The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-07-03
HERE AND THERE
Some Observations on the Work OF the
Police Department.

trscion will undoubtedly be obliged TO ne for
this resume of the reforms thus far introduced
and enforced.
AL viii admit that the present administration
has been long enough in power for Us 10 judge
their acts with perfect fsirness- For once Msyor
Ronald and I agree with each other he, TOO,
believes ina. the police department. Is tne MOst
important one in municipality he tnor-
oUghly understands that the frs, duty OF gov
eminent is 70 protect the lives and property OF
its citizens. l take il for granted that these
were the reasons tha, prompted him 20
secure control Of the police force In
rediately after be took his oath as
mayor. Not only did he insist upon having
chief OF police who should De IN entire synp2-
thy with him, but he also scru'inized closely
the list Of suoaltern officers and pasEoImea ne
reconstructed the entire department TO SUIT MS
own views and idesS At meeting OF the police
commissioners On Tuesday, March -, he made
the following statement: 81 am not going
home worried every night expecting 20 De
stabbed in the back BY police officer "nat-
ever significance these words may have, one
thing Is sure, tie men now on the force nave
the full confidence of the mayor. he placed
them there. He took the matter OF appointing
officers out of tie hands OF the chief and COM
missionerS He alone, therefore Is responsible
TO the city for the acts OF the oe-
psrtmeat Now lie. rs see whether NJ.
Ronald succeeded il placing Is IN sueh
position IS not 70 be stabbed IN the oack-
Burglary is considered TO be, next TO murder,
crime the most dreaded by civilized cornnl-
nifty. The criminal codes in alI countries punish
the burglar secoud only 70 the murderer. To
prevent a burglary is the utmost aim OF every
well regulated police department. How Is II
with our own cityf Day alter Gay We read II
the daily papers about burg.aries. Not one
fourth OF those that actually occur are reported,
for reporters mostly rely for their police news
upoa police hea3e usrters, and naturally the po-
lice are interested in suppFesslng the paoliea-
ton OF the many burglaries that occur. But tar
worse, If such thing were possible. Is the utter
csrelessusss, the 'happy-go-lucSy" way dis
played by the department when citizens report
10 them that their houses were robbed
Below 1 give the testimony of number OF
our citizens whose houses were recently burg
lsrlEed, and who reported 10 the police but re-
eeivsd no aid. In some eases the police male
no attempt 10 obtain clue and fe.ret out the
criminal ! give the testimony abridged II or
der 20 save space, but les il be Understood this
is no idle newspaper talk. II the mayor wants
10 probe this matter 10 the bottom. then | stand
reaiy 20 produce every person whom quote in
q court OF law, and there they will subss4nast5
under oath every word here stated. All the
mayor has 10 10 Is 70 deny or question in s pub
lie letter over his signature the t-ushfllness OF
this article.
On April a burglar entered the house of
citizen Immediately telephoned 10 headquarters,
IS king them % send q man 70 his house 10 in
vsstiggte and get some clue II possible whiia
the tracks OF the burglars were fresh. The Off
GERS replied that they had no man available for
such purpose. Two house later the citizen
went 10 headquarters and asked the officer IN
charge whether something could rot De done 20
regain his property. The officer looked q. him
in surprise. He knew nothing about 8 burglary
or s telephone message; the whole thing was
new 10 him. Ths citizen gave the os6ear de-
seripton OF the articles stolen. and that was the
last OF the mater. No policeman or detective
ever made any further inquiries, and SO Far SIS
Is known the subject received no attention.
On Sunday, April 5. L e. Warner and his
family went to church 20 evening services. Dur
ing their absence NJ. and Mrs. Nelson (Mrs.
Nelson and Mrs Warner are sis,ersl came 10
visit them. and their arrival fortunately frus-
trated we'll planned burglary. Everything il
the house wss packed up ready 70 be carried OF.
The thieves escaped, taking with them. how
ever, about $50 worth OF iewelry and triaAets.
The police were 81 once notified By telephone.
Two hours later the pstroinsl OF the Queen
Anne hill beat called, looked things over sa3
said good night And that was the last Mr..
Ws-ner has heard either OF the police or OF his
property.
On April II. the Office of the Oregon Improve
ment Company, at the coal bunkers, wSs burg
larixsd. The less was small, but that was nos
the thiefs fault He took ell there was 20 take.
The police were notified, s1t that was the last
Of t.
The mex. month number OF burglaries &C.
CURED down town. among which was that OF
the Albion houss,oa Third street, and Dlnsmora
Heiseu's barn, on West street TIE police
were notified il each case, but did nothiag-as
lasst, accomplished nothing. The Albion house
never regsIned the property stolen from there,
while the barn propriesors got the Merchants
patrol on the heels OF the burglars, c2uga.
thsu and got their property back.
Aoou. the same time the h1rgIa- fever broke
out afresh with renewed vigor il the outskirts.
The inetscieney OF indifference OF the police
enboldeled the lnaraldc-s, for on Tuesday,
June IA. st s. n. while Mr.. Haas Nelson 81
expressuan, was shsens from bis house 20 hsr-
ness HIS team $ burglar entered the house and
was abootto appropriate everything IN sight
when two boys walked into the room srd scared
him OF. As usual the police were no.iasd- TIE
results we're the same.
On Saturday. June IS, between and . n
while M Spring and his family were down
town, 81 entrance wss effected into his house
and 3 number Of articles were taken away. The
cary return of Mrs. Spring saved further loss
From all appearances IL looked as IL the burglar
intended 10 return Captain Kent, who was
patroldng that best, was told about il. and he
went 20 the house - investigate. When Mr.
Spring ea-ae home, about 10 O'Clock, hs found
the captain there. Mrs. Spring had already
given him description of the articles missing
as fzr as she could tell 81 the frs. glance and in
her excitement Mr.. Spring vsnsed 70 go to
headquarters, ou. Policeman Ken. said Il was
not Necessary, that re (Hensl had already nosi.
fed Lieutenant Thorn. and thst he would enter
It upon the record when BE reported OF duty AZ
4 in the morning.
On Monday s, 8 ?. n. NJ sp-tnz wen, 70
headquarters. fully expecting shas the police
had found his property ~ this time ou,
imagine his surprise y hen he found that neither
Captain Sims nor Chief Jackson knew anything
about the house being barglsrlzed. They had
never heard word about Il, though the case
vss reported IN sunday mornings PcsT-ISrEL-
IEGESCgs However. NJ. Spring gave the polies
The whole story over again. fo- all the good j.
did. As usual 10 results
On june IS tae house % W. Shocdv. On ths
corner OF Temperance sad JOAN streets. was
entered TIE whole story was printed in ths
Posr-ISTxLLGxNcxR tAs following morning
The polcs were nosiEed They accoupIishe,,
nothing.
That same night TIE house OF D. L W Car.
pen1e-. - rs Banner street, wzs entered about
midnight Fortunately the turning our OF tia
lsnlp II she d1l.ng-rocn By the burglars swsk
sasd Ms Carpenter, snt. 20 use her own words.
- screamed" she said: Il followed o.s,
Doctor. have You got your revolver ready and
! believe thar saved our lives, though We had no
revolver II the house. IL twas good bluE Ths
doctor 20. NJ. and en- siding osek the pa-i,-
door We found the side window priei oce, sn,
the farce barking Of tue dogs il the nsizhh,r-
hood told watch direction The burglar took
Al iae noise We made did 10 good Tiara was
Nc sign q a policeman On the following mora
Ing We could trsee re tracks from che window