The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-07-24
HARRY VOLKMAN
GROWING WEAKER
Aged Policeman Not EX-
pected to Live Long.
HAS HAD a NOTABLE CAREER
Some Thrilling Incidents of His Service
as a Guardian Of Public
0r5e-.

Physicians attending Policeman Harry
I O.. NoI-man, retired reported yesterday
/ that he was not as well as he had been
: earlier in the week. II is believed The
aged bluecoat will soon answer his fual
roll call and have no more assignments
I 10 perform.
He suffered stroke Of paralysis SOW
eral months ago and has been slowly
sinking for several weeks. 1t is not be-
leved that he is strong enough 10 sur
vive much longer.
Policeman NoIkman's Illness recalls
his long service and brilliant career
while member of the force.
Born in Baltimore.
Born in Baltimore on May %, 1871,
he was educated in the public schools
of that city. and set out 10 work fcs
( himself when in his tender years. lie
, learned the trade Of barber and work
! cd in Baltimore for several years. finally
coming to Washington TO accept a bet
/ ter position.
/ While the Avenue car line, now known
I as the Capital Traction Company, was
operating horse cars. he accepted a po-
sition as conductor on one Of its cars
and was on the rear dash but short
/ time before he was promoted To- be a re-
/ ceivcT-one Of the men who receive
I the reports of the conductors and issue
/ tickets TO them. He was In the en-
/ plOy of the railway company until Janu-
/ airy 81. 1862 when he was appointed 70
/ The police force, and assigned 10 the Se.s
enth precinct station, in Georgetown.
( located at Thirty-secOnd Street and the
canal.
Victim Of Assault.
/ Early in the seventies he was patrol
! ling his beat, near Green Briar Spring
/ Park at the intersection Of the Con-
/ duit and Canal Roads. and was the VIC
| TIM OF an assault. a dancing pavilion
was on the grounds. and several pic
nickcrs were acting disorderly. Volk-
man arrested one OF them. and while on
/ his way 10 the station with the prisoner
some other man hurled a stone at him.
striking his left eye and causing the loss
\ Of the sight, and permanently disigur-
/ ing the policeman's face.
! In February. 1sS9. he was promoted 10
! be an acting sergeant, in recognition Of
/ his strict attention TO duty.
A Plucly Fight.
/ One of the most notable incidents in
/ his career took place in 1850. In that
y
at Point Of Rocks, No, was arrested by
/ Policeman VoIl,man and Special officer
/ B. i. Harper, on NJ Street. George
! town. There was a reward offered for
| the negro, and the two men started for
I Point Of Rocks with their prisoner
When they reached their destination
/ they found large mob At the station
! waiting Tor the negro, and yelling Tor
/ his blood Eolkman and Harper put
rrH fHr~E.H Ia
an hour and subdued half a dozen men
before they finally yielded 10 a superior
3 force. and the negro was taken away
/ from them. The latter was frightened
Z half 20 death. and the little life that
/ remalncd was forthwith stTangled out
/ OF nlIn on q tree within hundred yards
J OF tie station.
! NOlllman and Harper identified several
/ Of the men who participated in the
/ lynching but nothing was ever done
/ with them.
Made Sergeant.
/ In June. 1890 VoIkman was appointed
! as sergeant. About six years ago he
was assigned TO the District Building.
aud made many friends here. Among
them was Commissioner John b. Ross
1 and the other high officials Of the Dis
lrlcL ON May 81. 1903. he was hOn0ra-
! bly, discharged from the police depart
4 inent and was penslJued on June I. 1910.
Record in Georgetown.
/ While on duty Ia Georgetown Volz-
man made q record for himself by a~-
resting a large numbeF of drummers. or
7 commercial men, Is they were known in
/ days gone BY. At the time he was a pri-
( vate I'm Georgetown. drummers were
( compelled TO get a license, which was
/ too expensive. according 10 their WAY or
/ thinking. and they went 10 GeorgetGv-u
/ 20 sell their wares without the ueces-
s1rF permit. kolkman made a specially.
. Of these cases. and the records show
/ that he had the highest number Of any
man OF the force.
This law was repealed about fifteen
years ago. but while IL was ia force he
/ lao Il hundred or more drummers before
] justice VI. V Buckley who had an Office
next door 10 the station al Thirty-sec-
l pnG Street and the canal
| ne commercial men either got their