The Van Buren press., 1893-06-24


killed the murderer, although he lost
his own life in the effort. Since that
occasion not single disturbance Of
any magnitude has occurred in "Hell's
Bottom" A number of splendid resi-
dences have been built there and it lis
growing rapidly in value because it is
growing in respectability and favor.
just about that time in section to
the north of "Hell's Bottom" which
was almost equally as bad, young
merchant, named Philip s. Hirth, who
was on the way home from his store,
was assaulted upon an open square Of
ground through which he was passing,
and killed. He had scarcely time to
utter feeble cry before he was strick-
en- into insensibility, and death. But
that feeble cry had been heard and
assistance came to him. He was car
ried to drug store about block and
half away, but life was extinct The
officers of the city were unable to find
any enemies of the young man or any.
cause for his murder other than rob
berry. They did not know what amount
of money he had about his person OF
whether he wore watch and chain OF
other jewelry, and hence they knew
not where to look for the murderer.
The case was finally given into the
hands of colored officer named West,
and he, by reason of his wide acquaint-
ance among the criminal classes of his
own race in that section. discovered
the murderers of Philip Hirth and
brought them all to justice.
There were four of them, and three
of them were hanged while another
died in the penitentiary. One of the
murderers, a great big negro named
Bedford, had been employed in the
store of Philip Hirth, and knew that
he was carrying home with him an un-
usually large amount of money that
night. He took the other three negroes
with him and they were all engaged in
the murder. Bedford struck the first
blow, and unfortunately Hirth recog-
nized him and begged not to be killed.
That recognition was his death knell.
The brutal assailant killed him with a
stone. Officer West found young
negro spending more money than he
could possibly have honestly, arrested
him on suspicion, and induced him to
confess his completely in the Hirth
murder. With all these experiences
before them, and the assurance that
crime will be detected and punished,
our criminal classes fear to violate the
law Therefore, if you come to WASH
ington and see our policemen walking
the streets-apparently as ornaments
to the city, without anything to do; or
If you read in books or newspapers
that the policemen of Washington
have an easy life Of It, you must under
stand that this life of comparative
ease, because of our comparative free
dom from crime, comes to the city by
reason of the fact that our officers
have been brave and true to their
duty, and have brought about q whole
some fear among the crimina&N klasses,
SO that they do not dare to violate the
law as frequently and openly as they
do in some other cities. ! think IL is
rather to our credit and rather to
their credit that the policemen of the
city of Washington have, comparative
ly, little to do. II is we'll, however, to
have them all on duty and it is only to
be regretted that the police force is
not larger by at least hundred, in
order .i;at our great parks may be
better guarded. SMITH D. Fry.