The evening times., 1898-10-20
HOW POWELL ESCAPED
Radical Reform in Handling
Prisoners Needed.
MAJOR SYLVESTER'S PLANS
recommends the appointment OF
During the Absence OF the Lieu
tenants-The Plan IndOrsed by the
Board OF Trade.

gene, Powell, after MS alegeu nufuef ol
Patrick Lee; his capture and subsequent
escape and recapture, serves at one time
10 show the efficiency of the police force
on the one hand, and a certain laxity. or
inefficiency with an excuse for it, on the
other.
The efficiency of the department in
twice capturing the supposed murderer
is plainly shown, and il is gratifying 10
note the general activity and interest of
the members of it at the time of the
emergency. Immediately after the muir
der the entire police force, under the per-
sonal guidance of Major Sylvester, with
scarcely tangible clew, went zealously
10 work 10 apprehend the fugitive or fu-
gitiyes. Major Sylvester left his he'd
and home at o'clock on the morning of
the crime, and going to the Eighth pre-
cinct station, cheered the men on to sue
cess by his confident and easy manner,
and by showing more than usual inter
est. That the men under his command
worked assiduously and consistently was
evidenced by the capture OF the fugitive
at 4 point outside the District limits af-
ter lapse of only thirteen hours from
the time OF the commission of the crime
The satisfaction felt by the department
and the glory obtained by Policeman
Mccormick because Of the capture were
short-dved. Because Of an accidental
blunder on the part of the hero of the
capture, coupled with the fact that the
station where Powell was confined was
for short while without a recognized
head, the prisoner was afforded a most
opportune moment for escape. He, of
course, took advantage of it, and made
good an escape which, ninety-nine times
out of a hundred would have been a fu-
tile effort The liberty of the man was of
short duration, and after nine hours of
freedom he was again incarcerated in
station cell.
Possibly the least outwardly concerned
man at the escape was Major Sylvester.
True. ne felt deeply chagrined at the ap-
parent negligence or careleSsness of the
men at No. station, but he gave no evil
ceace Of il. With the calm stoical sang
froid OF Richelieu. he talked TO his men
al headquarters and instillod in them a
confidence they could scarcely credit. The
result was that the men again went TO
work with a bulldog tenacity that had
success for goal.
To fix the blame for the escape of Pow
ell Is not an impossible task 1t can be
ascribed to carelessness in locking the
man in the CELL or a defective lock, to-
gether with flagrant violation of an ex-
picit and recent order OF Major SylYes-
ter. The order referred 10 called for a
sergeant to act instead Of q lieutenant
during the latters absence and in turn
an acting sergeant TO be designated by
the former in the event of his having to
leave the station. Should the acting SER
geant be then called from station duty n
policeman in turn was TO be assigned 70
the absent mans duty.
On the day of the escape of Powell
Lieut. Kelly, who is in charge of the
Sixth Precinct, was away on leave. Be
fore going he assigned the duties of his
office to Sergeant FaIvey and the latter
whcn called away on business. designated
Acting Sergeant Payne to act in his
stead. Falyey was still away from the
station when Payne's dinner hour passed
and he, Of course, anticipating no trou-
BILE. left the station in charge of the sta
tion keeper.
The station was thus for a period of
fifteen minutes. the time elapsing be-
tween the departure of Payne and the
return Of Falvey, without an official
head, and as a matter of good fortune
Powell effected his escape at this time.
This mere fact would have made no ma
terial difference had the cell door behind
which Powell was confined been securely
locked. That IL was not so is as before
stated, due TO either carelessness or n
defective lock. and opinion generally at
tributes the unfortunate circumstance to
the latter.
The fact further presents itself that
in locking Powell in a cell after the in
quest Policeman Mccormick performed a
duty not incumbent upon him. The man
had been committed to Jail by the coro-
ner's jury and was the prisoner of the
Sixth Precinct until the arrival of the
van TO convey him TO the Jail. Thereupon
the sergeant in charge should have di-
rected one of the policemen Of his station
to take care of the prisoner. The Powell
incident is not the only one where pris-
oner is improperly handled. 1t occurs
every day. When arrests are made the
policeman bringing the offender to the
station almost invariably locks his pris-
oner up. This duty should devolve on
turnkey who has absolute charge of all
prisoners after they enter the station
house In other cities such a man is pro-
vided Here in our city the turkeys du-
ty devolves on an overworked station
keeper who cannot devote his time to it
and as q consequence there is a laXity
about handling prisoners which should be
remedied.
Major Sylvester in his annual report
to Congress gives a remedy. He recon-
mends the appointment of station ser
Ceants to be on duty and In charge OF
the stations at all times, particularly
during the lieutenant's absence. The re-
port will be indorsed by the Board of
Trade and by several prominent citizens