The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-07-09
New York's Oldest Policeman
Has No Brown Stone Front.
IS REINHARDT SCHNEIDER.
Tells Of Experience In the Early '70's
and Says 6raftsrs Were Not 10
His Taste.

New YORK, July New 1ork oiues'
policeman in point OF service has been
retired on recommendation OF the board
of surgeons He Is Reinhardt Schneider,
SO years old. who has been in continuous
active service for ~ years.
II retire without brown-Stone house
in spite OF my nearly two score years
| in the police department" Schneider
said yesterday But I am happy en-
this humble home. There are those VINO
/ say that graft is a part OF the police
| business. No man has ever touched my
| palm with a dirty dollar. All my life
| ] have lived frugslly and honestly, and
I go out Of the service as poor as when
/ came in"
Schneider was in bed in his modest fat
at No 2,32S Seventh avenue. which he
has not left for two months The long
years OF active service have sapped his
strength and left him with a painful
malady
Schneider WAS born I'm Germany. and
came 10 this country when he was IS
He Is a carpenter by trade. He was one
OF the first TO enlist when volunteers
we're called for in the civil war and IN
1851 he went To the front with the Sec
ond New York artillery
Il fought under the father OF Gen
Francis V. Greene. the present police
commissioner for two years. was with
him In the battle OF Gettysburg An
tietam and South Mountain"
PATROI4MAN IN 1855
schneider was promoted and at the end
or the war was mustered out first
lieutenant. On Jan. 2, 1866. he was ap-
pointed patrolman by Police Supt Ken
nedy. and was assigned 70 the old Twen-
ty-seventh. precinct. at Church and Db-
erty streets
TIMES have changed since those days."
schneider said. Back In the '7os. there
used 10 be high times when the gangs
along west street There was the Wash
lnston street gang. as bad lot OF young
men as the police ever had TO deal with.
We policemen used To have 10 carry
doors over our heads when the gang at
lacked us from the housetops. from
which they hurled bricks and stones
'They were great knife fighters. and
carry scar today where one OF the
young ruffians slashed me- / remember
one night my partner and I chased two
OF the gang 10 the piers When thev
saw they were cornered they jumped into
the North River although II was in the
the slips.
We were the boys who used 10 use the
clubs, and the service would be better
today II the men were allowed free plav
with the locust remember Commits.
sioner Tom Acton used to saw when we
complained about the lawlessness OF the
gangs:
what did give YOU those clubs for7
Use EN-, boys. that's what they are forr,
JUDGMENT THE BEST RULE
The books OF rules / have learned by
memory would make you sick The best
rule| Tor a good policeman is 10 use his
judgment. They didn't have any civil
service examinations in the old DAYS. II
a man had the stun in him TO make a
good policeman he applied for appoint
ment and usually got IT, His appoint
ment didn't depend on book learning
Il was sent from the Church street
station TO the Broadway squad. and for
II years had the post at Chambers
street and broadway. All the business
men In that part OF town knew me. I
madef riends with them, and with all the
persons who regularly passed that way
was kind 90 the fruit venders and
gave them all chance. used to hear
them say: There comes Schneider, were
all right When was sick baskets
OF fruit came to my house No names
were on them. but | could guess where
they came from. .
II was crushed between n street car
and truck In August, 1892 When | got
well was assigned TO the court squad. |
Win "nich l nave been working ever
since l suppose I must turn i'm the old |
badge and hre key and book OF rules to-
morrow All. well I guess I've learned
II, and there's no brown-stone house for
me. either
Schneider has been married twice and |
has eight children, four BY each wife.
lie was detailed TO the appellate division
OF the supreme court last January. when |
he was taken sick with pleurisy. from
which he Is now in q critical condition