The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-03-20
SEVERAL TRANSFERS MADE
Major Sylvester Institutes Minor
Police Changes.
Orders Issued for More Careful At
tention 10 the Prisoners-Thc De-
pnrtment Handicapped by Lack of
Men-Thc Proposed New Precinct.


a gentle ripple of the promised wave OF
police reform was made yesterday after
noon, when Ma ior Sylvester issued an or
der for several minor transfers. In max
ing the changes the Chief of Police is
said to have intimated that his order was
only preliminary to what is to follow.
The transfers at the First precinct sta
ton, it is said, were the result of the
Investigations which followed the death
of two prisoners who had been thrown
into cells and left unattended. One was
found dead in a cell at the station, while
the other died at the Emergency Hospital
few hours after being placed in a ward.
Sergeant Hartley, who was recently
sent to the First precinct from the Sec
ond, has been transferred from No. to
the White House. where ne will do out
side duty. Sergeant Goss goes from the
White House to No. G. and Sergt. J. VIII
Jams from No. to No. ], where he pre-
viously did excellent service.
Among the privates the changes related
almost entirely to men who are to do duty
in the patrol wagons. They are: Adam
Stenhouse. No. ! to No. 6; A. Houghland.
No. l to the House of Detention; Edward
Wertz, House Of Detention to No. 4;
Washington Stanford, No. to No. /; w.
l. Coghill, No. Is to No. 1; Thomas Har-
tigan. detective bureau to No. 6.
The present changes are said to be but
the beginning Of a number that will be
made between now and July l, when
the new precinct is likely to be commits
stoned and about forty men added to the
force, by authority of the recent appro-
priatioR bill. Some of the transfers yes
terday are the result of the investigation
that has been in progress ever since the
finding of the dead body of Frederick
Harrington in a cell at No. l station
house several weeks ago. Major Sylves-
ter has given this matter his serious con-
sideratlon, and is of the opinion that if
the police regulations had been abided by
in that instance the man at least could
not have died without medical attention.
In a general order to the department
yesterday he called attention to the mat
ter in the following terms:
THE attention of the members of the
force, especially the lieutenants, those
acting for them, station-keepers, and 9TH
ers who may be detailed for duty in the
several stationhOuses. is called to para
graph 1S7 of the Metropolitan Police
Manual. to order of January Il, 1899, and
to the following Instructions heretofore
issued:
Whenever a case of apoplexy is
brought to a station or fa,;- il+" tn
hands of the police, or n case of extreme
drunkenness, or a case in which there is
doubt as to whether it is apoplexy or
drunkenness, as well as other emergency
cases, a surgeon should be sent for with
out delay, or such subjects taken directly
to the nearest hospital. The police sur
geons and surgeons to the poor are sub
ject to call at such times.
1t ought to go without saying that a
case OF total collapse from drunkenness
needs attention more than case of ordi-
nary drunkenness; and that in extreme
cases of this character they partake of
dangerous Illness and should be cared for
in conformity with the above instruc-
lions.
Cells in which persons are confined
should be visited by some one of those
in charge of a stationhouse at least ev-
cry half hour. or at shorter intervals, as
the situation may demand, to ascertain
the condition of those who may be in
carcerated therein
Major Sylvester is sa tisfied, as a result
of his investigation, and, in fact, has
always contended. that the department
is wofully deficient in many things that
go to the making up of metropolitan
police system. II is impossible for sta
tiOnkeeper. who is charged with the keep
ing OF the records, and who is entrusted
with the care of valuables, TO visit the
cells as frequently as should be done for
the safety OF the prisoners. In his next
annual report. the chief of the depart
ment will call attention to the need of
jailer, who shall be charged only with
the care Of the prisoners. The need is
so urgent that as soon as the new men
that were allowed in the last appropria-
ton bill are available, July l, detail
OF men will be made for this purpose.
This detail will be composed of the older
men of the force. who are no longer able
to do patrol duty.