The Washington herald., 1913-08-03


it. Why should I worry?" This utter
lack of appreciation exists everywhere.
In Washington the people are just as
prone to overlook the bluecoats' gsQd
points as in other cities. The policeman
is human. He needs encouragement aud
not ridicule; help and not censure.
In Washington We have unquestionably
the greatest police department In the
United States. Great, not SO much in
numbers, but in efficiency; clean and
free too, from the turmoil. strife. and
graft so common among departments Ia
other great cities.
Yet even with this the average citizen
OF the District of Columbia does not az
preciate what the. copper does to pro-
tect his life and property.
With sixty-four square miles to keep
tab on, it easily can be seen that the
as men, including officers and privates,
have their hands full. In number WASH
ington has not as many policemen as
ether cities with the same era to cover,
Yet the city can boast Of the best work.
ing department in the country.
How Force Is Omccred.
The rs men are officered as follows:
One major, one assistant major, three
inspectors, eleven captains, thirteen lieu
tenants, and forty-six sergeants. On the
force there are fifty-six mounted mon.
which includes the captains of the
seventh, ninth, tenth and eleventh pre-
cincts, one sergeant and Maj. Richard
Sylvester, superintendent. The rest of
the mounted men are privates from va
rious precincts There are sixty-four bi-
cycle and motorcycle men, including
three sergeants
Not including the superintendent, ir-
spectors, captains, lieutenants, and SER
geants. there is available a force OF
tS, men, which takes in privates and de-
tectives.
The District is divided into sections
known as precincts. Eleven of these are
known by numbers. ranging from the
First to the Eleventh. The others are
called "Harbor' and Sub T" Each
precinct is commanded by a captain. ex-
cept "Harbor'' and Sub t. and they
are in charge of lieutenants.
Maj. Richard Sylvester, superintendent
is the higher officer on the force. Next
TO him comes Assistant Major and Super
intendent Robert H. Boardman. The
three inspectors are II. L. Gessford,
Francis E. Cross. and R. B. Boyle.
Maj. Sylvester is a native of Iowa In
his early life he learned the printers
trade. Later he became attached to the
local staff of a st. Louis paper. doing
work as police reporter. In 1871, when
but twenty years old. the St. Louis Times
sent him to Washington as its corre-
spondent. Later he was assistant in the
Globe-Democrat bureau. and afterward
representative Of the Post-Dispatch.
In 1852 he was in the field as disbursing
officer of the Ute Indian Commission in
Southern Utah. and at the time the ac-
credited correspondent of New York and
ST. Louis papers. This was the period
which followed the Meeker massacre in
Colorado, when the Utes were driven
from the State.
Started ms Chief Clerk.
At the expiration of his work among
the Utes in March. 1885, he returned to
Washington and was rendered the posi-
tion of chief clerk to the Metropolitan
Police Department. The department at
that time was commanded by Major and
Superintendent William NICE. Dye. He
also served under Mai Samuel H. Walker
and Col. William E. Moore. Upon the
death of Moore, Maj. Sylvester was pro-
NOTED to the superintendency Of the
force. The appointment dated from July,
1898.
Having been for years in the newspaper
business. Mai. Sylvester numbers among
his friends hundreds of reporters and
editors throughout the country. He
knows how keen the public is on police
news, and since he has been superin-
tepdent he has simpiifed the work of
police reporters by instructing his men
to assist them whenever it is possible.
Many cities have modelled after Wash |
ington's police department, as developed
by Mai. Sylvester. Many splendid re-
forms in police circles have been origi- |
mated by Maj Sylvester, operated sue |
cessfully here and copied in other cities. |
Through the suggestion of Maj. Syl- |
vester, and by the Endorsement of the |
District Commissioners, Congress appro- |
priated money for the establishment of |
the House of Detention, branch of the |
police department where women of pre- |
vious good character and juveniles under |
seventeen years of age are held, where !
witnesses are detained, and where all |
lost children are cared for. The object !
of the House of Detention is to keep fe- !
male prisoners and juveniles away from !
contact with criminals usually found in |
the cells of the various precinct stations !
One of the best bits of work Maj. Syl- |
vester has done in raising the standard |
of profiency among his men was the es- |
tablishment of the eight-hour shift of |
duty
Capt. Eonrdman's Career.
Robert II. Boardnan. assistant SUPER !
intendent, is the officer directly in charge /
of the detective bureau. He is fifty-one |!
years old. and has been a member of the !
force since December s. 1856. Among de- !
tectives, policemen, and newspaper men |
he is familiarly known as Captain"
Capt. Boardman is a native of WASH |
ington. At the age Of seventeen he left
school to become an apprentice plate |
printer at the Bureau of Engraving and i
Printing. For nine years he was one of
the force of men engaged in making |
paper money for Uncle Sam" resigning |
to become a member of the police de- |
partment. He first saw duty in the First |
precinct. Five years after his original |
appointment, for distinguished service, |
he was promoted to the rank of first
class private. On October 10, 1881, and |
five months after his first promotion, he |
was made a detective. October !, 1898, |
seven years later, he was promoted to be !
acting sergeant. and in the following De- |
Cember made a full sergeant. One day 1
later he was promoted again, becoming |
this time a lieutenant inspector. May 10. |
1901. he was made captain, and on July |
], 1901, less than two months later, he |
was promoted to assistant superintendent. |
Through the tireless efforts Of Capt. |
Boardman the Central Office detective |
force has become one of the finest boasted |
of by any police department In the United
States.
Serving under Inspector Boardman are
the following detectives: J. E. Armstrong,
Frank Baur, Jake Berman, G. e. Bur-