The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1891-08-23


attractive addition to the city. It's cost
should be from $3.50, 900 to $5OO,OO 1t is a
disgrace that the Capital of the nation should
not have a municipal building"
The construction of this building would pro-
vide accommodations for that branch OF the
District government whose present quarters
are an eyesore and plot on the reputation Of
the city. Police Headquarters are referred to-
The officers who are compelled TO stay in that
building are constantly in danger of their
lives. 1t is over fifty years old and has been
condemned by the grand jury, but still Major
Moore and his efficient set Of men are COM
PEELED to remain there through the neglect of
Congress to provide new quarters for them.
The building was constructed for private
house and was never intended for business
purposes Consequently it is wholly una
dapted to the needs of the department. AL
though the whole structure is in condition
wholly unfit for Office purposes, the detective
departments suffers most. Their rooms are
located beneath the level of the street, where
but little light penetrates, and where ventila-
tion is scarcely known. The space is so small
that all the business has to be transacted in
one room, and when taking a description of
criminal and the system Of measurement is
brought into use it is necessary to move desk
in order to reach the scales. There are no
toilet arrangements, and the whole building
Major Moore states to be unsafe. In his room
the ceiling is cracked and parts of a heavy
cornice, which ran across the top of it, kept
falling down until the whole of it had to be
removed so that no one could be injured by it.
Every year in his report Major Moore has set
fha aohsn Inf of ct
week the sittings of the police trial board had
to be discontinued at Police Headquarters be-
cause of the lack of accommodations. The
trials are now held at the Sixth Precinct sta
tion-housc. When trials were held at head
quarters Major Moore's room, that of his
chief clerk, the Office of the sanitary officer,
and all the halls were overcrowded with wit
nesses, 50 that business for the time being had
to come 10 standstill. The absence of any
suitable place in which the property clerk can
store stolen goods and articles used In evil
dence at trials is another sorely-felt want. At
present the rooms where these articles are
kept are in condition such that any articles
of value would soon lose their worth.
In the last report of Property Clerk Richard
Sylvester, he states: 'tThere is no police de
partment of any pretensions in this country
which is not provided with facilities for the
security and keeping of the proceeds of crime,
as well as of lost and abandoned property,
excepting that of the District of Columbia.
The Importance OF such facilities may be best
appreciated when it is understood that in
cases of larceny, housebreaking, robbery,
murder, arson, and other crimes, the goods
recovered or implements of the act, constitute
in most cases the convicting evidence at trial.
Again, the majority of persons who lose their
goods and wares feel far greater interest in
the keeping of the valuables thanBthey do in
the conviction and detention of the thief
The detained property is the bond which holds
the owner to his duty toward the community
and himself in prosecuting the rogue. After
that is done the property is restored to it's
owner. But sometimes months, even years,
elapse before case is finally disposed OF, and
during the intervening period the property,
clerk is expected to preserve for evidence
clothing of all kinds, and property even more
perishable. Without moth, damp, or fire.
proof apartments many claimants have lost
their own, and is it wonder they respond, Its
harder matter to get what belongs to you
after the thief is caught than it was to get the
thief in the first place p AS bonded official
~ 10 DuI IGdSOudDl6 W cAptCG JudL ordinary
means should befurnished him by the Govern
ment to enable a compliance with the laws,
and to provide against inexcusable destruc-
tion of property intrusted to his custody.n
Major Moore said last week to a HERALD
representative: ~ would do nothing more
gladly than assist you in obtaining material
with which to set forth the absolute necessity
of new quarters for the Police Department.
Just look around you and you will see all the
evidence you desire. Why 1t lowers the
dignity and respect of the force to have
its headquarters located in such build
ing as this. There is but one thing that can
be said in its favor and that is its convenient
location with regard to the courts. Still, if a
new District Building should be located at the
| intersection of Seventh street and Pennsyl-
] Yania avenue, the distance from there to the
courts would not be too great. To properly
accommodate the force at Police Headquarters
we would need about fifteen rooms. There
should be one for the Major of Police, one for
his assistant, one for the detective inspector,
one for his men, one for the chief clerk and his
assistant, two for the clerks and records, one
for the board of surgeons and for the trial
board, one for the sanitary officer, one for wit
nesses and applicants for appointment, two
store rooms, and sleeping room for the ser
geant who stays at headquarters all night. Be
sides this, the police and fire telephone rooms
should be IN the same building at the top