Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-10-21
SECOND PRECINCT
BLUECOATS

MBRACED within the limits of 1st
street northeast 18th street north
west, and from K to q streets,
IL known as the second precinct of the
police department, Is a section OF
the city which is typical of the whole
metropolis. In walk of ABOUT one mile,
from east to west, one will see the living
customs and homes OF almost every class
OF people having habitation within the
District of Columbia. Just west of North
Capitol street he would pass through the
northern part of old "Swampoodle, at
one time regarded as the most tur-
bulent section. and now one of the
most carefully policed sections of the city.
He would advance to 18th street and
to 9th street, the usiness section for
the majority OF the residents of the north
part of the city, then west on that reach
the residence section, where are many OF
the finest homes of the city. No other pre-
cinct embraces such widely different classes
of people as does this section, and in no
precinct is versatile policeman so neces-
sary in this precinct.
There Is not the same degree of turbu
lence in the precinct as there was a few
years ago. Under Lieut.. Heffner and Lieut..
Byrnes there has beer a campaign for bet
ter conditions and they have been success
full to large extent.
THE precinct of alleys would be prop
er designation for the second precinct,
especially for the eastern portion. Included
within it's limits are about thirty-f1ve alleys
lined with habitations, where the criminal
classes gather and where police regulations
must be strictly infOrced for the preserva-
tion of order. Almost every night but
particularly on Saturday night and follow
ing pay day, these alleys are the scene of
drinking parties which lead to boisterous
conduct. profanity. alterations and often
to serious personal injuries.
Occasionally aged woman may be seen
thinning inIO alloy She is uuabp q
work, she would say. II you asked her, but
she has been on an errand, and her re-
turn Is awaited by a group in the alley.
In her hand and that is the important
thing. she carries pail which would hold
two quarts No, it is not for lard veg
etables; ii is what IS Familiarity known
the can." and she IS rushing the grOwler-"
The events which grow out of several of
these buckets filled with beer gin
whisky in a night are many and varied.
Yet results must be watched by the po-
liceman. There has been constant fight
against this practice and against per-
sons of evil fame living In these alleys. and
many OF them have been so well and SO
carefully policed that the bad element has
been almost rooted out. Still, there are
enough of that class to keep the police
man interested while he is on duty.
Tricky Populated Alleys.
Beginning at North Capitol street there
are three thickly populated alleys between
tHdl StIttN anu 1St Stittl HOiIH"tsl-r Ell
ton place and Half street court between
K and streets. Logan place and Shows
row between L and NJ streets. The last
named is an interesting study in clothes
lines, for the lines form an archway over
the paved alley, and on any day the lines
can be seen filled with clothes of all de-
scriptions and kinds. They run out of
second and third story windows and are
operated on pulleys
Many the back yard tete-a-tetes which
are the starting points for races to the war
rant clerk of the Police Court In the next
block west. there are several tough" al
leys Rovers court or A c alley. be-
tween and l. streets; Pierce street alley,
between l. and Pierce streets; Burdens
court, between l. and NJ streets; Brooks
court, between and 2 streets; Baltimore
street between n and o streets. These
furnish many defendants In the Police Court.