Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-11-05
Appointed a Private.

Appointed Private.
| After his service of ten years In the army
| he came to this city and on June IS. 1896
| he was appointed a private on the police
| force. Since that date he has been doing
| efficient service. He was promoted to a
! private of class and mounted on Septem.
Der l. $780, He had done duty in the sixth
| precinct up to that time and he was then
| sent to Anacostia for mounted service. Aft
| er remaining there for one year he was
| transferred to the eighth precinct where
he did duty for over twelve years, and
| there he made the reputation which placed
| him on the promotion list. He had beat
| around the Soldiers Home, out to the Dis
| trict line and around to Benning. Fol-
lowed by his faithful dog and his hand
| some horse. he was familiar figure riding
| through the fields and along the roads
around Brightwood. At one time there was
| an epidemic of chicken stealing and no clue
to the thief could be obtained. Finally
| Lieutenant Mathews. then a private, no
| ticed that. contrary to the usual custom the
| thief cut off only the heads of the chickens
| instead of both heads and feet. He sent
| out lookout to the stations to lookout for
| a man selling chickens with only their heads
off. Soon a man was arrested In South
! Washington. With one batch OF chickens
| a coat had been stolen and the man arrest
| ed was wearing the coat. The chicken
thief received sentence of seven vars in
| the penitentiary.
He was made an acting mounted sergeant
| on August 1, $685. and was promoted to a
| full sergeant fifteen days later. On July
| /, 1901, he was made acting lieutenant and
| was detailed night inspector to succeed
| Lieutenant Jordan. His work in that posi-
| ton was excellent and the reward for it
| came on November l. 1902. when he was
made a lieutenant and was put In charge
of the fourth precinct, vice Lieutenant Hol-
| linberger, retired. Important cases, such
as murders, serious assaults, rape, house
breaking stealing and other cases. have
hno, han 61pdh xrh inn anrcy hQr >1o
people most successfully. And the secret
Is that he always works hard his
men when important case comes up,
makes his personal Investigations. etc.
The Senior Sergeant.
The senior sergeant Of this precinct and
q man Of cordiality and Of much experience
in police work is Sergt. David T. DUNCAN.
Sergeant DUNCAN is native Of this city.
being born here on May ., 1852. He re-
ceived his education in the schools of this
city and went into the paving business and
for five years was a foreman for Albert
Gleason. His appointment to the police
force was on February IL, 1879, and he was
assigned to duty in the first precinct when
its station house was in the Old Central
Guard House, on Louisiana avenue between
9th and 10th streets northwest. After four
years of duty there he was sent to the sixth
precinct and ran tSwampoodIe" beat the
toughest in the city. While there he arrest
q
Der. When arrested NARROW had in his nos
session the horse of Capt. c. p Patterson
After he reached the station house he fed
and had to be recaptured. After that ar
rest the sergeant was given a promotion
and was mounted and sent to the eighth
precinct under Lieut.. James Johnson. His
beat was from Florida avenue to the Dis
trict line, from Rock creek to the eastern
branch. 1t while in that section that
he was called into the murder case of the
two Fisher children. Information obtained
by Sergeant DUNCAN led to the arrest Of
the woman held for the crime. Also about
that time there was the murder of Moth
err" Bailey. Sergeant DUNCAN heard a fuss
in the house and went to investigate. He
was first staggered by a blow from a woman
in the house and later by swing given
him by Jack Donolue, afterward held for
the murder. He overpowereds them both
but he was long way from the station
house and no way to telephone. BY send
ing in his horse without him he attracted
reserves and the man and woman we're
locked up. When the house was searched
Mother Bailey was found dead on the
floor.
He was promoted to acting sergeant Feb
ruary 16. 1886. and was made sergeant
on July ], 1880. For several years he al
ternated between the second precinct and
the eighth.
While In the second precinct he conducted