Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-01-04
NOTH|NGL|KE|TH HERE
London Incident Impossible in
Capital. Says Sylvester.
POLICE SHOULD BE ARMED
Chief of Police Tells of Criminal
Who Gave Trouble.
MURDERER IN OLD ICEHOUSE
Soldiers Not Called Out and Man Is
Smoked Out-Views of Other
Police officers.
POLICE SHOULD BE ARMED
MURDERER IN OLD ICEHOUSE

Nothing like the London riot and the
reign of terror following it could have
happened in this city said Maj Sylves-
ter today to a Star reporter.
London police are unarmed and had
to call on the military. For that reason,
say. the whole thing was mistake-a
terrible blunder-and proves that the Lon
don police are away behind the times
The nearest thing Washington ever
had to the London battle between TN
armed policemen and hundreds of sol
diers. armed with rifles and a machine
gum was near Georgetown, about ten
years ago.
"A murderer from Rockville hid IN an
old icehouse west of the town and killed
Sergt. Fritz Passau, who Jed two men
into the temporary citadel. That Ice
house was a stronger fortress than the
London house. because it was made or
thicker walls and was a complete hld1ns-
place. no windows and only one door
"Passau was sent after the man and
went in. He climbed ladder. The min
ute his head appeared above the moor
the murderer shot him.
The outlaw held the men at bay for a
time. We sent over all the reserves who
We're available. \ lot of men off duty
went over to- see if they could help out.
THE criminal had guessing for a
time. We finally got some old mattresses
and wet stuff, however. and started to
smoke him out He came down In a
hurry.
Unarmed Police Useless.
But riot such as that in London ia
terrible mistake. Their police go un-
armed. What commentary on London
protection is that single fact!
Policemen should be armed and should
be ahead of the times, instead of behind
the times The crooks are up to the
minute. and the police should be little
ahead of them. 1 think the London pO-
lice are away behind the times"
Washington policemen have. on several
occasions, found it necessary to surround
houses to bring out desperate criminals.
The fact that they are armed with re-
volvers has always resulted in their get
ting their man without recourse to gat-
ling guns or the National Guard.
Smoking a gang out of a house is all
right, but there are ways of getting men
from house without wholesale riot,
fire and slaughter is the opinion ex-
pressed by Capt. Robert T.. Doyle of the
eighth precinct.
A policeman has to use judgment at
all times and should not he bull-headed.
That We are armed here gives an added
sense of security to all our men.
II don't remember ever having heard
of anything like this London anarchist
and police bottle. If we had it to handle
here j think our policeman would have
surrounded the house quietly, and, if
necessary to rush the house, would have
done it at short range. There is a pug
naciOus spirit that a policeman picks up
and uses when it comes to fights Of that
sort.
"If had situation like that to handle
I think / would have tried to get the
men before 1t became necessary to uuell
a riot. ! would have used damp hay or
something that would smoke the men out
of their hiding place, without setting fire
to the house.
London Police Garry Cane.
Capt. Michael Byrnes of the sixth pre-
cinct said this morning that the whole
riot. in his opinion, occurred because the
London police go unarmed.
They have cane, / think, and that is
about all. What would happen to our
policemen here if it was decided to dis
arm them? Some of them would not live
to walk their beats and back again
II think a single precinct could handle
a situation like that in London, provided
the, men went about ii right In my own
precinct we have had men barricade
themselves time and again and fire out
of the windows on one or two policemen
that went after them.
But somehow we have always man
aged to get the fighter out of the house
without calling on the militia or the fire
department.
"A policeman should use Judgment. He
must also be armed.
Il think the result of this London ex-
perience will be terrific outcry that the
force shall be armed. ! cant see what
good they would do in a riot unless they