moved. Old residents can
remember that only few years ago the
police department of the city numbered
two or three men and the amount of bus
mess did not warrant having any head
quarters at all. Finally, when the city
was beginning to get out of its swaddling
clothes, the department rose to the dignity
of 10x10 room in the city hall on South
Third street, from which it afterwards
moved to the place at the foot of Yesler
avenue.