The Topeka state journal., 1900-04-12
Mayor Drew Tells Police Force
What He Expects.
win Tolerate No Trifling With
Law Breakers.
POLITICAL INFLUENCE.
Officers Told That 1t VIII Avail
Nothing.
Places Secure So Long as His
Orders Are Carried Out.

The police usually gather at the city
prison at o'clock in the afternoon for
roll call Wednesday they assembled 1
as early as $50 o'clock 1t was a sort 4
OF revival meeting
A year ago James Ramsey became
chief of police and the present force /
was sworn in. Since then there has been !
much talk pro and con about the en- 1
forcement Of the prOhibitOry law The I
police have been cenSured- The police I
have defended themselves Mayor Drew I
sent word to the force as stated IN last T
nights Journal that he had a few re- {
marks to make and would be at the /
police station at O'Clock In advance
OF that time the officers assembled
Nothing was said about what was 10 (
come but each kept weather eye on
the door to the court room They had
read the State Journal and were pre-
pared for what was coming soon the
mayor arrived and nodded to the OIL
GERS The policemen assembled IN the
court room and Mayor Drew addressed
them. He said he had been sick for sew
eraI days and had feared that he would
not be able to meet with the officers
and that he had written a letter TO be
read to them He read the letter which
was as follows:
7 did not call you together to find
fault with what has already passed. but
TO say 70 you what I shall expect IN
the It unnecessary ADk Al4C ~
tell you that this city IS infested with
joints, gambling dens and questionable
houses You must understand the sit
uation better than do The statutes
make the mayor responsible for entOrc-
ing all the laws. and justly so. I think.
for It gives him the power to appoint
and remove at viii. I want to say 70
you that from this time on there must
be strict enforcement Of the laws,and,
as am held responsible for their en-
fOrcement, SO shall hold you and your
officers responsible
7 do not mean to say by this you
have been negligent in the past I full
" understand how difficult 1t IS to en-
force some of the laws 1 want TO COM
pliment you for your efficient work IN
the past, but / want TO ask you to do
even more efficient work in the future
1 know that II you have q thorough IN
| derstanding Of the matter, this can be
| done.
IF you do your duty. and do it in a
I firm and gentlemauly manner, no mat
/ ter whom you may offend. your posi-
/ tions are secure On the other hand. Il
/ you neglect your duty. or are careless
/ or Indifferent I will fill your places with
! men whom think will perform all their
/ obligations am not asking more than
/ you are capable of doing. not mora than
+ is your duty, and not mora than the
/ citizens have a right to expect you to
Your officers will give you instruc-
/ rying out I am aware that you have
7 been handicapped in collecting evidence
against joints, by reason of the fact
that 1 ordered you not to frequent joints
/ The citizens kept complaining that the
! policemen were too often seen in
joints.
Z now make this order: Hereafter I
| want all policemen TO 60 to the joints
/ often want you TO get the names of
/ the habitues Of the joints am ready
/ to admit that I was wrong in making
I the previous order. and now reSciud
the same. 1 want It so that officers will
/ be absolutely unhampered in the en-
/ forcement of the prohibitory law After
| this, when people complain to me about
/ policemen being seen in joints. I viii
/ tell them that the policemen are there
/ through my orders"
| In addition he said: ct wish you to
I understand that personal nor political
/ influence shall remove you from your
places SO long as you do your duty. You
need have no fear Of carrying out your
orders. I shall not listen to rumors that
come TO me about you So long as you
do your duty you will have the as :
surance that your position is safe You
need not fear that you will be bounced
every day but If you do not do your du-
ty shall put men in your places who
I think will carry out the orders
During the time the mayor was
speaking the officers paid close atten-
| ton When he had finished they
straightened Up with a sigh of relief.
What about buying drinks in the
joints ?" asked the chief
The officers should buy them If they
can and use that fact as evidence" said
the mayor, IF the drink makes them
! i'll viii furnish them with medicine
| The officers laughed Chief Ramsey
replied to Mayor Drew He said. j
know that every man on the force, my
self included. is in sympathy with what
Mr.. Drew has said We have done SONS
good work that We have not received
credit for. We viii renew efforts tc
! bring offenders TO Justice If we had
the support Of the people our tasA
I would be easier. We shall be glad L
/ have the major and the committee OF
police from the city council visit Us and
see what we are doing If they vii
come TO some of our cases they viii SCI
! how difficult it IS for Us TO secure tn.
evidence needed to convict the jointfsts
I wish to thank the mayor on behaI
of the police force for his words Of com
neudation and to assure him that hi!
wishes shall be carried out -
The revival meeting resulted in a raj,
being made at midnight last nigh
when Fritz Durein. James SheasIey an,
George Anderson were arrested for run
ming joints In the afternoon Georg
Simmons was arrested