Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-09-18
REPLIES TO CHARGES
Reports to Commissioners Concerning
Local Police Conditions-Asserts
Criticisms Unfair.

Declaring II to be an unusual proceeding
for an oficer Of the law. no matter how lin
tied his experience and facilities for infor-
nation on criminal subjects. to hold up for
criticism the government of a sister COM
munity without cause, Maj. Richard Sylves-
ter today submitted to the Commissioners a
formal report on police methods and results
secured In the District. the whole being In
answer to certain comparisons recently
made by Crandal Mackey commonwealth
attorney for Alexandria county. Except
under orders from superior judgment" MAJ
Sylvester declared, Il would hesitate to
dignity such criticism by assuming the de-
fenstve, and did not the several derogatory
statements regarding the metropolitan po-
lice department emanate from an Official
source response thereto would seem I'M
called for" 80 b
MAI. Sylvester's action in taking up cud-
gels Tor the police department is the out
come Of Commissioner Macfarland's official
request that he furnish information con-
corning Mr.. Mackey's assertion that the
District excise laws were not properly en-
forced because Of police laxity.
Inception Of Matter
The whole matter had its beginning when
The Star commented editorially upon the
failure OF the Alexandria county authorities.
to apprehend the person or persons guilty
Of two serious assaults committed on close
ly succeeding days and at almost the same
spot near -Four Mile Run. Commonwealth
Attorney Mackey took exception to this and
vigorously defended himself and his asso-
ciate officers OF the community across the
Potomac.
Among other things he said: There
is more crime committed every day In
Washington city than in a year in Alex
andria county" Furthermore he assert
ed that the liquor laws OF the county are
far better enforced than in Washington,
and he proceeded to cite what he char
aeterized as great number of excise
violations In the environs OF the capital
Much Of the crime committed in the
county, he added. can be charged to per-
sons belonging in the District
Commissioner Macfarlands attention
was attracted to the nature of Mr. Mack
ey's comments. and he asked Mai Syl-
vester to make a report In the premises
1t Is at once unfair and unjust" said
Major Sylvester. Ito make comparison OF
the conditions in a county. with a scattered
population of 10000. with an extended Dis
trfct area Of nearly seventy square miles
containing a great city and eighty -odd viii
lagos. towns and subdivisions supporting a
population of nearly 325,OOO. AS to the eff
fectfveness of the police force and the gen.
eral good order prevailing in the District
the records testify. The advantages taken
by gamblers policy writer's and other evil
CHdTdCteTS 10 TenOeZNOuS upon shores
Of Alexandria county opposite the District
early prompted the District authorities to,
aid In the procurement Of evidence and the
dislodgement of undesirable forces.
District Detectives Assisted.
"It was the skilled work of the District
detectives afforded the officials of Alexan-
dria county that cleared the atmosphere OF
that Jurisdiction of many of its objection
able features. 1t is true the base of policy
supply was in Alexandria county. and the
emissaries therefrom courted sales for their
illegitimate trade in the District, but no aid
was extended this department to relieve the
residents of the District from the dangerous
evil.
1T is not fair to attempt to compare by
statistics conditions In jackson City with
those in the District-the former a brick
yard plant and the latter made up OF q
large city, with governmental, commercial
and stupendous municipal interests. For,
the sake Of argument, Alexandria county.
when compared to the District, should have
a murder committed every third year, but
report made to this department shows that
fourteen murders were charged to that
county during the past five years several
Of them not cleared up. aside from hun
dreds of dangerous assaults.
In defending the police activity toward
the enforcement Of the excise law. Major
Sylvester points out that since January l.
1905. forty-one persons have been arrested
by the police for illegal liquor selling, and
during the same period fifty arrests were
for gambling and policy playing. In con-
clusion Major Sylvester declares the met
ropolitan police department to have won
abroad except with the commonwealth at
torney for Alexandria county, -