Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-08-10

Major Moores decision to investigate the
conditions to which his attention was spe-
cifcally directed by the Letter written him
by Assistant District Attorney Purh will
not surprise those who for some time have
been ccgnixant of the dissen.ions and lack
OF discipline only too apparent in at least
one subdivision Of the Metropolitan Police
Department 1t Is hoped by law a biding citi-
GEMS That the investigation will not be con-
nned TO narrow limits. or be conducted in
side a oursiar-proof vault. The public Is
aeepiy interested In all that pertains to the
Police department. and IL there is anything
wrong In the makeup or conduct of that
body, the facts should be made as plain al
possible. and as soon as possible. There
have been Investigations into alleged wrong
doing by officers sworn to preserve the
peace and uphold the law but the results of
omcial inquiry have never become apparent
10 those Of the unofficial variety of mankind
VINO were entitled to all the information.
ms time the doors should be thrown
wide open and the truth wholesomely scat
tered abroad That was a remarkable ac-
cusation made by Mr.. Push and printed in
yesterdays Star. Owing" SAYS the as
sistant district attorney. TO the factional
nights and personal feuds existing between
members OF the force ii frequently occurs
that some member of the force will take
the stand In behalf of the defense, and do
everything in his power to prevent a con-
viction. sometimes going 50 far as to swear
that the reputation for truth and veracity
of the officer is bad. and that he would not
believe him under oath" In a well-dtscip-
lined force such an occurrence would not
be possible. but when an offending police
man has rational grounds for believing that
his most probable punishment would be
transfer to another precinct such a little
matter as assisting a person accused Of
crime to escape from the clutches of the
law doubtless seems Of comparatively
.trtfing moment
The public Is not so deeply concerned at
the quarrels Of the policemen even with the
resulting lack of discipline as at the hint
e inefficient service to the community by
all the wranglers. which their combined tes-
timony supplies. In the trial In which the
confronting of policemen as witnesses &C.
CURED. one prosecuting and the other vir-
tually defending an alleged Iaw-breaker,
the prosecuting policeman was compelled to
admit that he had some time ago given a
saloon-keeper information of a raid upon
him which had been planned by the author
tiles. 1t appeared that this treachery was
known TO or at least strongly suspected by
tention seems to have been paid to It,
Other policemen have been recently ac-
cused Of obstructing the vigorous efforts of
their superior officer to suppress disorderly
houses and unlicensed saloons, Of frequent
Ing such places. of warning their proprfe-
tors Of intended raids. and Of maliciously
arresting on trumped up charges the de-
tectives or spies through whose testimony
their superior officer was enabled to effect
a comparative cleansing Of the precinct
1t is alleged by those who should be well
Informed on this particular subject that
police officers who have thus seriously Of
Tended as obstructionists Of police opera
lions for the protection of the public and
as friends and protectors Of law-breakers
have suffered only the shadowy inconveni-
ence Of a transfer. thus merely shifting the
field Of display of characterization and of
an excessive and Injurious intimacy with
violaters Of the law. The Investigation
which will be made ought to show whether
this allegation Is or Is not true; IL 1t is
true, then may be looked for a series of
drastic reforms which cannot result other
wise than In improving the force in the
two material matters of membership and
efficiency. 1t is not expected that investi-
CATION will develop any such iniquity on
the part Of the Washington policemen as
Is known. to have existed in New York
nothing of that kind has even been limited
at-but that the force needs a shaking I'D
and would be the better for a stimulant to
Its discipline and vigor Is an opinion held
by many of Washington's best citizens