The Washington herald., 1913-06-10

deviations from it usually are the ar
rests by new and Inexperienced police
| men who are DESTROYS OF making a good
| showing with their chief However. the
\ idea Of the new Officer that the more
| arrests he makes the better his chances
Of promotion are Is a mistaken one. The
modern chief of police admires the Do
| liceman who makes arrests only when
it is absolutely case of necessity.
The dictagraph, that mysterious in
I strument which has played SO promi-
nent a role in the sleuthing of the past
few months, is in evidence at the con-
vention of the Association Of Police
Chiefs. On the tenth floor of the Ra-
leigh, in rooms adjoining the assembly
hall. in which the sessions of the con-
vention are held. several big companies
manufacturing dictagraphs have placed
| their instruments on exhibition.
The instrument Is apparently the
embodiment of simplicity. The entire
apparatus consists of two extremely
sensitive telephone receivers of high
resistance. two delicate transmitters of
special design, a simple switch. and
two small batteries. The transmitters
are concealed in the room where the
persons whose conversation is desired
are located. and small wires are run
to the receivers. The detective places
the receivers to his ears and Is able
TO hear distinctly all that transpires
at the other end. To test the eff
cheney of the apparatus and the sem
sitiveness of the instruments the DEM
| orstrators at the hotel place the trans
rnitters in the closed drawer of a bu-
reau. The receivers are located in an
adjoining room, and report clearly and
accurately every sound that occurs in
the nearby chamber.
Much interest in the Instruments has
been manifested by police chiefs and
detectives at the convention.
SHOULD a policeman be permitted &c
wear loud Balkan necktieP'
This Is one of the serious question:
which has come before the Association
Of Police Chiefs for consideration Now,
there is some difference Of opinion on
this subject. but the majority Of the
delegates believe firmly that the query
should be answered in the negative.
Wentworth T. Griffin, chief of police of
Kansas City, Mo-, is absolutely opposed
to loud colors, not because IL will
brighten criminals away from the
clutches Of the minions of the law, but
because. in his opinion, a policeman
should look sedate and dignified-
Il believe in uniformity, of clothes
from shoes to helmets said Chief Grit
fin yesterday. II think that every police
man should wear a black necktie- Red,
blue. pink. yellow, and mongrel styles
of neckwear make bluecoats look like
dudes or clowns
Mai. Dick" as the newspaper boys
are wont to call in affectionate manner
the president of the Association of Police
Chiefs, was weather in smiles yester-
day from early morning until late at
night. That stern and serious mien with
which those visit him at the office are
familiar entirely disappeared, and tbs
major seemed as though he cast aside
all his numerous cares to enjoy himself
and to make happy the delegates gath
cred from all corners of the globe.
The major didn't sidetrack the moving
picture man when he approached with
his machine, but instead smiled and posed
for fully ten minutes in front of the
Raleigh Hotel. while a curious crowd
assembled to learn what was going on.
The chief Is doing all in his power to
delegates.
Policemen are unusually fond of visit
ing, especially when on duty, according TO
Charles II. Goodrich. Chief Of Police of
n. Y. The chief is an au-
thority on the subject. too, for he has
made a careful study of police disci-
pline. and yesterday afternoon presented
a paper on that topic before the con-
vention.
"of all the phases OF police discipline.
that which presents one of the most i'm
portant. although not the most serious
problems is the visiting of friends while
on duty. This is a continuous source of
trouble to the average police chief. The
policemen become acquainted with many
persons on their beats, and an invitation
TO take a cup OF tea or to sit down and
chat are temptations to which many a
bluecoat feels compelled to yield.
THE trouble with most police depart
ments is that they have too many rules
think the regulations should be sim
plified, and that common sense and dis
erection should be used more literally by
the police disciplinarians."
Chief Goodrich said he was opposed to
the Indictment of fines upon members of
the force. as il imposed a burden upon
the families of the policemen.
He declared politics to be the greatest
enemy to discipline.
The rubber police baton, a product Of
DtHNtE, lISeII 10 GRIM
mails and humanitarians because OF the
TACT that it is supposed to infiict no Sc
-ious injury, will hardly be adopted to
any extent throughout the United States
after the condemnation which was meet
ID out to 1t yesterday by Wentworth E
Griffin, chief of police of> Kansas City,
No.
There is nothing like the old hickory
hub when 1t comes to dealing with GRIM
nails" he said. in an interview yesterday
afternoon THE rubber type of baton
,omes in the usual lengths and has a
mall iron rod running through it lOngi-
udinally to prevent its being too fiexi-
lie. 1t commends itself to humanitarians
because they think that a policeman can
'eat prisoner all night with one of
hem without inflicting any dangerous
injury. The criminal also approves of it,
he knows from experience. per-
laps. that it is not so soft a thing as
he average person believes. He would
ather take chance on the rubber
atom any day in preference to the
ickory stick. and consequently would
e holder and more desperate in a strug-
lie with a policeman. The hickory stick
urts more and harms more. and for
his very reason il 10 more desirable.
OF that prisoners should be beaten un-
but that they should be made
D realize that one blow will be sufficient
o subdue them"