Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-11-08
SILVERWARE FOUND
THE ARTICLES INADVERTENTLY
PLACED IN GARBAGE CANS.
Report by Superintendent Stutler Of
Street Cleaning Department. Re-
garding Alleged Thefts.

Warner Stutler, superintendent Of the
street cleaning department, this afternoon
submitted to Commissioner West a report
In connection with the siverware recently
found In the possession Of two OF the gar
bage collectors and one Of the laborers en-
ployed at the reduction plant, Cherry
Hill. Va.
Mr.. StutIer says:
During the past few months this depart
ment received quite a number Of inquiries
from citizens relative to table silver. which
they stated had been inadvertently placed
in the garbage receptaeles. and asking that
If found 1t be returned to the writers. With
the aid of the officials Of the Washington
Fertilizer Company these cases were inves-
tigated, but we were never able to dis
cover any Of the missing articles.
There Is a provision in the contract for
the collection and disposal of garbage and
dead animals to the effect that articles of
special value, such as silverware, dog tags.
collars, etc, found in garbage or on dead
animals collected shall be kept by the con-
tractor, and lists Of such articles forwarded
to this office from time to time.
Detective Assigned.
'Inasmuch as nothing was being turned in
by the collectors, 1t occurred to me that
they might be appropriating such articles
to their own use. 1 then consulted with
Major Sylvester, who assigned Detective
Proctor to assist me in investigating the
matter. We visited a number of second
hand stores and restaurants, and learned
that garbage collectors had been selling
table ware at some of these places. From
description given by the second hand
dealers we were enabled to identify two of
the collectors, and search warrants were
thereupon procured"
At the house of the first collector. who
was arrested and subsequently released on
bail, fifteen pieces were found AT the house
of the other collector thirty-four pieces
were found. All these articles are now at
the detective bureau and may be had by
the owners thereof upon proof of property.
Under date of October 81 the police authori-
ties of Baltimore, Md, notified Major Syl-
vester that they had arrested a man who
claimed to be an employee of the Washing
ton Fertilizer Company at Cherry Hill, Va,
for trying to dispose of marked table silver
ware. Forty EIGHT articles were found In
his possession. These were forwarded to
Major Sylvester on the 7th instant, and are
likewise at the detective bureau for identi-
fication by the owners.
Reward offered.
s'All these facts" the report continues,
''were brought to the attention Of the pres
ident Of the Washington Fertilizer Com
pany, NJ. NJ. Parker. and he has offered re-
ward of s25 for information which will lead
to the arrest Of any OF his employees at
tempting to dispose of articles found in the
garbage or on dead animals. The superin-
tendent Of collections and the superintend-
ent of the reduction plant were also noti-
fed. and both have warned the men under
them that they must turn in all articles
found in the garbage. The secondhand
dealers have been asked to report to the
detective bureau all cases where garbage
collectors attempt to sell silverware.
cit Is hope that these measures will break
up the practice among the garbage col
lectors. and thus enable this department to
recover and return to the citizens such arti-
cies as may find their way into the garbage
receptacleS.