The evening times., 1895-08-22
Police ssSkatiOn
House M }hings

There are no places in which the ngh
and dark shadows OF life are more con
spicuously displayed than in the police sta
tiOn houses. Many broken life has beer
known to the bluc-cuated defenders of tn.
! law almost from the cradle of its prosper
ous youth TO Its present debauchery. The
charities OF the poor and lowly are known
only to them, and they are frequently belle
factors themselves in a small way.
Every station house has small book. on
which are entered the names of yagrants
who apply during the winter time for a
lodging over night. This is rarely ever re
fused, unless the man has been a frequent
applicant, and the books are pretty well
filled with names, some of which were once
known to fame and fortune. Most of these
| dodgers are ordinary 'bums." who travel
on their CHECK" begging their way and
| depending on stray barns for nights lodg-
| ing; but there are n few who have seen
better days and known better friends than
smile upon them when they give their name
| to the station-kecper.
One night in the carly part OF last spring,
while the weather was yet cold, an Old
country looking man stepped in the door
and with hat in hand W alkesl up to the desk
and asked to lie allowed to spend the high
in cell. Orders had been Issued a short
time previously that no more dodgers be
taken. The station-keeper informed the
old fellow kindly that he could not have it,
unless he wanted to be entered on the blot
ter as vagrant and be sent TO the work
house. Tears started to the mans eyes,
and he turned sadly away, but had not
gone far before the station-keeper called
him back and asked his name. In the story
he told it developed that he had once been
prominent politician OF West Virginia,
and was personally known to many high
officials in tho city, from whom he could
have obtained aid had he applied for it.
He was given a bed, and when he left The
next morning the dimes and nickels Of the
policemen that went with him were iuIner-
Gus and welcome. 'e-
During the severe blizzard last winter,
when the suffering among the poor classes
was intense, an immense amount of relief
was administered through the station
houses, and many scenes of distress were
witnessed there. The local charitable Or
ganizations made them general supply
otutiohS, oti Sf'bt VI i'ou anu
clothing were distributed by the police
One evening d man entered the Firs. pre-
cinct station and asked TO be arrested and
sent to jail.
What do you want to go to Jail for
What have you done?" asked station
keeper Everly.
''No,hin', sir, but III freeze or starvc to
death if / don't go somewhere"
He was told that it was necessary to
commit some crime in order to be sent to
jail, and he Wandered out A short time
afterward he approached policeman on
the street. with coil OF wire in his hand,
which he said he had stolen. The police
man of course put him Ut nder arrest He
pleaded guilty to larceny In The police court
next day, and was sentenced to thirty
days in Jail, a sentence he gladly served.
Incidents at the station-houscs, however,
are more frequeully amusing than other
wise. Recently a party of Ute Indians
visited Washington TO confer with the great
father, and two OF the party fell by the
wayside," and got very drunk. In some
manner they got mixed up IN the railroad
tracks down by the Baltimore and Ohio
depot. and after two or three very narrow
escapes from being run down by the trains
they Were arrested and taken to the Sixth
precinct stationhouse- There they gave
tie names of White Mule and Pete Mil
Ter, and after being allowed to sit around
the office awhile they were locked up.
This went very much against their West,
ern grain, and they protested vehemently
hut vainIy as nobody understood what they
We're talking about The only English
word they had been able to pick up was
learned at the hotel. There they had heard
the clerk yell out, Front" and seen the
beil-boy respond quickly, and they thought
it would work at tie station-hOuse, so
their yells of Front, 'front.' Were kept
up the greater part of tie night, much to the
of the officers. Some OF their
friends called for them the next morning
and they Were released.
A short time ago, while August yoss, |
the veteran policeman, now station-keeper |
at No. station-house, was doing in his |
chair toward midnight. he was rudely |
awakened by man who rushed in and |
begged to be put ill a Cell He was very |
nervous and the station-keeper at first |
thought he had case of ''shakes'' to Gcal |
with.
The man said he had committed no
offense agains ttEe law, but ie was a
married II an ard had gore Gown the river
with anot,lcr lady. His wife was very |
female, and on his return she
proceeded to ma Ike things unpleasant.
During the argument she seized loIg and
wicked looking butcher knife, and the
husband waited to see no more, but made
a bee line for the station-1ouse, where
be asked TO be locked up for protection.
'My friend" said Mr.. Voss sagely; "if
your wife wanted to do you any damage
she could get at you here. You had better
20 home and kiss ard make it up. ard the
next time you want TO go Gown the river
AXE her along
Ncarlyevery day people are brought in to
whom is attached come reminiscence of
previous attempts at crime, ard their record
always goes against them. Policemen have
rood memories, and rarely forget having
Irrested a man, If the crime is i'll any
way serious. There is less of sadness and
orrow about q st3tion-house, however, than
would be imagined, ard such iroiGents are
ar outnumbcred by the comical ores