The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-04-15

| NaShtAiA lpiL ! Ivy at THIS TIME CuuupTlsE
six wards. Thomas Carbery was chose
| Mayor in the spring OF 1921, when a boar
| OF six Commissioners was appointed a
follows; Samuel Hardness, John Dough
! eTty, John Gardiner. John Chambers, job
| Van Riswick and J. b. Forest over tn
| various wards these Commissioners eNer
clsed certain authority. the powers OF
| magistrate being generally accorded them
But more than a score Of years passed be
fore substantial increase in the polio
| system was noted. An act Of Congress
! approved by President Tyler, August %
1872, TO establish an auxiliary watch 70
the protection Of public and private prep
| erty in the city of Washington" brough
! about a decided improvement in the 10 a
| system Provision was made in the hi,
| for a Captain of Police, at a yearly salary
J of $1,000, and for a police force o
| fifteen men. each at a salary of $50 pei
| month. This small force proved effective
| for time. Every night at 9 o'clock. q
| guard was posted throughout the city, tC
| be relieved at midnight by a similar de-
| tail In the building occupied by the Per
| severance Fire Company, a volunteer or
ganizatiOn. a signal bell struck the hours
of the night. Georgetown at this peri d
! conducted a separate system of police pro-
lection. Apart from the city of Washing
the Mayor of that town. with the powers
of magistrate, proclaimed and upheld the
dignity of the law.
BY an act of Congress approved March
8. 1861. entitled y bill to provide for a
Metropolitan Police Force for the District
Of Columbia the present system of mu-
I nicipal protection came into being. Five
commissioners, appointed by the Presi-
dent of the United States each for a term
OF three years. constituted Board of Po-
lice and over the entire police system this
body exercised exclusive jurisdiction The
membership Of the board as announced
from the White House on August l3, 1861
was: Zenas c. Robbins. President; Richard
Walsh, W. H. Tenney, S. J. Bowen. and
Joseph +. Brown. Subsequently,, at a
meeting Of the board on September (. 1861
William B. Webb a lifelong citizen of
Washington, was chosen Superintendent
OF Police. He was the first Major of 70
lice in the District of Columbia and he
held the office until late in the fall Of
1865, when he presented his resignation.
Through varied conditions and with va
rious superintendent the local police
force grew, improved. and developed be-
yond the expectation of its founders
Major Thomas p. Morgan was the second
Superintendent Of Police. Under his di-
rection, energy and enthusiasm developed
among the guardians OF the District peace.
One superintendent. one captain and in
spector. ten lieutenants twenty sergeants
and Two hundred privates then constituted
the Metropolitan Police Force.
Major William C. Moore took charge of
the Police Department in the spring of
1856 He proved an energetic. capable
Superintendent, and largely to his efforts
dUa tho pffipfnpt G. p
TEN. Major Moore made a close investi-
cation Of the police force, its personnel,
general formation, and mobility From
time to time, in his annual reports, he
suggested marked improvements, always
urging upon Congress the necessity of in
creased appropriations. 1t is a fact not
generally known. perhaps. that in four
years. from 1886 to 1890, through the rec
concentrations Of Major Moore, Congress
granted greatly Increased appropriations
for the Police Department. From the sum
Of S3I7. 600 appropriated for the year 1886
an increase in the annual appropriation
to S5O1OQ0 in 1890 was secured by urgent
solicitation Of the Chief Of Police.
Major Moore took early steps TO secure
improvement Of the numerous alleys under
municipal control There are 81 alleys in
Washington. These are found in every
section Of the city. Their condition. i'm
provement and supervision was referred
to by Major Moore in his annual report for
1890 as follows The inhabited alleys of
Washington and Georgetown demand
yigilant supervision. They number 3i7.
and furnish places of abode for probably
10000 people. The task of watching them
more than doubles the duties of the Of
hcers, not only in the preservation Of good
order but in the matter Of cleanliness. so
conducive to the public health That they
should be constantly policed is self-cvident.
as is the fact that this can only be done By
the enlargement Of the force"
Personnel of Present Officials,
The present Chief OF Police in this city.
Richard Sylvester. is a native of Iowa
City, Iowa In early life he accompanied
his parents to Memphis, Tenn. and later.
in 1863. to St Louis. Mo, where he entered
the wholesale house Of Meyer. Bannerman
& Co. dealers in saddlery and hardware.
Several years later Mr.. Sylvester accepted
a position on the reportorial force Of the
st Louis Press, and in the spring Of
1871 he assumed editorial control Of tho
Pennington, No. Times" During he fall
IF 1887 Major Sylvester came to Washing
ION as correspondent of the st. Louis |
Times and later he had charge OF the [
ocal bureau OF the st Louis Globe !
Democrat position was offered Mr..
Sylvester in the Metropolitan Police De /
,artmeut early in 1890 and he accepted it. /
FOR several years he was chief clerl, of
he department and finally. upon the death
# Major William G. Moore. was chosen
superintendent Of Police
Capt Manyille 4 Austin is The execu-
i've officer OF the force. Captain Austin
vas born October II. 1870 During the
iyil war he enlisted in the Fiftieth New
FORK volunteers, Engineer Corps. and
anticipated in active service with the
Army Of the Potomac, under General
rant he WAS honorably DISCHARGED
rom the service of The United States on
uly l. 1865. and shortly afterUard took
Up his residence in Washington On Nav
$50, Captain Austin was appointed a
rivate on the police force. During No
ember Of the same year he was promoted
o acting sergeant, and on January 81
SCI. was commissioned a full sergeant
. ileUtenancy was granted him on No
ember q 1868 when ne was placed in
OF the Eighth precinct Early
n July, 1885. Captain Austin was ap-
ointed 10 the position which he now oc-
upies, succeeding Captain Vernon.
In command of the First precinct Sta
ion. in Twelfth Street just below Penn
ylyauia Avenue northwest. is Lieut.
azewell B. Amiss, born August %. 1871. .
nd a native Of Culpeper County Va. Dur
~ early boyhood Lieutenant Amiss at
ended the Virginia schools and later
pent several years in Washington. where
q secured a firm foundation for futtra |
At the outbreak of the civil
ar on March If. 1861, Lieutenant Amiss
nlisted in the Regular Army and was as