Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1904-08-06

f=ers Smith and Allen came up and ar
rested Wrenn and Burnett who claimed
to be on their way 10 the station house.
Burnett was tried and acquitted. Wrenn
was convicted Of petit larceny and found
guilty and given Jail imprisonment.
From the circumstances and from the
verdict of sworn jury of reputable citi-
zens it is quite reasonable TO conclude
that the men arrested on Prince street
between Fayette and Payne streets were
believed to be on their way to the station
house as per promise made by Wrenn
to you. Any other Interpretation Of their
acts could be little far fetched for the
reason that if they contemplated taking
goods out Of the city they would natural
ly have taken Prince street exten de d
from Peyton street and would have pro-
ceeded on Braddock Heights road to
Washington. Instead of pursuing this nat
ural route out of the city they actually
dro7e from Peyton street down Duke
passing West street and reaching Payne
street at what point they turned
10 the north to Prince streets
and still towards the Station House,
They continued down Prince street until
n train of cars stopped them. These
men we're therefore nearly four blocks
nearer the station house when arrested
than they were when they started from
Peyton and Duke streets. WreEn was
convicted, not that he was not on his
way TO the station house, but that he
had received stolen goods, knowing them
10 have been stolen. You accepted
Wrenn's promise to deliverthe goods and
his confession that he had bought said
goods of one Brown. In doing this you
have violated rules of discretion and
good police intelligence, according to the
decision of the Police Commissioners.
Your reasons for accepting. the COMES
SIGN and for not placing Wrenn under at
rest are these Wreun assisted you IN
eflecting the arrest Of Brown. He had
aided some time before this in arresting
a horse thief There was nothing up
to the of time his confession against his
record and you had followed numbers OF
presidents in cases Of our city's second
hand dealers, who, when stolen goods
were traced to their possession, we're mol
arrested but were permitted to remain
free on their promise to appear at thu
station house with the goods; therefore
, if it had been the custom to trust thu
+ promise Of other secondhand dealers
, there could not be any good reason t.
discriminate against Wrenn because o
his being a comparative stranger. Tan
il YOUR side of the case-the confession
matter. Now as to your failure to notify
, YOUR superior officer of the progress o.
your work your position is this: Yot
had reported TO your superior otficer-
Chief Webster-and he had designated
YOU to work up the case. You ha(
worked up the case to the point WHERE
its completion depended only upon thu
, production of the stolen goods at th'
station house. The work had been dom
by you during the time of Chief Webste
and he had designated you. The work
therefore, was practically done wheI
Chief Webster was relieved at 3 O'CLOCK
and your failure to inform Lieut.. Smitl
was due to the fact that you wished U
have full credit for most efficient ant
commendable piece of police work
have given your side of the matter tina
the public NAV know of your efiicienc,
i. and TO aid as far as ] eau in dissipatinl
the impressions among some OF our peo'
pie as to policemen being "trifling, lazy
and unified for their duties" Th'
Commissioners think that you deserv
censure in receiving confessions withou
making arrests and for withholding in
formation from a superior, and | regret
fully carry out their views. not that 1t !
unpleasant to comply with a request q
my colleagues, but that it is disagreeabl
! to administer a rebuke 10 officers VIII
n have energetically and we'll perlorme'
!. their duties. Officers, let the lesson &
y this occasion remain fresh 10 your mem
a DRY and let your conduct be so circum
4 spect that there will be no room fo
s. future censure. A rebuke to goo
:. man is of far more importance than sus
g pension or removal, and ! am quite col
o.; lident that respectable men like you
Il selves will take this censure more keenl
N to heart and that it will prove nor
IN eilicacious in correcting faults than eithe
le removal or sllsDensiOn