The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-11-21
AFFAIRS OF THEDISTRICT
Complaint of the Arrest of Boys in
the Fifth Precinct.
The superintendent of Police Ex-
plains the Attitude of the Depart
ment-Order Amended for the Re-
mOvnl of SnOw-Mr. Gi1mer's
Sidewalk "A Widows Pension.


manner in which the officers of that pre-
Of the neighborhood.
In reporting upon the matter after
full investigation by his subordinates
Major Sylvester, Superintendent of Police
says: Numerous complaints have been
made in reference to young men in the
Fifth precinct, and the police have been
endeavoring tc do their duty. 1 have
taken occasion recently to give special
instructions as to their action with rela
ton to younger boys and youths, with a
view to having them first taken to their
parents and properly admonished when
guilty of trivial violations of the police
regulations, but should the warning be
unheeded or a more serious offence be
committed arrest will follow.
THE policy of this department has
been to extend good advice and proper
warning to those who have been commit
ting nisdemeancrs, with 4 view to edu-
eating them as to the requirements Of the
law. When an officer has been guilty of
harshness, disrespect. or maltreatment,
IL will be my aim to mete out such penal
ty as the circumstances in each case may
warrant.
LAS collateral was given in this case
and forfeited it is beyond the authority
of this department to take any. further
action in the premises. If an officer ex-
ceeds his duty in such matters the depart
ment is always glad to be informed"
Some misunderstanding has existed in
the minds of the District authorities rela-
tive to the precise meaning of an order
issued by the Commissioners relative to
removing distractions to travel from side
walks including and a
to have been the intention of the Commits
sioners in issuing their order that II
should conform in Its provisions to the
law passed by Congress on the subject and
approved March 9, 1897. The Special AS
sessment Clerk, however, has interpreted
the order as referring only to the removal
of snow and ice from the paved sidewalks
by the owner of the abuttins property.
The act Of Congress referred to makes ii
the duty of the owners or occupants of
premises in the District of Columbia to
remove. within the first four hours of
daylight after a snowstorm. the accumu-
lated snow from the sidewalk so as to al
low the free passage of pedestrians. The
law also makes it incumbent upon the
owner, tenant. or agent to remove dirt,
ashes, sawdust. or other similar sub
stance from sidewalks SO as to make them
passable al all times.
The present order is that all the re-
quirements of the said act March 2, 1880
relating to the removal of snow and ice
from paved sidewalks in the cities of
Washington and Georgetown shall also
apply to that portion of the District of
Columbia outside of said cities.''
AS stated, this order has been literally
interpreted by the Special Assessment
Clerk, and to remove all ambiguity and
misunderstanding in the matter the En-
gineer Commissioner has recommended to
his associates an amendment to the order
as follows:
That the order Of January q 1899. rel
ative to the removal of snow and ice from
paved sidewalks is hereby amended SO IS
to read: That pursuant to the power
vested in the Commissioners of the Dis
trict of Columbia. by an act of Congress
for the removal of snow and ice from the
sidewalks cr0sswalks, and cutters in the
District of Columbia, and for other pur-
poses,' approved March 2. 1897 all parts
of said District are hereby designated as
the parts in which the requirements OF
said act which relate to the removal OF
snow, ice, dirt, sand, gravel, or any other
refuse matter that may fall or be washed
upon any paved sidewalk, and the placing
of ashes, sand, sawdust, or some ether
with ice to ensure or contribute to the
safety of pedestrians shall hereafter ap-
ply"
Charles N. Smith and William f. Am
brose acting as attorneys for Rosa V.
Cunningham, have requested that the
Commissioners and the Police Department
reconsider the question of granting her
pension, being the wife of the late Private
William Cunningham, who died, it is al
legged, from injuries received in the line OF
duty. The attorneys give history OF the
case in which it is shown that the retiring
board approved the former application OF
Mrs. Cunningham, and granted her pen
sion of $50 a month and her infant daugh
ter one of SO month. The application
was not approved by the then Superintend-
ent of Police, on the ground that the evil
dence presented before the retiring board
did not show conclusively that Cunning
ham had come to his death as the result
of injuries to his foot while in the service
of the District.
1t is now claimed that the applicant is
able to present evidence which will salts
fly the authorities that she is deserving of
a pension according to the law. They ask
to be allowed to present this evidence
and request that the case be recOnsidered
for that reason. In giving his opinion rel
alive to the application Major Sylvester.
after calling attention to the law which
gives pension to certain surviving rela-
tiyes Of policemen dying from injuries re-
ceived or illness contracted while in the
line of duty said:
Private Cunningham was retired April
13. 1891, for an injury to his left foot,
which incapacitated him for duty. The
ftnp lnd fhnr 1icn ~
or disease May 4, 1898. the retiring board
after hearing testimony with view to de-
termining whether Mrs Cunningham was
entitled to a pension after his death. re-
ported that there was no positive evidence
he died from disease or injury received In
the service. 1t therefore remains for the
widow to establish by proper testimony.
which would be medical, that her husband
died from such injury. II such can be
produced. in my opinion, 1t should be Of
fered for the consideration of the retir-
ing board, the Superintendent of Police.
the accounting officer of the District, and
the Commissioners"
The Commissioners have adopted res
olution that the attorneys of Mrs Cum
ningham be informed in accordance with
the report of the Superintendent.
"
L. Luchs, of IA Sixth Street northwest
has submitted TO the Commissioners a
statement in reply to a notice served on
him to remove an alleged nuisance exist
ing in the alley at the rear of 1119 New
Jersey Avenue. In the opinion OF Mr..
Luchs he insists that il does not belong to
him to remove the nuisance complained of,
and he asks that some one be sent to make
a thorough inspection of the premises with
a view to the recall of the notice.
"
T. F. Rea, of 1109 Rhode Island Avenue,
has written a letter to the Commissioners
voicing his pent-up feelings at the short
comings, as he sees them, of the new sys-
fapp of cnlIactin inc md ramoyinp char frnr,