Evening star., 1898-10-29
Guardians Of the Peace Under Scru-
tiny Of DriIlmasters.
COMPETING FOR TIE FLAG OF HONOR
Imposing Spectacle Today at Ma
tionaI Base Ball Park.
COMING ANNUAL PARADE

| Ihree hundred stawart guardians OF the
| citys peace, attired In handsome new uni
| tofms, with batons highly polished am?
| with brass buttons, belt buck es and insig-
| MIA of office glinting ever and anon as the
! morning sun broke through the gray clouds
mat threatened to curtain entirely the
azure sky, moved to and fro in martial ar
ray this forenoon at National Base Ball
| Fark 1t was the final inspection of the
| metropolitan police force for the year, and
| upon the showing of the bluecoats of the
nine precincts in todays drill, under the
scrutiny of learned drllmasters and mil
| tary disciplinarians, the award of the flag
| OF honor presented to the department by
District Commissioner John B. Wight will
| be made
Stretching in line straight as the ar
| 70" ana reaching across the great turf
covered field where the athletes of the
diamond have disported all summer long
the "ashington policemen presented a SOL
III 'front.', the appearance of wel-trained
| liilltarE ofSaaization on dress parade--as
handSome body of men and as fine a set
OF fellows it is believed, to be found in the
| RANKS or any police force in the world. Ma
Jof sylvester viewed his legion with par
| donable pride
only little more than one-haif of the
| iorce We're present on the field of compe-
| lion. Ihere were enough, however to
sNe me large crowd OF spectators present
excellence of Wasningt0n'S peace rroyid-
ers, and If there were any crooks present
Ihey must have quaiied in acng such
many lot OF guardians OF the capital city's
laws.
A Flag the Prize
Inc members of the various precincts of
the department have been preparing for the
annual inspection for several weeks Last
year Commissioner Wigh;'s flag was award
ea 10 the company or precinct winning in
competitive drill. This year it was decided
| to present the trophy to the precinct on
the excellence of the showing made by the
men at inspection. The precincts were vis-
tied personally by Mai. Richar.l Sylvester
during the fore part of the week and to-
| iay all the men of the police force who will
| lake part In the annual parade of the polio
ana ire departments November were ex-
amlned together, aGld notes taken by the
judges on the superfe<ities shown In com
parison. The flag will be awarded when
the police assemble for the parade and
VIII be borne by the most proficient
company Of men during the march down
the avenue. Afterward il will be hung in
the precinct station house and pointed TO
with pride by the men VINO will have a
, part in it's capture
The police this morning assembled at
National Park shortly before 10 O'Clock and
for an hour or more were carefully scrT-
tinized by the judges. Major Sylvester was
early on the scene, accompanied by his
staff, Captain Austin and Inspectors Cross
and Pearson. Shortly after his arrival the
nine precinct divisions were drawn IN in
battallon 'front.' across the field and fac
ing the grand stand. Blue frock coats
were carefully brushed and pressed Those
VINO had not provided themselves with en-
tirely new belts and buckles wore the old
articles highly polished. bright and neat
while the badges were sparkling like some
beJeWe!ed diadem, on every manly chest
The officers of the precincts and staff
wore for the first time the new cans de-
are modelled after those in use bv the
United States army, with slanting yizor
In wreath is lettered the officers rank
Major Sylvesters cap is marked bv gold
brald' the others being finished in silver
Judges of the Contest.
Major Burton Ross of the WASHINGTON
Light Infantry Corps and drill master for
the High School Cadets, and Lieutenant A
T. Smith of the 18th United States Infan-
try. judges of the contest, took their nosi-
tions on either side of Major Sylvester and
the official test was inaugurated.
The men of the first precinct were COM
mahded by Lieutenant Amiss and Sergeant
Moore; the second precinct, by Lieutenant
her aenher ana Sergeants DAILY, Coucher and
sullivan; third precinct, Lieutenant Rovlc
and Sergeants keefe and Byrnes: fourth
precinct Lieutenant HolIinberger and Ser
gednts Dunnigan and Williams: fifth Dre-
cinct, Sergeant Mu hall and Sergeant Smith
SKIN precinct Lieutenant Kelly and Ser
seantS Iombardy and Falvey: seventh Dre-
cnct, Lieutenant Swindels and Sergeants
Connors and Passau: eighth precinct. Lien
tenant kehhy and Sereeants Sprinkle and
Jones ninth precinct, Lieutenant McCath-
ran and Sergeants Wall and Wright Lieu
tenant Gessford Of the fifth viewed the ma
heaNefS OF his men from a position near
the grand stand
The flag, at present the nronartv of +ba
flrst precinct, was borne by a trio of pri-
Yates Al the conclusion of the mornings
inspection the fourth precinct company was
called before the commanding officers and
judges and the flag assigned to them This
led TO SurmiSe on the part of the specta-
tors that the fourth precinct had won the
nag. This. Major Sylvester stated, was not
the case, he explaining that the flag was
disposed of in this manner that it might
be near the center of the line during tht.
parade When this was learned the friends
ol the various precincts breathed signs of
rehet ana are still buoyed with the hone
that their own particular favorites viii
yet win out.
The Elements Considered
After general inspection as to clothing
equipment, etc, the battalion was nut
through a manual of hatons and several
ield maneuvers. The points to be consid-
cred in awarding the flag will be appear-
ance as to clothing and the neatness of
the officer in arranging his equipment; the
second point will be the maneuvers and
general appearance on the field, while the
third will he the excellence and knowledge
of manual shown in the drilling An aver
age will be struck from the showing made
in these respects a mans old clothing
will not count against his command, for
many of the officers as yet without
their fall uniforms In such cases the gem
erai neatness of the officer will be con-
sidered.
There is much rivalry between the vari-
Gus precincts and there is no doubt the
donation of the flag of honor has done
much toward improving the appearance OF
Washington's police officers, who now
regular Chesterfields of the brass buttons.
The men of the first precinct are determined
to retain the nag, and the representatives
of the other eight divisions of the police
force are just determined that the boys
of the center city station shall not have it,
The men of the first made an excellent
showing today. Their uniforms are new
and each man was equipped with new
belt and immaculate white gloves To the
laymen however, the men of the other
precincts looked equally well. Wherever
the flag may go there is the assurance the
men will have won 1t fairly and justly.