The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1902-01-27
GUM SHOE MEN
OF WASHINGTON
Night Watchmen Who Rem
der Good Service.
GUARDIANS OF PRIVATE PROPERTY
They Know the Queer Happenings
of the Capital When the Night
Owls Are on the Wing.


brass buttons. and they don't take part
in the annual parade Of the District Of
Columbia Police Department. ont their
services are so valuable that but for them
security at night would be a thing almost
impossible. They are the night watch
men. the protectors Of public aud private
property; in other words. in the Ian
guage Of the streets. the gum shoe" men.
These are the men who meet the crimi-
nal on his own ground, and the men who
come out ahead in the little games of des-
perate chance played every night when
sleeping Washington is tucked snugly in
bed. with the counterpane pulled over its
head
No member OF the night watchmen force
has ever been a hero. OF. at least, if he
has his heroism has never been exploit
ed in the way such acts usually are.
When he does a deed that only a brave
man could do he steps quietly back, and
the man in blue gets the credit This has
been the case time after time.
Not on OmcinI Pay Rolls.
The night watchmen gets 20 pay from
the District for his services. which are
often more valuable than those Of the
regular men "on the force" All the
Commissioners do is to authorize the is
suance Of badges. and armed with these.
a good gun and a blackjack, they trav-
erse the streets at night, on the lookout
for thieves and robbers Of the highways.
They are paid by the private parties en-
pl5ying them. and not very we'll paid at
that.
ne great reward although undoubtedly
fef Ilf nj IL
OF service well performed.
Clad in ordinary civilian clothes and
with feet shOd IA rIbbers gum shoes"
the men call them. the night watchman
goes on duty late in the evening, and re-
mains on until daylight. Most OF them
arrive at their beats at 10 o'clock, and are
still there when the miikman, the advance
guard OK morning. reaches the city before
dawn. They go on about o o'clock. and
sleep during the day
For them life is tOpsy-turvy.
HObnObbing With the Cop.
While on duty the Waterman hobnobs
with the policeman. and the two become
ehums after long association. But the
Waterman must prove himself first. for
the bluecoat has learned by experience
that there are spies out. watching TO see
II he smokes on duty or goes up into an
alley 70 sleep.
The midnight work Of both the police
man and the night Waterman is uoJ all Of
a serious kind There are many incidents.
constantly occurring which are more hu-
norous than the funniest situation in a
comedy, and much is seen during the
wee sma' hours OF which the average.
well-regulated citizen knows nothing.
Its pretty lonely. sometimes" said
one Of the gum shoe men recently in
the course OF an early-morning converse
ton He settled himself on b-eadboX
in the sheltered doorway Of a grocery
store gnawed on chew" OF tobacco.
and became reminiscent
"There've been some mighty lively eX-
periences in my lifetime, and II ! could
I'd write a book. Thered be some people
who'd leave Washington quick enough
though. IL / did. know things about
people that would make a big stir il
toll about EN-.
I've been IN this business about TWEEN
ty-fve years, and what don't know about
Washington by electric light isn't worth
talking about Ihere've been some pretty
curious Things happened 20 me. Some OF
EN- wouldn't be believed.
An InebrIated Diplomat.
About a year ago, when I was on this
same beat 7 was walking through X
Street. up west OF Eighteenth. when
came upon a man lying in the gutter
with his head resting on the root Of a
tree. I thought he was common, ordi-
nary drunk. and ] wasn't over polite
when I shook him and tried to get MIN up.
He finally got TO MS feet and then, in
GONE foreign language. began 10 talk as
though his very life depended upon il.
he could talk English all right. and when
reminded him that / couldn't understand
what he was driving at he blurted out
that he had been robbed.
And he had, too, been robbed OF
gold watch and chain. and a poCketbook
full Of money. He was very much intoxi-
Gated, but I got him home. al one or the
smaller. aristocratic hotels He was an
6ttache OF one of the legations.
Just a little while after that in the
game neighboThood. I was walking along
about 3 o'clock in the morning, when I
thought I noticed something suspicious
about the front door OF a house / had Just
passed. I went back and sure enough, the
door was wide open ] could see into the
hall.
i stepped inside, and, as I did so, /
stumbled over something in the yesti-
buIe. II was a pair Of shoes. That made
ne wonder more than ever, and / was
about 10 light the gas in the hall, when
] heard a noise IN the front parlOr. ]
erept 20 the door. pushed aside the por-
there's and looked in
Ready TO Pull the Trigger.
at first ! couldn't see anything. Then
as my eyes grew accustomed TO the dark
ness. saw what II was-a man. standing
IN the middle Of the floor. He had a re-
volyer in bis hand The queerest thing
about il was that I recognized him; he
was the owner Of the house.
well. 20 make long story short, the
man was Just about to shoot himself He
had started out. &c go down 10 the park
and after opening the door changed his
mind and went into the parlor. J. Of
course persuaded him that IL was foolish
70 commit suicide, and took him up to
bed
"He was IN a mighty nervous condition.
and ready 20 jump out OF his skin, OF the
window. or anything else that happened
20 be around convenient to jump out OF.
gave him a little bit OF good whisky
and put him 10 sleep.
Less than a month later this same
man applied for a divorce from his wife
and some time afteTWasd got II. ] always