The evening times., 1898-07-16
4 NEW CHIEF Of POLICE
Richard Sylvester Is to Succeed
Aajer Msere.
PROMOTED FOR his ABILITY.
Mr.. Sylvester Has Served ~ Chief
Clerk of the Metrop0litan Police
dents Dye, walker and Moore.
Came Here ~ . Correspondent.

Mr.. Richard Sylvester was today ap-
pointed major and superintendent of the
Metropolitan Police Department to sue
ceed the late Major william G. Moore.
The appointment of Mr.. Sylvester was
the Commissioners of the District Of Co.
lumbia.
Commissioner Wight announced yes
terday that no successor to Major Moore
would be named this week.
The pressure brought to bear upon the
Commissioners was SO great that it was
decided to discuss the question this
morning.
The board met at 10 O'Clock and Com
missioner Ross brought the subject to
the attention Of his associates.
Mr., Wight said he believed there was
no doubt that Mr.. Sylvester was the
proper man for the office.
Captain Beach expressed the same
opinion.
Then Mr.. Wight formally nominated
Mr.. Richard Sylvester. the present chief
N'NAh NJ " oce Inc CulS& Ol tue ICilCe Ot-
partment.
The nomination was seconded by Com
missioner Ross and then unanimously
agreed TO.
DR.. Tindall. secretary Of the board. was
called in. and the following order was
promulgated:
Ordered. That Richard Sylvester is
hereby APPOINTED major and super!nten-
dent Of Metropolitan Police Department
vice WiEiam G. Moore, deceased; ap-
pointment TO take effect this day. on
cial copy furnished Mr. Sylvester"
1t Is generally admitted that no better
selection could have been made than that
Of Mr. Richard Sylvester.
He Is young man and is full of force
and energy. For over fifteen years he
has been in personal contact with every
member of the department and has serv-
eo as chiet clerk under three superinten-
dents He began his service under Ma
jor Dye and continued it under Major
Walker and the late Major Moore.
During this time he has familiarized
himself with the needs Of the service.
he mas introduced new clerical methods
ana mas instituted several modern inyen-
lions Tor recording and classifying crooks.
He knows the history of the department
thoroughly. The annual reports to the
commissioners have been prepared under
ms direction He has also had charge of
'he preparation of the estimates for the
police department. and has succeeded in
securing needed legislation.
hichard Sylvester has been connected
with the department since April, iss3 He
Is native OF Iowa City. Iowa, where he
was born in August, 1857. During the
war MS parents moved to Memphis
Tenn. and in 1869 to St Louis. where
young Sylvester had his first business ex-
perence as entry clerk in the wholesale
saddlery house of Meyer Bannerman &
GO. Upon leaving this establishment he
entererd the academic department of
Washington University. and at Che ter
mination of his connection with the insti-
tuition pursued the STUDY of law for a
year. Subsequently he turned his atten-
lion to reportorial work on the St. Louis
Press. his father then being associated in
the editorshio of the ST. Louis Times
with Mr.. Stilson Hutchins.
About the time of the Black Hills dis
coveries. at the instance of friends in
Nebraska, he established the West Point
Progress, which succeeded in becoming
an influential and successful journal.
In 1871 he returned to Missouri and took
charge OF the Pennington Times, and his
services We're commended by the State
press generally. He served in both Con-
gressional and State conventions, and
came to Washington in a newspaper ca
pacity in his twentieth year, and served
as correspondent of the ST. Louis Times,
later on the Globe-Democrat staff, and al
so as representative of the Kansas City
Journal and the St Louis Post-Dlspatch
While pursuing his newspaper corre-
spondence. upon the representations of
numerous associations. he was made dis
bursting officer for the Ute Indian commits
sion, and spent several months in the
field among the Indians of this tribe
On returning to Washington he was
requested TO accept the place of chief
clerk in the police department, which he
has since capably filled.
In 1885 he married Laura V McFaII.
daughter of Col. John McFall. of ST.
Louis, and is the father of a daughter.
Miss Laura, and of two sons, John and
Hubbard.
On his paternal side he is the grandson
of Col. Henry III. Sylvester, of New
Hampshire. who for over twenty years
was resident of Washington. being as
sociated in business with the late B. B.
French. Col Sylvester married the sis
ter of Hon. Henry Hubbard, senator and
representative from, and at one time,
governor of New Hampshire.
On his maternal side Richard Sylvester
Is the grandson of Rev. DR.. w. W.Woods,
Of Iowa. who took prominent part in
the anti-slavery cause, was the warm
personal friend of President Lincoln. and
who temporarily filed the pulpit Of the
Presidents church.
He was appointed to chaplaincy in the
army and died in the service at Camp
Nelson. Ky. DR.. Woods married Martha
Gillespie Houston, of Tennessee, the full
cousin of Gen. Sam Houston.