Evening star., 1898-09-12
METROPOLITAN POLICE.
The Thtrty-Seventh Anniversary oi
the 0rganfxatiOn

the Organisation.
The thirty-seventh anniversary of the
me- tropolitan police force of the District
occurred yesterday, an event that was re-
numbered by only few of the old-timers
September IL, 1861, the present force was
o'glnized when, instead of having a lieu
tenant as the head man in each precinct, a
sergeant presided. Out of ths members of
the force who went on thirty-eeven years
ago nearly all are dead and of the few
that are living, but three remain on the
police force. Lieut.. John Kelly Of No. 6
precinct is one, and Policeman Charles
Vernon. formerly lieutenant of No. 4 pre-
cinct, but now detailed at police headquar-
ters as clerk to Maj Sylvester is another
The only veteran of the force who has re-
mained steadily a patrolman, and still,
holds the position is Augustus Brown, who
Is detailed at the entrance to the Aqueduct
brldge in George etown. Perhaps twenty-five
or thirty of the original members of the
force are now living. but most of them are
in private life. Some have long since been
retired. while others left the force at
various stages and for various reasons be-
tn cen its organization and up to a few
years ago.
OF the survivors, perhaps Policeman
Brown is the most remarkable. He was
born in March, 1925 when John Quincy
Adams was President, and is now in his
seventy-fourth year. He is active and
as spIy as many much younger men, and
TO look at him one would never guess his
age by ten or fifteen years. Up to only a
lew years ago he performed regular patrol
duty, and when detailed to his present posi-
ton he strenuously objected to the change.
1t was only a short time ago when he ar
rested young blood who was something
of a scrapper, He took off his badge and
laid down his baton, and administer red such
chastisement that the next morning in the
Police Court the Judge wanted to know If
threshing machine.
In 1861 the present first precinct was
krown as No. 5, and had its headquarters
in DraperS saw mill, on Ohio avenue be-
tween 18th and 18th streets. The George
town precinct was then No. 3, and its head
quarters were on 32d street, just north of
the canal, where it remained until the
pl esent station was built. The present
third precinct was then No. /, with the
lookup located on the site of the present
station. The other precincts were num-
bered according to the wards they happen
ed to be in, suffrage then being exercised in
the District, and all police being elected.
Soon after the present form of government
was inaugurated the change in the num-
bers were made.
Very few of the original rolls of the diff
ferent precincts are now in existence. The
roll of the Georgetown station is in the
possession of Detective Frank Burrows,
and is in a well-preserved condition. Sep
tember II the roll was as follows: John
Newman, sergeant in charge, dead; Rich
ard T. Chick, dead; Caleb Sebastian, dead
Jefferson Robinson, dead John Drill dead;
Augustus Brown, alive and on duty; George
B. Lipscomb, dead; Grafton Harper, dead;
John w. Davis, dead; Joseph T. Walker,
dead; Thomas W. Evans, dead; William
F. Robinson, dead: Samuel Pearson, dead :;
Robert B. White, dead; John F'indley
alive; Charles l.. Boarrnan, dead; Randall
Coleman, dead: Charles f. Cameron, deaG ;;
Martin Donohue, dead.
The mounted men for the county were: ::
Joseph w. Harry, not known; George w
Hurdle, not known; William 7. Riley,
alive, now special watchman on 9Th street,
Richard S. Jones, dead; John T. ESsa Y.
dead. The last named reached the rank of
lieutenant and was for many years in
charge of the Georgetown station.