Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-07-07
POLICE "0N THE JOB"
Capt. MegreW of Capitol Force
Completes Report.
GIVES DETAILS OF YEAR
Many Queer Things Happen Under
the Big Dome.
ARRESTS AND ACCIDENTS
Personnel Of the OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
of the Troublesome Elements.
List of Changes.
SIS AND ACCIDENTS

List of Changes.
Many queer things happen under the
big white dome of the Capitol in the
course of year.
An interesting showing of strange peo-
pie and stranger happenings is made in
the annual report Of Capt. ]. P. Megrew,
chief of the United States Capitol police
force. completed today
| The paper covers the operation of the
capitolian guardians of the peace for the
| fiscal year ended June so, 1908, and is re-
plete with items of sudden deaths in the
big white building, arrests. accidents, lost
and found articles and the conduct Of
that peskferous class known variously as
bugs" 'cranks'' and "queers."
| The personnel of the Capitol force was
| frequently complimented during the year
| by senators, representatives and others.
| 1t Is said to be one of the finest bodies of
indoor police in the world. It's comman-
| der. Capt Megrew, had a memorable expe-
| rience as an officer in the civil war. He
| is native of Indiana. and is prominent
| in republican politics and Grand Army
matters. Many of the members of his
| force were soldiers or sailors and are
| Lieut. John Hammond is a man of fine
| physique, and like Capt. Megrew. made a
| highly honorable record as a soldier in
| the civil war. The other lieutenants, E.
D. Sterling and NJ. V. Hanlon. it is pointed
| out. have made good as officers of the
| legislative police force at the Capitol.
Perform the sleuth Work.
| Two detectives perform the sleuth
| work in the building and grounds They
are Fred N Weber, ST., and j. L. Bar
| nard, and during the year they are called
| upon to perform many delicate operations
for senators and representatives, besides
being on the alert for foxy thieves, con"
men and grafters Of all sorts, from the
''panhapdler' who wants nickel or
dime tdssthe shrewd and plausible and
well dyGsed worker who strikes legisla-
tors f>t higher stakes.
The clerk at Headquarters of the Capitol
police is j. K. White, veteran of the
war with Spain. who served with honor
in 1898 in the Sd United States Cavalry.
The bicycle policeman, who skins through
the grounds after "vags.," scorchers on
stray dogs, is H. A. Olsen. who has been
long ION the job and is familiar with all
the secret bowers In the grounds sur
rounding the Capitol where mischief is
sometimes Matched.
The annual report shows that two sud
den deaths occurred in the Capitol in the
fiscal year. w. r. Seward, a Senate mes
senger fell near the entrance to the Sen
ate. December 5. and died a few minutes
later, after being carried into a nearby
Office. His demise was due to heart dis
ease.
DIR. Dennis j. Brennan, a citizen of
Flagstaff, Ariz., was stricken with apo
plexy in Senate gallery while listening
to heated debate between two senators,
March B. He died while being removed
to the Casualty Hospital.
Catalogue of Insane Persons.
In the catalogue of insane persons who
were apprehended in the building by the
vigilant Capitol police were two men who
attempted to address the House and SEN
| ate from the galleries. One of these, Will
| liam OLeary, tried to attract the atten-
ton of the Vice President from one of
the Senate galleries. He had gotten as
far in his speech as 'Mr. Fairbanks, and
gentlemen of the house." when he was
seized and hustled downstairs to the
captains office. Thence he was taken to
No. police station, and was later ambu-
lanced to the Government Hospital on
the hill.
One of the most troublesome elements
| the Capitol force has had to deal with
were those persons who importune sena-
tors and representatives for money This
class embraces men, women and some
times even children, who represent them
selves usually to be constituents of the
SCION they approach, and are ever ready
with a hard-luck story about being strand
| ed here or are otherwise in distress in
their demand for coin.
A recent case of this character was
that of fellow who was arrested by
secret service officers in Baltimore. Ii
was shown that he had received money
from large number of members of both
branches of the national legislature by
representing In each instance that he had
named his first born-a bouncing baby
boy-in honor of the man he sought to
victimiZe. In his various representations
this sharper had declared he was a voter
| in no less than twenty-five states. He
pleaded guilty to the charge of false pre-
| lenses after being taken into custody.
Small-fry Grafters.
The smallfry grafters, sometimes
termed ''panhandlers," are barred from
| the Capitol by a most vigorous ironclad
| law. 1t Is noted that the Capitol force
operates under general laws enacted es-
pecially by Congress for the CAPITOL and
grounds, and not under District laws or
ordinances. These Capitol laws are most
| stringent and impose heavy penalties
| usually.
In connection with the guarding of the
Capital parks there is a capitoIian dog
| catching service. Stray animals, either
| cats or dogs. and chickens, are promptly
| impOunded If found on the reservations.
and are tied up until the District pound
master can reach the building The park
| police are instructed to afford special
protection to the families of squirrels that
inhabit the grounds and it's beautiful and
majestic shade trees. Boys or animals
caught tampering with the squirrels are
| apprehended.
Under the head of arrests made i'm the
building and grounds are found these en-
| tries: Advertising, reprimanded and dis
charged, 3; drunk and disorderly, fined in
court 4: disorderly conduct fined in court,
=; discharged with warning. 6; begging
repriman ded and discharged, IL; tres
passing on the gounds with wagons Is;
| fast riding on bicycles, 16: suspicion of
insanity, 10; cab drivers caught "crab-
bing," or soliciting fares, 1: dogs sent to
the pound. 81; dogs returned to their
owners. 8.
Twelve plain drunks were taken into
custody during the year. and after being
reprimanded by Capt. Megrew or one of
! the lieutenants. were escorted off the
grounds and warned.
/ Chapter of Accidents.
In the chapter of accidents at the Capt.
| toll there appears an account of eight per-
| sons who fell down the steps at various
places, none being seriously injured. Two