The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-11-24
STORIES OF THE CITY.

"var' McMullen has been a member Of
the police force for nearly nineteen years.
| He is one of the Oldest men on the force in
point of service. During that time he has
had many interesting experiences. For the
past four years he has been night telephone
operator. The officers are required to ring
up the headquarters at stated intervals dur
ing the night and day. The telephone oper-
ator has a blank before him, on which he
registers the officers numbers and the time
the calls are made. From this report it can
be seen at a glance whether the officers
were on duty during the night. By this
means the head of the police force is en-
abled to keep in touch with every officer on
the force. A few nights ago Mr.. McMullen
was speaking of the ease with which the
men could be reached at any time in the
day or night, and cited the case of the Wat
erson murder as iIastrating the point.
II was on duty the night Of the murder
said he. About O'Clock some one called
me up and began talking. The man was so
highly excited 1 could not understand a
word he said. i told him TO talk slower or
get some one else 10 talk for him. After a
moment or two he grew calmer and told me
a murder had been committed. 1 got the
locality and told him / would have some one
Il lDtIc III IL lew liOlLiCnlS. super
Powell was at home. Captain Quigley was
| commanding that night, and had gone out a
few moments before for lunch. l called at
at a drug store OH Washington street, near
Illinois. He was there talking TO two re-
porters. He came to- the station house and
| get a buggy. l called UP the superintendent
and told him what had occurred. a few
moments later ] got two sergeants. Then l
began calling up the patrol boxes in the
minutes after i first received word of the
murder superintendent Powell, Captain
| Quigley, two sergeants and eight patrolmen
| one or two of the detectives were there also.
1t was a half hour after the first shooting
was heard before ! was notified. If word
! had been telephoned me at once / believe
the murderers could have been captured.
AS IL was. they had nearly an hours start.
If people would call up the station house as
soon as they know anything of that kind
has happened, fewer criminals would es-
cape"
Sergeant Schwab told a story one day last
week showing the peculiar ideas some peo-
| ple have of the duties and functions of the
police force. He said: Il was on duty at
the telephone one time. A man had a fight
| with a companion in a street car. There
were a dozen or so other passengers
| aboard, all women. Among them were a
number of young ladies attending a board
ing school in the north part OF the city. The
man who began the fight was turned over
to an officer and held on the charge of as
| sault and battery. The officer took the
| names of the passengers, and notified them
they would be expected TO appear in Police
Court as Witnesses. The young ladies were
Mortified az the idea of having to appear in
connection with a case of that kind, and
tried TO hit upon some plan for avoiding
the necessity They went into a drug store
and telephoned police headquarters. l an
Us this the polk,e station the young
lady who had heen chosen to do the talking
YES I replied. st is. What can do for
YOUR
well she continued. 4 and the other
| young ladies who saw that fight are all here.
| We don't want to go to Police Court. and
want you to take our statements now. Can
you take them?'
| net know what she was talking about. / so
| informed her. and told her 1t would be nee
| essary for them to come to the Police Court
next day. She grew very indignant, and
said she did not see why I could not take
| their testimony then AID there. 1 replied:
81 am not the Judge of the court, and
cannot take your evidence. You will have
..She was not at all satisfied, and said she
did not see why l could not take their state
ments just as we'll as the Judge. Some peo-
pie" said he, think we ought to make ar
rests and try the cases in the bargain"
IAN kinds of complaints are made to the
police department, and We are called upon to
~ccompl;s any number of impossible feats.
but about the strangest request in my ex-
perience was made Of me the other night"
said superintendent Colbert one day last
week. "It came about in this way: / had
gone home for tire night. and was sitting
with my wife. reading. The telephone bell
rang. and | got up to answer il. There was
a woman at the other end OF the line. She
said:
us this AR. Colbertg
IT replied IL was.
The superintendent of the PoIiceg
"T answered: Yes What can / do for
you, madam?
''.Wcll.' she said. L want to get so-and-
SOS drug store. and don't know the tele-
phone number j gave the exchange girl the
name. but she won't call him up for me.
Won't you please order her 10 give me the
NUMBER
II told her I had no power over the tele-
phone system, and no right 10 give any such
orders. but il she would give me her number
I would call up exchange and ask them TO
look up the number and call them up for
her. Just then the telephone giri chimed
In ard said:
Never mind this case. Mr.. Colbert: 1
viii look after the lady myself,
II suppose she got what She wanted. She
was very much excited and seemed indix-
uno< rhan I told her I had M rf~hf ~ Give