Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-05-01
Crime and Undertaking.

What with burglaries. highway robberies.
,rnurderous assaults upon men and outrages
h1pon women. matters In this District have
come to a very serious pass of late. Nearly
every day produces fresh atrocity or vio-
lent lnfraction OF the law. veritable car
Q!val OF crime Is in progress.
The major and superintendent of police
declares that he is unable to cope with these
conditions because he lacks sufficient
force He calls attention to the numerous
special details. which reduce the efficiency
OF his force as a safeguard against crime.
There are three policemen working as clerks
in the District offices. five are serving as
watchmen, six are guards at the work.
house. others are inspectors, and so on.
The largest draft upon the superintendent s
forces is that which is met by detail of no
less than thirty-eight policemen at the
White House.
1t is not to be denied that the police force
10 smaller than 1t should be to guard the
citizens properly. 1t should be Immediately
Increased by hundred men or more. Con-
gress has been repeatedly appealed to for
help. and has refused to grant the requisi-
ton for a force sufficiently large to patrol
the territory and to furnish the necessary
special notwithstanding the small army at
the White House.
But this latest outbreak OF crime has oc-
CURED while Major Sylvester has been en-
gagged In an unusual and an altogether IN
necessary piece OF business. which has un-
doubtedly lessened the efficiency Of his force
for patrolling purposes For some time
past the chief of police has been obeying
the behest Of the President to scour the city
and the country for evidence to prove that
Mrs. Minor Morris is Of unbalanced mind.
He has cast off his dragnet to haul the
waters and employed the muck rake to
search the cesspools for testimony to this
effect Sending his men around to depart
meut stores and apartment houses and 9TH
erwise beating up possible witnesses to the
wOmans eccentricity, he has endeavored to
show that she is of unsound mind He has
, secured nothing that would stand scrutiny
for a moment in court. He has obtained
from North Carolina physician state
uent that Mrs. Morris was treated by him
for mental affiiction. which statement has
been fatty denied.
This delectable work by the superintendent
of police has in part been intended to JUS
tify the conduct of his men in brutally NAL
treating Mrs. Morris, when, at the command
of Assistant Secretary Barnes, they arrest ed
her at the White House and dragged her to
the house of detention. and there filed g.
charge of insanity against her 1t has
clearly also been meant to Justify Mr.
Barnes in ordering her arrest As far az
Major Sylvester was concerned his duty
In the premises ended when ne ascertained
the facts with regard to the manner in
which the arrest had been ACCOMPLISHED
He had nothing to do with Mrs Morris
mental condition, or her social standing,
or her private troubles. The responsibility
for the arrest did not lie with him or his men
but rested squarely upon Mr.. Barnes. where
1t rests today. All this draguet and muck
rake business in which the superintendent
has been engaged since the ejectment OF
Mrs. Morris was gratuitous. The Com
znlssioners, Major Sylvester's immediate
superiors, had issued no commands in the
case
Before the Superintendent can gain public
confidence in the matter Of this distressing
prevalence Of crime in the District he must
show that he has not been wasting the ener-
Eies Of the force by the performance of a
duty which appears to have been a super
fuous bit Of kow-towing to the White House
authorities.