The San Francisco call., 1897-08-29
An Entertainment for the
Benefit of the Police
Association.
The Frawley Company for One
Week at the California
Theater.
Police Choral Society Will Perform
Between the Acts, and There Will
Be Other Attractions.

Owing to the heavy drain upon the
funds OF the Widows and Orphans Aid
Association of the Police Department
during last year and this year committee
was appointed about two months ago to
devise ways and means for increasing the
finances of the association.
The committee appointed was Captain
Whitman. chairman; Sergeants Duncan,
Moffitt, Perrin, Hotaling and Gleason;
Policemen o. G. Phillips, t. R. Judson
and John Fitzhenry. q. NJ. James, re-
cording secretary of the association, and
Sam II. Rankin, financial secretary, were
also made mem bers of the committee.
Tue committee held several meetings,
and it was finally decided to conclude a
contract with the Frawley Company for a
weeks engagement at the California
Theater, commencing Monday night, Sep
tembe 13, with malinees Wedncs sday and
Saturday. The play selected is Men and
Women" which met with such pro-
nounced success when played in the Bald
win Theater about two years ago by the
Frohman Company One of the chief at
fractions will be "kinetoscope drill" of
the police, as shown when marching re-
Gently on Van Ness avenue.
DLrIng each performance The Police
Choral Society, which has now attained
an envia Bile state OF proficiency, will
render several glees between the acts, and
there will be other attractions. The
choral society alone will be worth the,
price of admission.
Tue association is founded upon charity
and benev, lence. Previous TO its organ
ization on January Ii. 1873 the custom
prevailed In the department of raising a
subscription ior the benefit of the family
of deceased police officer. It was no
ones special duty to start a subscri ption,
nor were any bound to subscribe in such
case. But bv the organization of the as
sociation two objects were contem plated
and attained, One was decent though
unostentatious funeral, and for this pur-
pose 500 was provided; the other bene-
fit to the family or other dependents, or
the nominee of the deceased EN- ber, and
for this purpose $1,000 was provided. A
responsible committee was also formed to
act in visiting The sick and ready TO at
tend the burial of the dead.
The original mem bership was ei .hty-
eight the force then mum bering 1S0. In
1879, owing to.he Legislature passing an act
increasing the force to 400, the mem ber-
ship had increased to ISL, and this year it
is close upon 600
The numb Der of deaths from the organ-
cation of the association to the present
time is 1l8, making total OF SIPS. 700 paid
to the widows and orphans in less than
twenty years. Last night the secretary
was notified of the death of ex-Sergeant
James Cavanagh, who was on the retired
list, making nine deaths this year.
The largest number of deaths in one
wear was last wear, the total being thlr-
teen. In a year and eight months S23, 900
has been paid out, which is a very heavy
drain upon the funds.
The public has always responded liber-
ally to all entertainments FOR the benefit
of the association in the past, and it is
confidently expected that the present en-
tertainment Will be no exec ption TO the
rule in that respect
The present officers of the association
are: President, Captain Spillane; vice
president, Lieutenant Burke; treasurer,
Sergeant John Duncan; recording secre-
tary, c. M. James; financial secretary,
Sam FL. Rankin.