The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-07-19
RICHMOND SEWERS ALL
RELATIONS WITH NAVY
VIII Make No Further Effort to
Aid In Recovering Stray
glers.
PAPERS FILED WITH GOVERNOR
Seamen We're Arrested us Migrants
and Later Charged With Deser.
ton, Says Mayor-aIen Will BE
Released at Once, Says Crutchileld.

Interpreted in terms Of diplomatic
relations. tho imbroglio between the
. local recruiting station OF the United
States Navy and the Richmond Police
Department came to an end abruptly
yesterday in severance Of Official
intercourse between the navy and the
police.
Tho controversy grew out OF COM
plants lodged by Lieutenant II. L. Par
| sons recruiting officer in command of
the Richmond district. which includes
n circuit of Virginia cities. against
tho alleged indiscriminate arrest and
detention of enlisted men OF the navy
by the police Of this city and other
| Virginia cities. Representations have
been made to Governor Stuart. bearing
| upon the police system Of dealing with
men on shore leave taken up by the
| police on suspicion Of being deserters
| both by Lieutenant Parsons and Mayor
| George Ainslie. the Mayor being prompt
| to go TO the defense OF the Police De-
! partment. OF which he is the official
! mead.
| While Governor Stuart. who an
! nounccd Friday before he left for Rus
! sell County, his intention TO take up
/ the matter and give the papers sub
/ mitted by the Mayor and the naval Of
| fcer due consideration on his return.
| is yet to be heard from. the controversy
was practically closed yesterday. The
sudden end came result Of a dis
| cussion in which Lieutenant Parsons
! Mayor Ainslie and Police Justice
| Crutchneld engaged In the Office OF
the justice during Police Court hours
| CITY AND NAVY BREAK
| DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS
! Mayor Ainslie issued his fiat, say
! inE TO Lieutenant Parsons: II wish u
| inform you that there will be no more
arrests OF navy deserters In Rich
mond as long as your statement that
enlisted men ashore are bounded by
I the police is allowed TO stand"
! Justice Crutchfeld said. Il shall see
that the Mayors wishes Ia the mat
/ ter are conscientiously carried out.
I II there are any alleged descrters now
+ behind the bars in the City Jail pend
! ing investigation by the police ]
I shall order them Immediately dis
/ charged from custody. We will throw
/ open the doors OF the Jail TO any navy
I men who happen TO be confined and
1 start with q clean sheet"
/ Lieutenant Parsons ,aid. Thank
/ YOU. gentlemen and bowed himself
! out. lengthy communication. carry
J Ing charges and specifications In cases
upon which tho navy recruiting officer
based his complaint, was received yes
| terday morning at the Office Of the
tary Forward with other papers in the
| controversy Mr.. Forward also ad-
/ dressed a communication TO the Mayor.
advising him that the Governor had
| indicated his purpose TO give the mat
| ter all due consideration.
| CHARGE CHANGED FROM
vAGRASCY TO DISCRETION
/ Discussing the matter later in the
day. Mayor Ainslie said
The written statements OF Oncer
Il
Mr.. Tucker. clerk of the Police Court,
confirm in detail the statements Of
fact made by me. Mr.. Tucker gavo
I Lieutenant Parsons the charge upon
which the men were tried. which was
'dcsertcrs from the navy" not the one
for which they were arrested. which
vas "vagrancy. stated that they
/ were arrested for "vaSrancy." and the
station house blotter. the Police Court
docket. and the written statement OF
Mr. Tucker confirm this. The charge
was changed at the bar OF the court
when one man confessed.
MIR. Parsonss remark about the
overalls' Is cheap and unworthy. 4
suit OF ovcralls is just as honorable
AID respectable as a dress suit, but
neither costume is sure mark OF
Identification of sailor, and that's
be expected as Mr.. Parsons seems 10
do. 10 identify a sailor at glance.
regardless Of his costume.
Now. IL our policemen are guilty.
S charged In the general Indictment.
then ] think the temptation should
be removed by forbidding them to
: res; deserters Al all; II not, then Mr..
Parsons may adopt such course as
commends itself to his judgment"
FACTS OF DISCRETION BROUGHT
OUT AFTER ARREST
Mayor Ainslie made the further point
HAT in toll, tan -
Parsons complained the recruiting Of
hcer did not appear until the 'deser-
ton charge WAS evolved from an orig
inal charge OF vagrancy. trespass or
some like inisdemeanor The charge
! OF desertion, the Mayor said, resulted
usually from some statement or adj
mission made by the prisoner after he
had been taken into custody on diff
fcrent charge. II was at this entirely
new development In the case of the
arrested man that the recruiting Of
1cer projected himself into the pro-
ceednEs
The Mayor also directed attention TO
records OF the Police Department
which show that. while the reward Of
fered for 'straSgiers' was increased
to ;25 on January OF this year which
increase was obviously intended to
stimulate the vigilance of the police
and incite them to greater activity in
experimenting this class of enlisted men
o. the navy, no increase is shown in
| the number OF arrests over tho same
period in tho preceding half year.
Officers OF the Police Department say
that the actual prize money received
for the apprehension and delivery on
shipboard OF "straggler" is but q
trlhe, and can hardly be regarded as a
consideration. Half of the s25 reward
must be paid into the fund OF the
Police Benevolent Association. With
the remaining $3.50 the policeman
must pay the fares of himself and his
prisoner to Newport News or Norfolk
and meet other expenses OF the trip,
such as providing meals for himself
and his prisoner until officers of the
warship are ready to receive them.
While the policeman is on the trip the
city loses his services for which it is
paying.