Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1905-07-30
Popular Sergeant Succeeds Cap
tain Johnson Under Rcorgani-
cation of Dc partment.
HAS SERVED THIRTEEN YEARS
Came Here Before City Was Incorpo,
rated and Was First Sergeant of
City Force : sergeants o'Hara,
Mitchell and Gray Officers Under
tho New Chief of Police.

Tuesday morning, August /, Scr
gcant John w. Reynolds becomes chief
of police, succeeding Captain +. a.
Johnson who has held the office since
December y, 1900 With he change
of The head ui the department, the res
oluiiOn recognizing the force, adopted
by the board OF police commissioners
on April -. 1895 goes into effect.
Under The reorganization the 0fli-
GERS of the department will DC as fol
lows:
Chcf-.Iom w. Reynolds.
Sergeant Bryan J. O'llara.
Scrgeant-T a. Mitchell.
Sergeant. j.. Gray.
At the time the reorganization wis
decided upon The resignation OF Chief
Johnson. 10 take effect on August |,
was received and accepted by tho
board Captain johnson will turn the
department over to his successor in
excellent condition. considering the
fact tha, the force is considerably
handicapped by the limited number of
men employed nj This time. The rec
ords Of the chiefs Office arc said to b.
in exceptionally good shape.
Although it is generally admitted that
Captain Johnson has made IL good
chief, the promotion of Sergeant Rcy-
nol,ls is hailed With delight by almost
everybody in the city, especially by Il
majority of the older residents, who
think that he should have been at the
head Of The department some years
ago. Like all men Of worth in public
service, the sergeant has his enemies.
~
never il word TO say against his intcg
rity Or ability. On the other hand he
K numbers his friends, tried and trnc, by
the scores, and he holds the confidence
and esteem of the public at large.
Sergeant Reynolds came here In
1891 and soon aftcrward was appoint
n special officer For II while he scrv-
ed rs private watchman: then he was
appointed To the county police force by
Judge Peck, Of the Warwick county
court
In 1895 lie was made Il sergeant of
The county force and when tho city
was Incorporated a year later he he
came Il member OF the city force and
entered upon the duties Of sergeant.
4 Since that time he has continued to
serve as a sergeant through all the
internal wars Of the department, al
though during most Of the time il
was well known that he WAS. personal
ly, opposed To the administration in
power During this time ho made an
enviabo reputation, establishing IL
record With the departments Of the
larger cities us well us among his
associates.
Sergeant Reynolds was not nj all
anxious to he made chicl. In fact he
positively refused 10 accept the Office
when The subject WAS first preached,
hui Imally he yielded in the urgent re-
quests Of the police board and pcri,a
sioils Of his friends aud agreed to
serve. Now that the step has hcen
taken, he goes into the Office with his
hcart in the work, determined To he
successful.
In July, 1902, u third scrScantcy was
created in order. tp put Sergeant Roy
4 noltls in plain clothes ana give him
always been especially inclined toward
this service and after three years OF
marked success he is justly proud of
his record.
Sergeant Is. ]. O'IIara succeeds Ser
gcant Reynolds as ''plain clothes SER
goant" He has been a member of The
force since soon after the incorporl-
ton OF the city and has dcscrvcdly
good record.
The records OF Sergeant Gray ana
Mitchell arc well known TO nearly
everybody in the city They have been
on the force nearly as long as Sergeant
Reynolds. although Sergeant Mitchell
was dismissed four years ago and re-
mainod of the force until the present
administration. assumed control of the
affairs OF the city.
He was dismissed by the board wien
former Chief S. J. Iiarwond was ouatcl
and replaced by Captain Johnson APP
pnrcnily the action was purely pnliti-
cal" and no charges of any kind were
brought against the officer. When the
new board discussed plans for rc-or-
gnnization ID was decided To give Mr.,
Mitchell, who had hccn rcinstatcd as
a patrolnan, the rank he would have
hold had lie not been dismissed Ser
geant Gray WAS No. ! l,airOlman unit
last April. when he was appointed to
i'll the vacancy caused by The rcsigna-
lion Of Sergeant G.. y. CraifOrd.