The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-10-02

The people of Richmond Will recall
that some fifteen years ago there was
something OF an uproar when Police
man William III. Wyatt declared that
gambling was rampant In the district
In which he was assigned to duty.
There had been one of those spas
modic attempts to clean up the city,
and no sooner had Ofncer wyatt made
his declaration than he wac declared
by the captain Of his district to be all
OF the ffty-seven kinds of liar then
was the statement Of the then chief
of police that Wyatt was unworthy Of
credencea and that the statement of
the captain was trne.
Mr.. Wyatt ala not fiare up and get
excited. He Just did some thinking.
and then went to the Board Of Police
Commissioners and asked for q few
days leave OF absence that he might
make good his statements. and de-
clared that II he did not make good
ne would resign from the force. The
board gave him the chance.
In less than a week Mr.. Wyatt had
collected and stored In the basement
of the City Hall several large wagon
loads Of gambling paraphernalia, all
collected In the district In which the
captain had asserted there was nc
gambling.
The cases attracted a good deal Of
attention, and with some ceremony
dered burned. The bonfire took place
near the City Hall. several thousand
dollars worth OF machinery used IN
gambling joints going up In smoke
And all the while the sports and near.
sports-the poker players, the fire..
quenters Of the red light district and
the saloon habitues-looked on and
silently cursed Ofhcer Wyatt. 1t was
,one cleanup that had cleaned up.
Couldn't Stand the Pressure.
The demand OF the people OF the
lefty was that the police department
should be Investigated. The matter
swayed between the Council. the
Board ct Aldermen and the Mayor fol
sop and finally there WAS ar
ix 9xation.
Before 1t could got under way, how
ever. the captain who had so strenu.
ousiy proclaimed that Mr.. Wyatt was
all sorts Of prevaricator, denied tina,
there was any gambling IN the district
saw At to step down and out Of ONCE
handing In his badges his keys and
uniforms and departing from the
force.
The next step was to attend to the
chief Of police. who had united n
saying that wyatt was unit for police
duty, that he could not be believed
He was asked to take look a. 'hc
gambling apparatus. He did -, hu,
had the manhood to 60 to Wyatt and
admit that they had been mistaken.
/ The People Take . Hand.
Not very long after that Mr.. Wyatt
decided that he would offer for som,
| position which would be more re
munerative, and he determined q
seek ONCE at the hands Of the voters
| He did offer. and when the returns
came In 1t was shown that the reopl,
Of the city had elected him over 1
man who was very popular The ma
1ority for Wyatt was lopsided. From
that day to this the opposition tt
Wyatt has been practically nothing
The unique part of Wyatt's election
to the position Of high constable wa,
the claim made by the sporting fra
\ ternity-<15e, nneM who stfeni&d- tfla
there was gambling. the saloon maj
/ and others-that they had made
possible for Wyatt to win in orde
to get him of the police force.
This was an admission that he wa
one man whom they could not direc
/ and force to do what they willed whe,
II confiicted with sworn duty.
1 Pubic u Inccnscd.
i Yesterday the. war IN Europe, IN
gave way to q discussion Of the Kran
/ gel case. There may ~ some Nh,
approve the actloH At the police boar
IN visiting ON Kronxai puHtshmerA e.
! having told the truth. but Il there n
any who Are souDpo&ting tha act10l