New-York tribune., 1899-07-17

lower Broadway thirty policemen marched led
by roundsman. They came from the Church
st station. and going 10 the Manhattan end OF
the Bridge stood in line and waited. Before
another fifteen minutes had passed similar
SQUADS OF patrolmen were leaving almost every
police station in Manhattan making their way
either 70 the Bridge entrance or to the East
side ferries.
The entire police force seemed to have sprung
into sudden action. These squads of men said
that tbev had not the slightest idea where they
we're going. except that it was somewhere In
BrookIyn. The reason for the moving Of these
SQUADS was an order which had been sent out
in accordance with a telephone message which
had been received from Brooklyn where Chief
Devery had been watching the meeting Of the
men who hoped to bring on a strike. The order
had directed the sending Of a thousand men to
various points in Brooklyn.
MANHATTAN POSTS UNCOVERED
The assembling and the moving OF these thou
sand patrolmen looked like a simple matter. but
II caused some confusion. Nobody except the
members OF the Police Department knew the
trouble. and none Of the officials would admit it.
II also caused a break in the ordinary routine
Of police life which might have had n serious
result. as it left the greater part Of the Bor-
oueh of Manhattan unpoliced for over an hour.
No police official would officially admit this.
Chief Deyery even denied It. Whether the
break had been caused by orders misunder-
stood or orders issued unthinkingly. no one
would tell That II did occur is positive.
Under ordinary conditions, the patrolmen who
finish their tour of duty at midnight are relieved
before they go to their stations. on Saturday
night however. in accordance with the order
from Devcry men were sent out TO instruct the
patromen to report to the station without walt
ing for the relief. This was done. The patrol
men who should have been sent out at midnight
were held in the station. and before l2:3
o'clock the men who had been on post were all
in the stations So there were no men patrol
ling the streets in the greater number OF the
precincts OF Manhattan. The men sent to
BROOKLYN were among those who had been
sleeping in the earlier hours of the night.
While the two squads in the stations
those men who were to be s'nt to Brooklyn and
those who had just come off post-word came
from Devery 10 hold the men who had just
come off post until further orders. These last
men were permitted to eat a meal at this time.
II was close to o'clock before Deverys order
came 10 let half the men who had been on post
in the earlier hours of the night return to their
posts But az many of the men were eating IL
was nearly ! 80 o'clock in the morning before
they were sent out post. 1t was in this way
that there were almost no policemen patrolling
Manhattan Borough In the middle Of the night
for an hour and half As only half as many
men went back on duty in the last half OF the
night-the morning hours-each man had TO 90
a double post or twice as much work as high'
patrolman ordinarily does.
While these matters Of patrolling the city and
getting the men off to Brooklyn were going on
things were lively at Headquarters. Toward |
O'Clock on Sunday morning Devery reached his
Office there. He had nothing 70 say. but there
was activity everywhere. and many Of the offices
were lighted up. Devery stopped once as he
hurried along the hall. He was at once asked
how IL came that the borough was left uncov-
cred and at the mercy Of lawbreakers He
bristled up in an instant:
This borough is pclced" he said. "and prop
erIv. too. There were police on post all the
time III look after this borough. and I'll look
after BROOKLYN" The Chief exceedingly
emphatic.
The thousand patrolmen got over TO Brooklyn
in good time Those who went over the Bridge
took special cars. They attracted little attention
at first but as squad after squad reached the
loops more and more persons arrived 10 look
and wonder. Some Of them asked the police
men questions and received cold stares. wom-
an who sells papers there knew more than any
one else. Sure" said she. they're going TO
the war"
- DEvERY WORKING. NOT TALKING
At Headquarters Devery continued to direct.
and refused 10 say anything. except TO tell OF
the bulletins which he received from Brooklyn
from time 10 time. He heard in the early hours
OF the morning that general strike had been
ordered. He sent Captain Allaire to Brooklyn
and Acting Inspector Kane 10 the Oak-st. sta