Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-08-07
P OIL ICE G o S S P.
No Stringency So Far as Money Among
the Prisoners.
The Police Relief Fund, However, in
q Bad Way-POlicemen Try
ing to Make Records.


seem to affect police circles. for although
many of the officers themselves with d reg
ular salary, are complaining of hard
times their victims are going along IN the
even tenor of their way and settling court
bills just the same as they did before so
many banks CLOSED down" The banks do
not affect them. for but few of them there
are who are unable to get a friend who will
not put up "V' or an '.X' If necessary
While many of them are paying their fines
there are some. Of course. who are unable
to do So and then the Migrants and tramps
have to 80 down in default Of bond. as no
fine is imposed in such cases.
The Police Court is a paying institution,
the collections paying all expenses and leav-
ing few thousand dollars each year for I'm
Gle Sans treasury.
While so many of the prisoners are SEEM
ingly in good financial condition such is not
the case with the pOlicemen's fund, from
which police pensions are paid. The fund
is fast decreasing. and unless there is some
relief within few months some of the pen
sions will probably be reduced or cut off en-
tireiy. Maj. Moore is anxious about the
matter. and he will in all probability ask
Congress for relief.
The estimates for the fiscal year have not
yet been made up, but 1t ismore than 1ik ely
that an Item Tor the relief OF the FUND VIII
be the most important feature of 1t. so far
as an increase over the regular expenses OF
the force is concerned.
Reforming Prisoners.
Lately the police have exerted their efforts
toward Kidding the city of tramps. and IN
some sections a great many have been cap
tured. In this number are included the local
tramps and persons who do not work. and
through the efforts of the officers many OF
the unwelcome transient guests nave been
sent away, while some OF the local men
have been reformed. Concerning the ref
ormation of persons who have been III the
habit of getting arrested the police are con-
at,rf. ftr,er hos tod wifi "a ON.
trail Union Mission for what they did d few
weeks ago for a woman who had been a
frequenter of the court for many years.
Never was she known to remain sober more
than one or two days at a time. She spent
the greater part of her time in the work
house. but few weeks ago she wendell her
way to the mission, and now she Is able to
stand in the meetings and tell Of her sew
eral weeks of sober life. and expresses de-
of the hands of the police.
mo one would believe that that was the
same woman who has figured in the courts
so many times" remarked an ofiicer who
heard her address a gathering the other
night. land If the mission accomplishes
nothing else. their work should certainly
be encouraged"
During the warm weather last month
the heavy weights on the police force suf-
fered most. Their disabilities resulted
from the heat, and now that the weather is
more favorable, the big policemen are doing
duty the same as in cool weather. AT one
time there were about ten Of the heavy
X
The establishment Of the aIl-night patrol
system in two of the precincts has proved
a success. for often the services Of the po-
lice are needed at all hours of the night
With an alI-night service in the central
part of the city, the officers are able to re-
spond to emergency calls from all sections.
time renders their presence useless. The
officers are in hopes that the all-night SER
vice will be extended to other precincts.
Making Records.
Some of the policemen seem to be try
ing to make record for the highest num-
Der or arrests. as was the case some years
ago.. said an old copper the other day 1T
Is nothing unusual to see a man arrested
and several charges made against him
Eaeh charge, though. is case, and 1t
makes a record against the good name Of
the city 1t would be just as well in many
cases to prefer only one charge and let the
court consider the character Of the man
and onense in dealing out the punishment"
Ihere are forty-stx members Of the force
VINO are detailed at various places, enough
to establish another precinct The fact that
there are SO many details made badly Grip
pies the force at times. and some of the
men. 1t is said. are detailed at places where
there ought to be persons other than DO
ncemen regularly employed.
Matter of Vacations.
Maj. Moore has not had his vacation as
yet he Is head over heels in work, for be-
tween the liquor license applications. COM
plants and requests of all sorts and his
ahHudi report ne ndrCly mas minute to
himself. Later in the month. however, he
VIII probably take a few days OF and 60
away with the Lieht Infantry.
Chief Clerk Sylvester has also been kept
busy, but he manages to get a day off now
ana then to visit his family at Harper's
Ferry Mr.. Sylvester is an expert angler
and the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers
always suffer when he goes to the Ferry
Last week he spent one day there and
caught thirteen bass.
Inspector Hollinberger OF the detective
corps went away today on a two weeks
Ieave He was accompanied by his wife
from here he started to Pittsburg, where
he Will be the guest of Chief Roger o. Mera
OF the Pfttsburg police force. From there
ne Will go to Ohio to visit his brother, and
may. perhaps. spend short while in Chi
cago Detective Wheeler expects to go
to the worlds fair in September
Lieut. Kelly of the sixth precinct is feel
ing unwell. and during his leave Sergt
Byrnes Is In charge of the precinct.