The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-05-14
POLICE FOR THE RAILROADS.
MOST or THE TRUNK LINES HAVE
THEIR OWN COPS,
The Men Are Kept BUsy Hunting for Pick
pockets, Car Robbers and Tramps
and Protecting the COmDany's Property
Nearly 3 900 Erie Arrests in 1904.


pockets, Car Robbers and Tramps
and Protecting the COmpany's Property
Nearly 3 900 Erie Arrests in 1904.
Have we our own police7 Well, should
rather say we had said Pennsylvania
Railroad official in reply TO a question.
I'VE are our own Scotland Yard, or Null
berry S rect, or whatever you call 1t,
We have a regular ssoret s'rvice OF our
own. Between New York and Philadel-
phia we have something like siXty-eight
men in our police force. This includes
q chief officer and Ave sub-officers' and the
organization is pretty nearly perfect
-Wo don't uniform our men, as some roads
do, and that's why l think our force IL a
little more successful than Others We
make a point Of getting specialists in the
various branches Of crime.
For instance, those Of our men who look
out for pickpookets on passenger trains
have a wide personal acquaintance with
rckpockets. The result is that now we
have scarcely any trouble at all Of that sort
on our trains
Then take the yegg men and hoboes
who break into freight cars. They are
pretty slick lot. 1t takes experts to catch
them. Set Am expert-to catch a thief.
Oh, yes, some Of our men are 80 familiar
with the crooks that they might have been
friends Of theirs at some time. But we get
results. The Pennsylvania Railroad, We
believe has less trouble in the way OF freight
car depredations, car riding and general
thieving than any other road in the country.
The Erie also has a completely organized
II IL Fri
policemen wear uniforms, generally. There
e. a superintendent Of police on the Erie,
who is stationed in New York.
Hat way along the line there Is an in
spector and at a number Of points between
New York and Chicago are stationed cap
talns with four or Ave patrolmen. All
khese officers make daily reports to the
superintendent Of police.
Our men are selected with great care,
eaid Supt. Schoefiel OF the Erie police.
eve don't pick our men from the criminal
glasses az some roads do / never did
lelieve much in the reformed crook.
we look up their antecedents and keep
them employed as yard watchmen for
while before recommending them 10 the
Governors Of the various States through
which the road passes for commissions
All railway policemen are commissioned
by the State.
what are the duties OF our police? Well ,
here is a defpatch that the section men at
Cleveland are out on a strike. We send
IAN inspector there with a number Of men
His business is to employ new hands, TO
guard re company's property and generally
10 .estOre order.
~ Nat la Nna 81 - Ill In 20
The duty Of our police officers in Chicago
Is to hire teams to guard against violence
and in every way to see that the road doesn't
ufer by the strike.
when there is nothing else doing the
men travel along the line picking up hobOes,
coal thieves and car riders. At moments
notice a man may have to start for some
desolate spot in the hills TO run down a
gang Of yegg men. The yeggs are always
armed, 20 that the life Of our police Is rather
exciting.
we are always tracing car depredations.
When the freight claim agent hears that a
car has been broken open, we first establish
between what two points this happened
This is easy. because the seals on the cars
are examined az q number Of stations along
the road.
Then we send men 10 watch that part OF
the road and we are almost sure TO find
a camp OF hoboes in the neigh borhood 20
whom 10 traos the robbery. The hoboes
are arrested and brought TO trial. Our
men have, 70 be patrOlmen, detectives,
two months ago we arrested and brou ght
10 trial some sixty men on charges Of coal
stealing along the New York and Susque-
hanna. We had long been troubled by
these thefts and we sent an extra force
Of police TO that region. Evidence was
collected, a raid made and q lot Of well 70
do citizens crested and convicted.
The other day We sent a man from
jamestown 70 the penitentiary for seven
teen years for stealing. No thsn 5000
worth Of stolen goods were found in his pos
session.
Besides the men are always hunting
down piokpockets, three card monte
men, green goods men and other suspicious
characters. The habit some people have
81 taking dining car silver a. souvenirs u
gradually. disappearing, thanks 70 our
police. Then there IL some work OF 30
secret nature that the men themselves
don't know what It's for. We have cipher
code for telegrams
We've had the force for two years
and il has proved extremely efncient. In
1904 we made 2, 700 arrests, eS7 Of the Pria-
oners paid hnea and TAI were sent TO jail
Upon $50 sentence was suspended, 81 weIe
sent to the penitentiary, seven 20 the IN
sane asylum and % turned over TO the
probation ofiicer; IL were sent to the re
form schools.
Now, I call that pretty good work, con.
Hidering that we have no three platOOns
or anything like that. Our men are OF
duty twent y-foUr hours a day
The New York Central has a system
similar 10 that Of the Ere. The Contra
was one Of the hrst roads In the field with
a private police force. Its force dates
back b the beginning Of the 500. ". A
Humphrey. the head OF Il, IA called tn
chief Of police and has ofices At Albany.
The Baltimore and Ohio IL similarly
equipped, and 20 IL the New York, New
Haven and Hartford. The police Of tn
latter road are under the guidance Of forn1e
Detective Sergeant Valley Of Mulberry
street, the sworn fos Of get-rich-quiok con
Gems
The type Of man that qualities for jol
IN one Of the railroad police forcea u not o.
aD like the ponderoua patrolman o
y oadWay. The railroad men are Keen
alert, why isll0Ws.
we could ulaks The city police look lil1
% cent? said one Of them proudly.