Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-02
NEW HARBoR PRECINCT.
Lieut.. Sutton Inaugurates New Regime
on River Front


Tho .sharbor precinct" as the new elev-
enth precinct will always be known, began
operations yesterday morning when Lieut..
Sutton lined up his force OF one sergeant
and seven privates, called the roll ana
gave the men their orders for the day, ana
the detail walked out to look after the
steamers coming and going and about the
excursion wharves. BY coincidence the
new precinct, which grows out of the har-
Dor office, begins service exactly twenty
four years after the establishment OF the
harbormaster's office, and the lieutenant
Of police in charge of the new precinct
and the first harbormaster of the city, are
one and the same person, John r. Sutton.
July 1, 1881 Lieut.. Sutton, then private
on the police force, was detailed to duty
as acting harbormaster. In 1888 1t was
determined to divorce the harbormaster's
office from the police department, and Mr..
Sutton resigned from the police force to be
made harbormaster By slow degrees the
office grew in Importance, but it was not
until 1888 that steamer was placed at Its
service. In that year Mr.. Sutton was sent
to New York to purchase a small steam
vessel for patrol duty about the harbor,
and the tug Joe Blackburn was the result
of his trip.
On the 9th day of June. 1885, the Joe
that time the detail of policemen was made
to man the boat, and the harbormaster
was sworn in as special policeman. This
has been his status until yesterday, when
he again became a full-fedged member OF
the force, with the rank of lieutenant. On
the harbor force has devolved the duty of
recovering the bodies of those drowned in
this vicinity. and they are called upon night
and day to perform some very unpleasant
tasks in the line of this duty. Sergt Dean
fnea of ha rioir, toU fro,
lice force to the harbor Office when the
Blackburn went into service. June 6, 1888,
he Joined the boat as pilot, and his service
as pilot has been continuous since that
time. He holds a license as master In the
merchant marine service. having spent the
years from boyhood until he Joined the DO
lice force following the water as mate
pilot and master OF various steamers Po-
hceman 81 Lewis has also seen many years
OF service with the harbor force but nor as
long as Sergt. Dean, as he Joined the force
about 1890
The Joe Blackburn was superseded six
years ago by the handsome tug Vigilant.
which now becomes the official patrol boat
OF the new harbor precinct The Joe
Blackburn Is still in service and is used as
Pleasure craft on the Potomac
The building in use as the precinct head
quarters, while Ii might have been suitable
for the harbor office force is not at all ut
Tor police station. 1t Is a rambling one
story structure, with no conveniences ex-
cept a pier for the Vigilant. 1t has no
cell room nor place to confine prisoner
and all arrests now made by the harbor
detail will have to be sent to the fourth
precinct to be locked up. A modern police
station Is the need of the new precinct
ana II Is expected 1t will come in course of
time. Meanwhile some temporary arrange
ment for the care of prisoners and the
comfort of the officers detailed for duty
there VIII have to be made
The sad feature of the establishment of
the harbor precinct is the way Commodore
sutton has lost rank. He went to bed Fri
DAY night commodore and when he woke
up Saturday morning he was but a leu
tenant Mr.. Dean was also an officer in
TINS respect. for last week he was Captain
Dean and now he is only Sergeant Dean
rms. however, does not seem to worry
either the lieutenant or the sergeant and
they are well pleased at the change Every
one who has business On the river front is
much pleased that Lieutenant Sutton and
Sergeant Dean were selected for the ap-
pointments They have many friends and
no enemies among the rivermen and those
who do business on the front" and all
day yesterday they were being warmly
congratulated. The establishment of the
river front precinct will make but little
change in the handling of harbor affairs
Lieut. Sutton will look after things about
the harbor as did Commodore Sutton and
Sergeant Dean will pilot the .Vigilant TO
where her SERVICES are needed with the
same skill that was exercised by Capt
Dean.
Policeman j. f. Preston of the harbor
precinct arrested a colored man named
William Honesty last night and locked
him up for alleged violation OF the fish
law. 1t Is charged that Honesty used q net
during the closed season and took shad
from the Potomac river. The offense
charged is alleged to have occurred more
than year ago.
warrant was issued for his arrest at
the time the fish are alleged to have been
taken from the river. but Policeman Pres
ton did not see him until last night and
then he placed him under arrest. Honesty
Is to be given trial in the Police Court
tomorrow morning.
Thomas Ham. twenty-five, married, OF
lad NJ or1a md Fri