The Washington herald., 1914-01-11
news GATHERING
in CAPITAL CITY
Ideas Of Maj. Sylvester and
Indianapolis Police
man Differ.
CONFIDENCE IS SLOGAN
Usase Of Newspaper Men in Washing
ton Compared to that Under
Western Chief.
CONFIDENCE IS SLOGAN
~ ,. STUART PRICE.

~ ,. STUART PRICE.
Maj. Richard sylvester. superintendent
Of the Metropolitan Police Department,
formerly Yves a Newspaper reporter. This,
Of course. Is not news.
But Chief OF Police Samuel Perrott. of
Indianapolis. never was In the pencil
pushing business. Hence the Indiana DO
liceman does not get along as well with
the newspapers In that city a. does Maj.
Sylvester.
The point 10 this: When joseph e. Bell
was swora In as mayor Of Indianapolis
he made Perrott chief Of police. One OF
the first oficial acts of Chief Perrott was
to abolish the ''pressroom" at head.
quarters" and refused to give out. or per-
init his mer to do SO, "stories'' until two
or three days after they happened. He
also withdrew the privilege Of reporters
accompanying the police on emergency
runs. His men were instructed TO tell
reporters nothing when questioned. In
other words. he has thrown every OBJ
stacle possible In the way Of the men
who write rolice news. His orders have
1t that only three captains Of police. the
captain Of detectives. and ''the chief can
discuss newspaper stories with reporters.
Consideration for Public.
MAJ. sylvester runs things differently.
He believes In extending every courtesy
to the press. He takes the newspaper
men into his confidence: they never
break II. He trusts them; they appre-
ciate IT, Maj. Sylvester also takes the
public into consideration I'm this matter
He realizes the readin.. public demands
police news He does everything reas-
onably possible to take care of All per
sons concerned. He has the news Riyen
out when It should be- What IL the re-
suit?
A better understanding between the Do
lice and tbs newspapers exists In WASH
ington. To explain this Il is necessary to
go into detail.
At "headquarters' a spacious pressroom
Is maintained for the convenience of the
newspaper men detaile. to COVER Do
lice news. The Washington Herald and
other Washington papers keep represen-
tatives at headquarters" They enjoy
the confiedLce of Mai. Sylvester. his as
sistants. a n his men.
By this the public Is protected. and so
are the interests Of the police. Once the
police attempt to prevent newspapers
from gettirs the news many a good case
worked upon by detectives is ruined. BY
this Is meant, the reporter Is kept on the
outside, writes what he can learn from
grapevine sources. and from what he
can pick up and patch together. Some
times he tits Il right: sometimes wrong.
II he Is no. trusted he of course prints
what he can get II he gets some good
Information he prints II. II he was on
the inside" h, also would have the same
information. bu. would be trusted with IL,
and withhold I. from the press until the
proper time.
Home of Newswriters.
Since he bag been superintendent of Do
lice, Mai. Sylvester has made himself ex-
tremely popular with the newspaper men
by his courteous treatment.
At 'headauarters'' arrests, accidents
murders, suicides, drownings. and other
news matters are recorded. Each news
paper Is furnished a copy Of such reports,
giving names, street addresses, and other
Information that goes to make up a prop
er newspaper story.
A telephone is provided the reporters.
They can call up for further information,
IL any be necessary. They have their
private desks and typewriters; write their
stories at headquarter:, and send them
to their offices
Any office of the police department can
be questioned by reporters. II he con-
sistently can give out news he does So
II he cannot the news Is not printed I'M
til the proper time. Should a story be
ready for publication, the reporter finds
Maj. Sylvester and hin men willing to
help any way POSSIBLE.
By saying Maj. Sylvester believes in |
taking police reporter into his conf |
dence the inference should not be gath |
cred he tells Hewspape. men everything |
going on" Not by an means. He tells |
them whas they should know; what be- |
longs to . public. For instance, II the
police are going to arrest murderer and |
know the .xac- spo. they can lay hands |
on him, they sometimes say. I'VE expect |
to get him Goa but do not for publica- |
ton tell where. To print this only would |
help the murderer escape to another hid
ing place.
Cooperation II Urged.
Maj. Sylvester. as head of the Interna-
tional Association Of Police Chiefs, on q 1
number Of occasions has urged co-opera-
ton between heads Of police departments /
throughout the world ald the Newspaper
men. He believes in harmony between
The two. realizing better results thus are
obtainable.
And when chiefs Of departments and re-
porters pull In double harness the public
benefits. That is to say, when the busi-
ness man. workman, woman. and child
reads a police story he can rely upon
it, being t.u,hfuL
While thief Perrott's rules have not L
been in effect long enough for the public
81 indianapolis to note the effect, the
chances are Mr.. Perrott sooner or later
will realize he has made a mistake Men +
N public lie need the influence and help
,f the newspapers, and Chief Perrott can
not expect to have this II he continues to
the policy he 30 recently mapped
but.
Immediately upon going into ONCE he
was quoted as saying: 81 don't want to
suppress Tho news. but am going to
rive out orly what I think should be
made public"
He ammo. need bulletins covering all
Eases wouli be posted probably q day or
TWO after tie respective cases have been
Hated.
Thus a war now Is on between the In
Annapolis chief and the newspapers there.
IN the ver,acu;ar of the streets the press
tells EsaS 5000