The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-06-02
WASHINGTON'S FINEST.
Why the Police Force of the Capt.
tai Has an Easy Time.
Criminals Have Been Taught, in Years
Gone by. That They Cannot Fool
the Blue-Conted Guardians
of the Law.
Especial Washington Lcttcr.l

Especial Washington Lcttcr.l
This is such quiet and peaceful cap
ital that it is customary for our visit
ors. and even our regular inhabitants,
10 look upon our policemen as useful
and necessary. but not picturesque
parts of II wcll-rcgulated city. There
has been very little disorder here. and
we have had no such thing us IL riot of
any description or magnitude for Il
long while. Consequently it has he
come customary for our people to look
upon policemen as they look upon con-
ductorS of street cars or gripmen: that
is, merely as necessary adjuncts to cor
poratc existence.
The impression that this inaction on
the part of the criminal classes here
renders our police force, to the unob
servant, seemingly supcrfluous, recalls
the fact that this satisfactory cond
ton of quiesccnce among the criminal
classes was brought about by the de-
termination, energy and superior or
ganiZation of our policemen some years
ago. 1T is within my own memory
when Washington was one of the most
diSordcrly cities in the country. Dur
ing and Immediately after the time
when we We're possessed of the right
of suffrage. the ignorant and vicious
dominated affairs to very great cX-
tent In fact as late as 1850 and 1881,
the city went through sort of reign
of terror at the hands of various mobs
in different parts of the District of Co.
| lumbia
certain socialist, named Cohen.
came to Washington and organized
| hn 1;SrAntnntnI l.
and malcontents Of various classes,
most OF them negroes, into Il regular
mob which held the city almost ut its
mercy for many days. Upon the
| heights north of the town. where the
village of Mount Pleasant is now locat-
| ed, this man Cohen used to organize
| his gangs, and with them march
| through the streets of the city demand
| ing that all business men should con-
| tribute food and clothing for the sup
| port of the lazy and worthless. This
man Cohen was something of n general
in his way, and he knew just how far
| lie could go in his demonstrations
without violating the law to such an
extent as to warrant his arrest for riot
or disordcrly conduct. He knew that
as long rs he kept his mob moving
about and not remaining i'll one place
they could not he arrested for riot
! Finally, however, when he threatened
to loot the treasury of the United
| States, and compel all the storeliccpcrs
to pay tribute to himself and his fol-
lowers. it was deemed necessary to
have him arrested for disturbing the
| peace and for threats At the same
time, while all OF the police were kept
upon reserve ready for duty in any
emergency, the regular army down at
the arsenal and all of the members of
the marine corps were on duty ready
to be called to the assistance of the
! police at any time.
One fine afternoon when this man
Cohen. at the head of over two hum
dred disconnected followers. marched
| down Seventh street, uttering threats
and imprecations OF all sorts, Capt.
Austin, with squad of fourteen men,
marched out TO meet him and his
| crowd. The little squad of officers
stretched across Seventh street just
above Pennsylvania avenue and inter
ccpted the mob. which was coming
down the hill for the purpose of parad-
ing on the avenue up to the treasury
AS they approached the bluecoats
Capt Austin ordered the mob to dis