Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-11-19

the missions are the Central Union Mission
on Louisiana avenue; Homeward Bound
Mission, $50 Missouri avenue, and 119 Penn
sylvania avenue; Homeward Bound Mis-
sion, for colored people, at 459 Missouri
avenue; Salvation Army, Industrial Branch
at 121 Pennsylvania avenue; Temporary
Soldiers Home. at JOG Sd street; Italian
Mission, at AZ II street; Gospel Army Mis-
sion, at 216 John Marshall place; Mills Mis-
sion. at 643 Louisiana avenue, and Florence
Crittenden Home.
Many of the hoboes of the country make
periodical pilgrimages to this city, and their
faces are known to the keen police officer
almost as well as those of the people he
sees every day. This precinct furnishes the
Police Court with a large number of the
Migrants and habitual drunkards that come
there for trial.
The sixth precinct also has It's proportion
of the alleys of the city, inhabited usually
By the less fortunate people. Several or
the alleys have been the scenes of wild
disorders, following the emptying of too
many GROWERS" and policemen work to-
gether at night in entering the alleys. Mad
ison alley, between E and F, list and "a
streets. was the scene of the murder of a
woman by Edward Smith, who was after
ward caught and punished for his crime
In Marble Hall alley Mat Snow was killed
by William Alexander, who had to pay the
penalty of the crime. There are number
of alleys within the jurisdiction of the
sixth precinct that demand considerable at
tention from the police.
The sixth precinct draws some fame from
history from the fact that in it were ar
rested the first persons charged with grave
robbing, and which arrests led finally TO the
passing of law making grave robbing
crime. In July, 1873. report was made to
the station house from one of the railroad
stations that a box had been broken open
and two bodies were found inside. AS
result of the police investigation, Percy and
Maud Brown were arrested. AS there was
no law for grave robbing then, the parties
arrested had to be charged with vagrancy.
Another noted grave robber was Jansen,
who was arrested when he brought through
the center of the city the body of a man
who had been hung. Soon after these ar
rests in this precinct, the public realized
the need for a law against grave robbing
and 1t resulted shortly afterward.
Among the men of the sixth precinct
there pervades spirit of friendliness and
good fellowship which is rarely found under
similar circumstances, A feature of the
officers life at this station is the library
and the gymnasium. The gymnasium, To-
Gated in the rear room in the back of the
building, is large, well lighted and well
equipped with apparatus. There are also
billiard and pool tables In this room which
show much usage. By small collection
taken up among the men voluntarily, this
room is kept well cleaned and busted at all
times, so that 1t is one of the places the
member of the precinct shows the visitor.
The small collection from each of the mem
bers also procures the daily papers for the
men and some other reading matter, which
help to I'LL in the time 0 fthe men on re-
serve,
The library at the sixth precinct station
IS approached by no other except the first
precinct Through the efforts of the men
in the precinct, headed by Lieut.. Moore
this library of several thousand standard
books was won at a Masonic fair. 1t Is
kept In the office OF the lieutenant and any
member of the precinct can borrow book
by leaving slip, telling where it has gone.
Overseeing the work In this sixth pre-
clnct is Lieutenant Michael Byrnes, a clear
headed, energetic and intelligent policeman
with long period of service and expert
ence. He has occupied many important
positions In the department and when
suitable man was desired to succeed Lieut.
Moore, who was transferred to the first
precinct, Lieut. Byrnes was chosen. His
service of thirty-four years on the force
has always been In the thick of the fray,
where crowds are handled. He was born
in Ireland November IS. 1S4S, and came to
this country with his parents in August
1856, and settled on a farm in Livingstone
county, New York. 1t was here that he
developed the physical strength which has
made him conquerOr over many a desperate
character. At the age of sixteen he came
to this city and clerked in his uncles hotel,
until March, 1857. when he enlisted in Bat
terry E, 4th Artillery. He served three
years In the army and he was discharged
first sergeant.
On October IS, 1871, he was appointed a
private the police force and was first
assigned to the sixth precinct the one
which he now commands. He remained In
the sixth precinct, running "Swampoodle'
and other beats, for twelve years, when
he was transferred to the first precinct
His efficiency and strict attention to duty
notice chief
was promoted to the rank of sergeant
August Q, 1888. After doing duty In that
capacity for about six months in the first
precinct, he returned as a sergeant to the
sixth precinct. In 1896 ne was put in
charge of the guard at the White House
and remained there for two years The
life was too quiet for the active sergeant,
and as he did not like to chase mosquitoes
all the time, he requested that he be re-
turned to active duty. He was returned to
the sixth precinct and when a vacancy in
the rank OF lieutenant was made in July,
1901 he was promoted to that rank and
October l. last, he was transferred from the
second to the sixth precinct, his first
love" He commands the respect of all
the men who serve under him and also
OF his superiors.
1t will be noticed that Lieut.. Byrnes has
served In the busiest precincts only, the
first, sixth and second. During his serv-
ice he has never used his pistol in max
diplomacy and strength being sufficient. At
one time he was wounded badly in the head
by a man afterward declared to be in
sane. The man arrived here from Con-
necticut and began to terrorize persons
around the Pennsylvania railroad station.
Byrnes was sent to the scene. The in
sane man was standing near pile of stones
and he threw them at the officer, as he
rushed to arrest the fighter. One struck
the officer in the forehead, badly wounding
him. At another time he had desperate
fight with a gang of men in "Swampoodle"
and had all the clothes torn from him be-
fore he made the arrest. While sergeant
In the sixth precinct he was very active
against the policy writers. which were the
special enemies of the police In those days.
and 1t was through his efforts that several
of the large policy writers were put out OF
business.
Raids were frequently led by Sergeant
Byrnes. While he was In charge of the
second precinct many raids were made on
speakeases and gambling houses, the num-
Der probably reaching over seventy in the
short time.
The type of modest sergeant, who says
little but works hard. Is the senior SER
geant at the sixth precinct. SergeantS
James Conlon. Like Lieut.. Byrnes, he is a