Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-02-19
CHESTER BEGINS Il
ATTACK ON CRIME
Town Will Be Made Des
cent, Says New Chief
of Police
TAKES RESPONSIBILITY
James Fl. Davenport Asserts
He Will Blame Only Him.
self for Failure n

| Chester will be made safe for decsns
citizens, and IL fail to make II SAFE
the fault will be mine. / shall not
pace the blame upon the shoulders OF
another man except Davenport"
Ihat assertion was made today By
James H.. Davenport, Chester's new
chief OF police.
| m Dayenport was appointed to the plaos
business today. Tonight he will ad.
fo.s tne hfty-fve members of the
force, tpce, and In a heart-to heart talk tell
da, dne oiuecoats that new day has
Na"heu Tor the shipbuilding town.
| shaii tell the men," said the chief.
that through cooperation and honss{
Effort the police department can rid ths
otyo oi nousebreakers. pickpocltets and
66sqer 6sr desperate characters; that kitchen
Chester can be made decent town
Ihen 1 shall tell them that they have
kot .n1 10 hep me do those things and that
ne VIII get through.
II any of them are under obligation
70 protect speakeasies and gambling
solhts, an they will have to do is to tell
ms. ,,,e, shail transfer them and give them
aiiisnea iIiH.ner cnaance, but they must sever ali
aniahces with the underworld"
Came From South
ia davenport is only thirty-three years
nected with the Baldwin-Felts Arencv.
an organization that protects the inter.
,,,ti OF indusetrial and financial insti-
sgs,ons Msrnl IN West Virginia. Virginia,
"dTiyiah9 Tisst gam, ana other states in the South
LAST september he came to Chester
ana accepted the appointment as CAP
taln OF the mounted squad He reor-
ganlzed that branch Of the clty's polioe
spect him. -
a., When conditions became so bad that
me decent citizens demanded Mayor
McDoWell to take a hand in the police
SITUATION and name a two-fsted man Is
,re tme mead or the department, the Mayor
turned TO Davenport.
VIII take the job under enc corr
1l.ion, said Davenport, then he In
formed Mayor Mcdowell that he would
IA Il appointed as chief of police, run the
, ME any political faction or protect any
ulsnonest policeman. even IL that police
man man should line up powerful political
The job is yours under those con-
ditlons,' said the Mayor.
new when n,,o discussing his plans today, the
stck sgw fn'ei N H. made i plain that he would
support Of every decent man and woman
N the city, and that includes many OF
tne politicians. The latter are tired OF
oVhuitions ana eager to have the town
cleaned up. Naturally, the present coY,-
oltions reflect on them, and can bank
on their support. -
Crooks Came to Shipyards
"As a matter CT fact" added the chief.
our trouble is not with Chester people.
put with lawless element that has LEFT
the snip and munitions plants. When
tthe night or work law went into effect
the crooks of the country resolved that
instead of fighting they would work.
ana chester got several hundred OF
tnem. As soon as the armistice was
signed they went back to their old vo-
cations. and are doing a good business.
We have lot of them in town, and
among them are many of the cleyereat
house-breakers and burglars in America
AS starter, l shall have six men
appointed as plain-clothes detectives.
and they will rout the lawless elemental"
Chief Davenport said he has no re-
spect for man who shouts about
crime and fails to aid the police In sup
pressing it.
1T is the duty of every man to aid
the police. said the chief, land give the
department any information that may
lead to the arrest CT a criminal Talk
Ing about a crime wave Is ineffective.
unless II is backed up by definite ao-
ton. Chester. because of its Industrial
Importance, Is infested by bad men, but
In month or SO we will have the town
cleared of them"