The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-04-21
TOUCH THE BUTTON
Police Methods of Communi-
cation Are Perfect
WITH THE RED LIGHTS
They Can Signal Every Patrol
man on Duty

I wiz outline my policy for you airy
time after next Monday night" SAID
Chief OF Police frank Burt last night
! The chief was sitting at his table al
/ police headquarters ABOUT 10 O'Clock last
night and it was in answer TO a question
OF q reporter for the Eagle that he used
the words above quoted. He then went
on to explain that the council would
meet in regular session next Monday
night and il executive session discuss
/ the whole police matter.
II is the intention OF the chief 10 carr
out the instructions Of the mayor and
the city council and for that reason he
mas not outlined his policy in some par
uculsrs- re is waiting for the mayor
and city council to formulate a policy
1his, however, does not indicate that
the police department has no system at
the present time. The department is
working as smoothly as if il were one
piece Of machinery. Chief Burt has
had the electric police call and repor-
system repaired and put in perfect run
ming order This enables him 70 be in
touch with his officers at all times OF the
day or night
This electric machinery has telephone
and signal light on each Of the beats IN
the business center Of the city. When
ever the policeman passes the telephone
on his beat ne calls up the headquarters
and the clerk answers his call ana mari
the time on a sheet OF paper on the desk
in front Of him. This shows how many
times the officer reports while ne is on
duty.
In order TO explain the working of the
signal calls. Chief Burt said that If
something was about TO happen down at
the Santa Fe depot he would throw on
the light which was a small red globe
and that as soon as the officer on that
beat saw it ne would run to the tele-
phone and ask for orders. He told Clerk
john Knoblach to Turn on the light for
the beat on East Douglas avenue and in
just about one minute the officer ruBg
the telephone and asked for orders. Then
the red light was turned on at the cor
ner Of Main and Second streets and the
officer answered in less than two min
utes.
These signal lights are hung on sort
Of goose neck from the electric light
poles and the policeman can see zen he
entire length Of his beat If ne Is some
distance from the police telephone which
has no connection with the telephone
system of the city. he goes TO the nearest
city telephone and calls up the station
and says. my light is burning. what g
wanted2"
In case something happeued on q Ger
tain beat that the officer = olld need as
sistance. Chief burt could turn on all
the calls or all the signal lights and or
der all the policemen TO go TO some par
ticular place where assistance might be
needed. When Mrs. Nation got of the
train here last Il riday morning every po-
licemau knew Il IL less than five minutes
and Just where she was at the time She
was guarded from the time she got of
the train until she left the city.
Chief Burt said that without these sig
nails and reports if robbers got the best
OF an officer during the night and knock
ed him out. they would not hn,i u "Js
until the next morning. Now Il nothing
is heard from an officer for a Atf ho-r,
somebody would be sent TO Investigate
and see what the trouble was.
Before tbs call system was put IN
working order there used TO be trouble TO
find officers in case OF iTnmergency. It
was attempted 70 remedy this by keep
ing one officer always at headquarters,
but this was not satisfactory. Now the
whole force can be reached IN few
minutes If the headquarters are nOti-
fed that there is something wrong in
any resident part of the city the police
man nearest that point is called and told
10 make Investigation. When Chief
Burt has explained the working OF this
system one viii at once conclude that
the police force Of this city is pretty
well equipped for guarding the lives and
the property of the people
Purify the blood and put the system
in order for summer work by using at
this time a short course Of PRICKLY
ASH BITTERS; it is the greatest blood
purifier on earth.