Omaha daily bee., 1910-10-31
PATRICK MOSTYN IS DEAD
Veteran Captain Of the Omaha Police
Force Passes Away,
HAD BEEN SICK FOUR MONTHS
Twcnty-siH Years AEO Captain
Mostyn Joined the Omaha Force
and Had Been En- Almost
Continuous Service.


Captain Patrick lIostyn. veteran police
officer. died at $40 o'clock sunday morn
ing az the Clarkson hospital, after sick
ness lasting four months The family
physician and nurse were the only ones at
his bedside at the time OF death. the mem
bers Of their family having gone to the
home 2Ol6 Willis avenue, at a late hour
Saturday night.
Captain Mostyn is survived by his wife,
Mrs. katherine Mostyn and seven un-
married children, four Of whom are going
to school. The children are Henry. Nellie,
Mary, Tom, Frances. Veronica and Pa
tricia.
out Of respect to the memory OF their
late head, members Of the police depart
ment are wearing ribbons OF mourning
beneath their police badges. The entire
police station has been draped In oisck
and white.
| The funeral services for Captain Mostyn
are TO be held at clock Wednesday
morning from the Sacred Heart church
Twenty-third and Binney streets, Burial
will probably be in the Holy sepulcher
cemetery.
/ Iuneas of Recent Date.
! Up until four months ago Captain Mos
| tyn had had strenuous but healthful life
as a member Of the Omaha police depart
ment His health beginning to fail, he OBJ
| tanned a leave o. absence and went to
! [ colorado but his cond ton was not i'm
| proved bv his trip there and after a short
| siay during which he began growing
worse he returned to omaha. He was
taken to the Clsrkson hospital and for a
time was thought to have been improving.
Three weeks ago he became nouceahly
much worse and gradually weakened until
death came.
CAPTAIN Mostyn was born on st.
Patrick's day. March Il, 1852, in LePage
county Illinois He was reared on farm
and received his earlier education in the
country schools Of that locality. Later he
learned the maohnists trade and came to
Omaha in 1871 and secured a position IN
the Union Pacific shops. After seven years
he gave up this occupation to accept the
appointment given him by Mayor Boyd
June & 1884 as a member OF the Omaha
police department.
The day following his appointment
Captain Mostyn reported for duty at the
old police station located at sixteenth
and Farnam streets, which was considered
the outskirts of the city at that time
Marshal Cummings, who was at the
head Of the force Of thirty-two policemen
assigned him to walk beat extending up
Farnam street from the river front which
he covered" with A. T. sigwart, who Is
now sergeant and the oldest man. IN polh'
} OF service, on the force
} At the time of Captain Mostyn's ap'
pointment, Mayor Boyd appointed nine
other patrolmen and OF that number now
! five are dead; two have left the city ano
their whereabouts not now known here
| one George w Hyde, IS at the Old Sol
diers' home at Grand Island. Only one il
living and in Omaha-James Hiland whit
; is employed by the Omaha Council
p Bluffs street Railway company.
Career as Policeman.
As a policeman Captain Mostyn soor
gained an enviable reputation and as h
gradually rose in rank his renown proper
tonately spread until at the time OF hi
death he was known throughout the cen
trial states and the west as a most com
petent man for dealing with criminals Il
. was much talked of for higher honor
still.
n When a Board OF Fire and Police Com
nissioners became a part Of the munici
y pal government and Omaha was pro
. nounced metropolitan city, Captain Mos
?
n rank OF sergeant. That was July 2S 1881
? and April q. two years later, he wa
n again advanced 10 the position Of chic
: of detectives. In this last capacity h
n gained a reputation for his cunning in tn
? examination Of criminals. The shrewdes
o criminals came to fear him for his abilit
h 10 sweat them Captain Mostyn oh
tanned a remarkable number Of confession
1 from these.
n September q. 1889, he was made a JUNO
n CAPTAIN which position he held wit
g honor until a change in the city admins
d tration came and he resigned from tn
+ force, September II, 1895.
= Promoted to Captain.
Two wears later. Captain Mostyn was re
appointed and promoted to the highes
/, rank. with the exception Of chiefs posi-
L tion-that of captain of police. The ap
= pointment took effect September l, whe
CAPTAIN Her resigned to accept a posltio
as detective for the Illinois Central rail
road
In that office Captain Mostyn was calle
upon many times to protect life and pror
erty under the most hazardous circum
= stances but always he answered the ca
with supreme courage and promptitudt
His successful defense Of the county jail
: some five years ago, when he stood
!, mob Of angry men at bay and saved sew
t, eral prisoners from lynchinss, is only al
Z instance Of his bravery.
p During the strike Of street railway EN-
d ployes a year ago Captain Mostyn's ser
Il vices were indispensable. Numerous time
d he displayed his remarkable bravery q
!, Dispensing crowds Of angry strikers. Tn
I only time in his career as a policeman o
e officer. Captain MOstyn was brought upo
d the carpet under any kind of unfavor
e able charge was during this strike.
n A complaint was filed before the Boar
e Of Fire and Police Commissioners by Al
Il fred Anderson. charging unwarranted an
rest and abusive treatment. The charge
& were filed october Y, 1909 and on Octobe
2e they were Withdrawn. II was prove
that the charges were totally unwaTrantc
"a Contain MostNn was cNOnerated