The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1902-07-25

The career of Capt Francis E Cross,
of the Metropolitan police force, has
been a lively and varied one He is q
weIl-known and popular officer, a quiet,
settled man, but he has been in some
exciting scenes as an officer and a sailor
He is personally very popular, and is es-
teemed highly in police circles for mis-
vigilance and strict performance Of du-
ty He has risen from the ranks
Captain Cross is night inspector OF
police, and he has caught more dereict
policemen than any man who has ever
occupied the position for the same
length Of time One instance is related
Of q policeman on an obscure beat who
had the habit Of going 10 his home on
bad nights. One night there was q deep
snow. and the policeman was sure the
/ inspector would not be around, but out
Of the abundance OF caution he tied a
string around two trees and across the
way home. He furried the snow so that
+ his tracks could not be seen The idea
was that the captain would think thaJ
} the policeman ould have broken The
! string If he had gone home, but the cap
| tain thought he saw beyond the string,
and went to the officers house. finding
( him by the fire. The boys have quit try
/ ing TO fool the captain
Captain Cross was born in this city in
! 1854 He learned the trade OF painter
and worked at It for five years IN tho
navy yard. He became possessed OF a
/ desire to go to sea. and he enlisted IN
/ Boston as an engineers woman. fe
/ served for five years on the Vastly deep.
/ He was on the Z s. s Essex, which was
under the command o. Capt. Winfield
! Scott Schley. While under this nov IA
nous officer the young man went nearly
all over the wateTy part of the world
/ The Essex was attached TO the Atlantic
! Squadron, and was on deep sea sounding
cruises most Of the time, having been
built especially for that work and equip
led with special apparatus The shiI
touched at St. Paul de LoandO, of the
west coast Of Africa; al st. Helena and
at Rio de Janeiro. The deepest sound
ing by the Essex, and one of the deep
est on record. was made on December 81
1871 II was 3,2Sk fathoas-
After being an able seaman for five
years, Captain Cross returned TO Wash
! iDgton and opened an Office for export
ing business. but he soon tired of thu
land and went TO sea again This tImt
he shipped as engineers yeoman on the
L. s S Franklin. and was then trans
ferred TO the Galena- He saw great
sights IN this service, ard visited many
parts Of the world.
On July :, 1884, he was made a mem
Der Of the Metropolitan police force, and
he has been an officer continuously
since He began as private, and was
CT duty for five years at the corner o.
/ Fifteenth Street and New York Avenue
where he became very. popular He made
the acquaintance of many statesmen
and still has many warm friends among
them He was q favorite with the habit
Ues Of that section OF the city, and wa!
DeyeF moved until promoted He wa.
made . sergeant and detailed for dutl
at the White House, and filed that re
sponsible and desirable position for i've
years He wa on duty when CoXey
army beIeagueTed Washington, and ht
helped to make the grass immune. On
several occasion he acted as escort e
the President. and he always made
; / good appearance and handled his mel
well He ORGANIZED the night watci
. force of the White House. He is nov
serving as night inspector
Captain Cross is noted as home man
He has two beautiful daughters. who ar
= hot only his pride. but the IaForites 0
IaH who know them The captain is
. studious man. and has picked up = grea
deal Of knowledge n his active an
eveutful experience