Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-02-21

entrances without explaining his presence.
TX ne be suspicious he is held In tn. new
police annex for examination.
Down at police headquarters s..s busy
man who is the medium through which all
White House cranks are disposed of. His
name is John A. Frank and his title is
sanitary officer, metropolitan police" AS
| soon as suspicious person is caught in the
I executive grounds patrol wagon is called
and the offender Is removed to station No
| l. across from the post office. Sanitary Of
| hcer Frank Immediately reports the arrest
| TO the insane surgeons" at headquarters.
They put the suspect through a rigid ex-
animation and determine whether his dlsor-
der be of mental or physical origin. II his
trouble be mental, he is temporarily COM
United to the government asylum at St.
Enzaoeth. certificate is sent with him.
also temporary permit signed by the Dis
| trlct Commissioners. He is thus held until
nnaiiy disposed of by the Probate Court
| Whch Is petitioned by the policeman max
| ing the arrest. IL the unfortunate be a nom
RESIDENT or the District II he be a resi-
| oent ms nearest friend or relative must
| make the petition. The Probate Court then
| tries the man. and IL II be proven that he Is
insane he Is condemned a lunatic He
| goes to ST. Elizabeth until otherwise or
| dered by competent authority" III he he a
| nonresident of the District he is held there
temporarily, until sent for by his home au-
| thorities.
Poet and Philosopher.
Recently man was arrested on the rail-
| road tracks OF the city. where he was
| swinging a red lantern and signaling imar-
| mary trains. He said he was a poet and
| philosopher and had journeyed here to GET
| the PRESIDENTS Endorsement Of his poems
tsuoseauentiy he was going to submit them
! to King Edward. He was promntly n,,t
tnrough the sanitary officers mill A re-
| cent colored visitor at the White House
t canned to be human battery and said
| that ne was the only means OF communf-
| eating with the army of the United States
winch he had brought along with him in
A man who said that ne had been none
| but had experienced a change OF faith as
| result or the assassination OF President
| Lincoln some time ago called with a note
| dent. "One year ago last Friday" he ex-
planned. Il was converted and the Almighty
unfolded to me what he has not told to any
other person. My mission is to have the
President warn the people" His was a
typical case. The average White House
crank is victim of religious mania.
Was Moses Himself.
one man preached a sermon in the vesti-
! bule of the White House Another declared
| that he was being prosecuted by the Cath
| Ollie Church Still another proclaimed him.
| self to be Moses In the bulrushcs'
A man claiming to be the inventor OF an
artificial musk, through some pretext sue
ceeded in gaining access to President Har-
rison, whose coat he daubed with some Vile
smelling decoction. Some months ago an
unknown man called at the White House
and left President Roosevelt three large
boxes of medicine" Each box contained
400 envelopes and in each envelope were ten
doses of some powder recommended for all
the ills to which human flesh is heir. Ex-
| animation of the stuff disclosed that It was
| simply pulverized sugar.
st. Elizabeth" the government insane
asylum, where all White House cranks are
| placed. is sixty years old and a model in
stitution. The tract on which IL stands was
| named by the Jesuit priests who came to
| Maryland with the Calverts. in honor of the
| canonized Princess Elizabeth of Hungary.
who cared for lunatics. lepers and paupers.
| 1t is situated across the Potomac beyond
| Anacostia. 1t shelters the insane OF the
army, navy, Marine Corps. Revenue CUT
| ter Service and national homes of disabled
volunteers, besides the lunatics of the Dis
| trict of Columbia
Major Richard Sylvester. sIiperinteudent
| of the District Of Columbia's model police
| force, exercises duties more delicate than
| those of any other chief of police in the
| country. 1t falls to his lot to guard the
highest officials of the federal government
| and the representatives of all the great for
| eign powers living here. His force covers
all Of the settlements inside the District of
| Columbia and is proportionately the small
! est allotted to any large city. Congress has
given him but one policeman to each square
! mile in spite of his Unusual responsibility.
| AS president of the International Associa-
ton of Chiefs Of Police, Major Sylvester
has before Congress a bill organizing a
great bureau Of identification. one function
| Of which will be the keeping tab on all
anarchists and political criminals through
| out the country.
Treatment Of Anarchists.
There is no anarchist headquarters at the
federal capital. Major Sylvester treats as
insane persons all anarchists found within
his jurisdiction. The secret service bureau
Of the treasury, through the cooperation OF
the immigration authorities. keeps track Of
all suspected anarchists landing here and
warns Major Sylvester when they move
toward Washington.
Washington is naturally the focal point
for all political cranks. Many outside this
category regard the President as the only
power which can mitigate their sufferings.
The police authorities of other cities some
times encourage their local cranks to come
to the capital and consummate their great
schemes. If they remain at ST. Elizabeth
the taxpayers of the District of Columbia
contribute one half toward their support.
Few cranks call at houses of high Off
cials other than the President Next to the
White House the Capitol Is the strongest
magnet which attracts them. The other
day an old colored woman from Newport
News, Va, called at the Capitol to see
Queen Model" She complained Of con-
and said that only Queen Modell' could
cure her.
Lately an Irish miner working IN West
Virginia called upon the British ambassador
and complained that he was constantly pur-
sued by engines. Locomotives road en-
gines, marine engines and even stationary
engines were always keeping him lodging.
The poor fellow was sent across the river
in the police ambulance
JOHN ELFRETH WATKINS, JR.
-1
Life is a school. with board and lodging
extra.-Life.