The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-05-23

Deposed by Mayor Hughes after Is Years
of Faithful Service in the Topeka Po-
lice Department
Wednesday afternoon to take effect at
once
Such moves as the present political one
which resulted in Donovan severing his
connection with the department has
made the police department what it is.
Hang Carpenter, Chief Stahl's right
hand man, will attempt to fill the place
that Donovan held with 50 much credit.
Ever since politics crept into the police
department, and that was long time
ago. there have been mutterings against
Donovan. Not because he was not quail
flied but because he is a Democrat
though he has not been active in politics.
There are several members Of the force
who have spent far more time in trying
to work up sentiment against Donovan
and to get him out of the road so some
good Republican might be rewarded,
than they have spent in performing the
duties vested upon them. The man who
is elevated over his head was arrested
for embezzlement only a few months
ago, though the case was dismissed after
he agreed to pay back the money.
The history of Donovan's work since
he Joined the Topeka police force in
1884 reads like a chapter from the diary
of Sherlock Holmes. Donovan has held
every position on the force from patrol
man to chief. In 1884 he was assistant
city marshal and following that was city
marshal He was captain for the first
four years of the regime of the metro
politan police and during the year of the
state house war he was chief Of police.
Since then Donovan has been sergeant
and when it came to thief catching he
was the sineW and brains of the depart
Al 1Srf- p
police found Donovan indispensable. He
served under Pat Sherman, John Carter,
John Gardiner A. M. Fuller, John Will
kerSOn, H. c. Lindsay, Henry M. Steele,
/. A. Strauss and James Ramsey
Donovan never had much to say about
his captures. Yes, we've made some
good catches" is about the only COM
ment Donovan ever made when asked
what he had done. Donovan never took
the amount of credit due him. He has
lived in Topeka 80 years and knows ev-
cry crook here and their genealogys
There is no record OF DonOvan's work
except what is remembered by his as
SOciateS on the force, mostly men who
are not officers now. for those who are
now serving the city seem to fail, as
rule to remember that Donovan ever
had any qualifications because he is
Democrat.
Donovan was one of the very few men
of the force who had the instincts of a
detective and knew how to work on a
case. One of his first big catches was
Years ago WnGn Ell wallace was killed
in TennesseetOWn- Donovan worked up
the case and finally Fealy Crump was
arrested near Nashville, Tennessee, and
was sent to the penitentiary for the
crime.
Just before Oklahoma was opened a
gang of the worst criminals in the coun-
try infested a place west of North To-
peka known as Redmondville. DOno-
van directed the movements of the po-
lice against the lawless band and in less
than a year 23 of the gang We're sent to
the penitentiary.
One of Donovan's best pieces of work
was the working up of the case against
Henry johnson, colored, The King of
North Topeka - who went to the peni-
tentiary for Il years for highway rob
berry as a result of DOnOYan'S work
While he was captain OF the police un-
der orders from Chief Steele Donovan
made a systematic campaign against the
Parker gang and as a result what was
one time one of the most f1Ourishing
gang of toughs ever in the city was
broken UP entirely.
1t was a short time ago that NeIs
Robinson, colored, was sentenced to the
penitentiary for highway robbery. Don
ovan worked up the case. It was DOno-
van and Policeman Pavey who discover
ed some mutilated coins being passed in
Topeka a year ago last winter and they
traced the clues until as a result the no.
torious F. F. Estelle was captured and
finally convicted of blowing a safe in
Republic county. Estelle was found
sIeDing in a room Of a small hotel on
was a determined man and that he slep+