The Detroit times., 1912-05-17
|AMOUS THIEF-CATCg'S,
CONVICTED OF GRAFT,
WEARS FELLOWS STRIPES
Charles Wappenstein Connived
With Vice and Lawless-
ness In Seattle
POLICE MESSENGER AT IA
Chief Who Became Moulded To
"System" Is Now Paying Pen
ssl atty For His Actions

III SEATTLE, Wash. May l7.-Charles
Wappenstein was at once the best ana
worst chief OF police that Seattle ever
had II is doubtful il in all America
there is more efficient policeman 20
thief-catcher than this man, VINO 10
day wears a felon's stripes, con-
yicted CRATER.
Wappenstein is a type. The police
departments OF all the large Amerl-
can cities were full Of Wappensteins
is and 20 years ago. Times changed.
Police methods changed. But 'Wap-
Nv" as he was called, could not or
would not change. He remained ue'
y Family. an old-fashioned policeman u
8 the end
At IA, he was police messenger III
y Cincinnati All his ooyhood recollec'
lions are of police conivance win the
underworld, OF that armed neutrallly
I which in the relation between tue
J crook and the wanton on the one mana
and the force" on the other.
II Is the relation which permits a
certain sort of friendship between out
(, laws and officers OF the law. From the
\ police point OF view, ii is convenient
relation.
"Wappy," the police messenger,
knew BY heart the career or every
crook of Importance in Cincinnati. tie
knew the exact location OF every gam
bling hole and Objectionable house. He
could name the stool pigeons, who
carried underworld secrets TO the
force
'.Bos'' Cox was his idol. Certain
police captains were lesser gods.
In time he became a detective. he
was dismissed on charges. He was
reinstated.
N In 1896 ''Wappy' came 10 Seattle,
bull-necked, brisque-mannered young
detective, who knew his business from
A to z. II happened that one OF the
editors OF the Star had known "Wap-
py'' in Cincinnati ''Wappy' came
straight to him about his Cincinnati
record, and said:
II got in bad in Cincinnati. I've
come out here to start all over again.
You know all about me. Do | get i
square deal?"
The editor said: "You do And
he did
'.Wappyp made a good detective. In
1900 he and chief Meredith were dis
missed on charges, but he was reinstat-
when . political change took place in
the city hall. In 1906 he was appoint.
ed chief by Mayor William Hickman
Moore.
In that administration he made a
4 better record than any Seattle CHIEF
had made up TO that time. Residence
streets which before had never seen
a policeman were now patrolled night
and day. Burglaries were scarce.
Crime was reduced 10 minimum.
Hi Gill was elected mayor in 1910
on the wide open" platform. He
named "Wappy" as chiet. Gill hadn't
been mayor a day when gambling and
objectionable houses began opening.
Rnmors of graft got abroad. Dis.
gfuntled seekers OF vice privileges
Kicked openly "Wappy," they said,
was getting one-fourth OF all the
profits of the underworld. The graft
was too good" everybody wanted TO
get In on IL.
The rest is recent history.
II Is not pretty tale, but it points ]
wholesome moral.
4, ''Wappy" fell twice, once in Cincin
Il natl and once in Seattle He was q
good policeman-none better-but he
4 fell--twice And the conditions in the
4 "force" in both cities were the same
Both administrations were Identical
4 Both cities were identical. Both cities
were wide open"
In both departments men said
"They're all doing it. Why shouldn'
II get some of it?'
When the administration was clean
srWappy" was clean When law con
niyed with vice and lawlessness, ''Wap
ny got his share. He was nodded Z
the system. He couldn't change. Tn
process began years ago, when II
year-old messenger boy became Gym
cal and worldly wise before his time.