Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-02-17
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
COMPLAINS OF POLICE
TO the Editor Of tho Telegraph:

To the Editor of tho Tele0rdph'
1 have been a daily reader OF your
esteemed newspaper for the past
fifteen years and 1 find as much en-
joyment in reading it as l do in eat
ing my evening meal. appreciate
your fairness at all times given 10
letters on all leading subjects that
arise from time to time, Whetner
they be of National or City import
ance involving either Republican
Democrat or any other party polltics'
and for this reason l take this liberty
of writing and expressing my opinion
and l firmly believe the expressed
opinion of ninety per cent OF the
residents of the city of HarrispurS
with relations to the assumed ue-
plorable conditions of our Ponce De-
partment. There have been seVerai
charges preferred against one OF
more of the members of the depart
ment but the gravest of the charges
to my mind seems to have gone
unnoticed. 1t was rumored charge
and without any hesitation that
certain City Detective had taken a
State Official into camp to the extent
of $295., in addition to sac. automo-
bile hire, for hush money, as IL Is
known in police terms.
Harrisburg has been heralded from
coast to coast as a city of vice, CRIME
and immoral freedom, and why?
Simply because such acts as these
allowed to go unnoticed and with
out the proper investigation. why
should one who has been fortunate
enough in himself and unfortunate
enough for the people he represents
q I. IL m mick nllt
Harrisburg when he wishes to go on
one of his frolics and capers and
then return to his own native land
and say Harrisburg is the worst
town on the map: you can go. there
and do as you please and in the
end you will get it shaken down."
The Mayor knows this he has re-
peated it to some of mis- friends that
he knows it. But he says 'it did
not happen during my administra-
ton"
Give the voters of this city the just
satisfaction they deserve when they
Eplace confidence in a man by electing
him the head of a prominent and re-
sponsible department and you will
retain in that voter friendship ever
lasting.
AS a railroader I frequently go to
New York City and 1 quite often in
my travels come in contact with
travelling men, representing some of
the largest concerns of America and
it is a frequent remark that L hear:
Yes, I hear much of Harrisburg;
some town you got there, everything
goes" Can this not be eliminated
I'and instead let them say, "A beauti-
full city and so we'll managed"
Another point not so interesting to
most of us yet very important indeed
is the fact that only few short
months ago the Federal Authorities
were compelled to enter our borders
and make q clean sweep of the city.
ridding us of some of the vilest
houses of ill-repute ever known.
The Federal Marshal gave them a
hearing and held some of them for
court in bail as high as $4,000. To-
day some of the very ones that were
hauled in the Post-Office building in
army trucks are running their dens
in defiance of the Mayor. Chief of
Police or any of the members of.the
Harrisburg Police Department. In
formation has been advanced to the
Police Department concerning these
places, also personal interviews have
been held with his honor the mayor
but he simply says that we will in
vestigate. 1 think that we have
grown a wee bit careless in our per-
sonal concern and pride. I believe
that all these matters of great i'm
portance should be given attention
and promptly cleaned up. Why
should the capital city of the great
est Commonwealth on earth be tar
nished and branded as sinful. filthy,
and immoral when we as its heads
can make it otherwise.
I am proud to say that have been
resident here for over forty-five
years have always upheld the morals
of my town and I say with honor
that I have never In my life gone
into another city, town or borough
and abused the morals of the govern
ment and I have never been a State
Senator; simply law abiding citizen.
do hope that Mayor Keister will
prove to the good people of Harris
burg that he intends to do all he
can to uphold the fair name of Har-
risburg and retain the confidence
that the voters placed in him when
they elected him their Chief EXecu-
tive.
Thanking you for any space given
this article. I am, ,
"a GOOD CITIZEN"