Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-08-07
Reporter Disturbs Revere at
Sixth Precinct Station.
SEEMED PROFANE TO ENTER
Desk Sergeant, However, Explains
Arrest of Front Yard Gardener.
LACKED SENSE OF BEAUTIFUL
Policeman O'Dea's Gentle Protest
Failing, Harsh Measures
Became Imperative.

An air of double-distilled estheticism
pervaded the sixth precinct station house
yesterday morning when a Star reporter
dropped in to get some frst-hand informa-
ton concerning the case of George Win
ME, the plasterer. who was arrested and
placed under a one-hundred-dollar bond
for planting string beans, corn and tur-
nips in the front yard of lis little home,
only two doors away from where the uni
formed lovers of the beautiful are domi-
ciled.
The desk sergeant was deep in a white
vellum covered volume of the shrinking
Richard LIE Gallienes "Odes from the
Divan OF Hanz'; from the rear room
there came the soothing strains of Schu-
mann's "Traumerei," which was ripping
forth from a small music box; gentle
breeze which stole through the windows,
softly rustling the delicate pink curtains
OF shimmery stuff with which they were
hung became scented with the elusive
fragrance OF stick of incense which
slowly burned in a vase at the sergeants
elbow before 1t swept through the room,
and ever and anon sweet voiced Hartz
mountain canary In gilded cage hung
just over the captains desk added note
Of bird song to the beautiful picture.
Almost Profane to Enter.
Coming in from thte jangling and jar
ring noise Of the street the reporter
paused at the threshold Of the door. 1t
seemed almost a proclamation to break
into the calm serenity OF the place, to de-
file the scene with plain, matter-of-fact
conversation. to bring in a discussion of
such objects of vulgar interest as corn.
potatoes and string beans. But his sense
OF duty was strong and he stepped for
ward to the desk.
May 1 take the liberty Of making
few inquiries?" said he. unconsciously
finding himself dropping into line OF
talk which would harmonize with the
surroundings.
The sergeant came to with sudden
start and dropped LIE Gallienne on the
desk.
Pardon my preoccupation." said he.
II was. for the nonce, in far-of Tanner
lane, waited there by the magic OF the
poets art. / could see the white minarets
against the cerulean sky and the song of
the bul-bul was in my ears There is
lacking in this book something OF the
witchery Of Fitzgeralds translation Of
Omar Khayyan,. but in its modest way it
is a little masterpiece of oriental imagery;
but perhaps you are not interested In lit
erature. and"
Further conversation was temporarily
halted by the appearance of a tall police
man, who had an altogether reprehensibie-
looking citizen in tow.
What Is the charge against this in
dividual. Officer inquired the sergeant,
as petulant frown lined his brow.
A Discordant Note.
This guy was beating up a gent in the
alley. boy tips me off. and 1 hot-footed
It there just In time to nab him before
he banded the other one a rap on the
nut. l.
Il ind frofv thn
Of cheap slang when in this station
house." broke in the sergeant. sternly.
Couch Your remarks TO this desk in
chaste language. Learn to cultivate the
beautiful in language as in other things"
This bum talk about the beautiful
gets on my nerves." the policeman was
heard to humble. as he led the repre-
misunderstanding gentleman back to a cell.
ruption." resumed the sergeant. "a jar
ring note, but what would life be without
its contrasts? What is the nature of your
inquiry. might I ask?''
The reporter ventured to explain his
mission.
"Ah. yes" said the sergeant THAT
poor man had not been properly trained.
His sense of the beautiful was obscured
by unitarian motives. Patrolman O'Dea,
who has the beat in front of the station
house here. and who, I might say. Is one
Of my warmest supporters and most eff
hcient aids in this campaign for the in
culCdllOn Oh eStHellC lOcdlS WutCH we
are waging argued with him at length
IN an effort to persuade him to dig up
the vegetables which he had planted and
replace them with green grass or flower
ing plants.
"Hs was Nadamant He made an un-
necessarily fippant remark concerning
the great need on the part of his fam
lily for something to eat rather than for
something to look at. and said other
things which led Policeman ODea to de-
eide that only by the use of harsh meas
ures could any favorable results be OBJ
tanned. Therefore. reluctantly and in
spirit of sentleness rather than harsh
ness. the officer placed him under ar
rest. ] am pleased to say that the vege-
tables which he had planted had been
uprooted. The moral effect on the neigh
borhood should be splendid.
sundowers "singularly Unlovely."
The reporter gazed out Of the window
across the street. where several low
houses were almost concealed from view
by the stalks Of great sunfower plants.
do you consider those beautiful?" he
asked.
II do not" replied the sergeant. 81
consider them singularly uniovely, but
unfortunately they are flowers and when
any one plants flowers ] am afraid we
ara ran6APaA halpfeaa Tho rau,la,iay,