The Washington herald., 1920-01-05
sleep STRANGER
TO U. S. DEPUTIES.
Nothing But Work, Says
Former Marshal, .Apropos
OF Redistribution Probe.
DEFENDS "SIcK LEAVE"
Admits Some Taking" But
Sees No Reason Why :
Honest Should Suffer.

Hustling around In obscure sections
of the city late at night to serve court
summons on persons long in bed.
walking seven and eight miles a night
on such errands after a full days
work. and then, as though there
wasn't enough TO do. sometimes doub-
ling up on a co-worker's duties, are
only few of the uncongeniaiities
that make the life of a United States
deputy marshal In the District Pc
culiarly interesting.
This. according to A. S. Hecht. s06
r street northwest. former deputy
marshal, who. apropos OF the reclassi-
fication commissions Investigations,
gives line on job that may be
well worthy OF attention.
Far From q sinecufe.
Says Hecht
"a personal experience of nearly
five and one-half years as a deputy
u s. marshal for the District OF CO.
lumbia enables me, from a disinter-
ested standpoint. to let the powers
that be and the Reconsideration COM
mission, which has the welfare OF
government employees in it's keeping.
know a few facts regarding that po-
sition. The work OF a deputy U. S.
marshal is far from being a sinecure.
During the first four years or more.
when was a deputy. my TERRITORY"
was all OF the Southeast section Of the
District. and at times when other
deputies were absent on leave" or
other business, / was assigned to do
not only the work in my own terri
tory. but that of the absent deputy
likewise.
II reported per rule, and made my
report at 9 a. m. of the previous
nights work. and when court was in
session acted as court Officer until
court adjourned Have several times
been in charge of jurors who were
out on a case twenty-five hours or
more trying to come to an agreement.
Anyone seeing a deputy acting as
court officer doubtless concludes that
the hardest part of his duty Is to
draw his salary. And / am now writ
ing because at the present time, con-
sidering the high cost of living. he is
drawing about 100 per cent less than
he ought.
Nose. on Grindstone.
After p. m. the hardship of
deputy's position is best known to
himself. and to the chief deputy mar
shall, and his office deputies, who. by
the way, have their noses to the grind
stone doing office work. Very often
they may be seen at work late at
night and on Sundays and holidays.
But to return to my own expe-
rience. At p. m. / received the sum-
mons and other court papers that
were to be served that night and
personally served IL possible. This
personal service often required sew
eral calls on the one case before such
service could be had.
81 seldom got through work before
10, II or II o'clock at night and on
one occasion had to go to the North
west section of the city to serve a
summons on a prospective juror who
had moved from Congress Heights.
and 1t was 12:i5 O'Clock when / got
home.
1T was often my disagreeable duty
to awaken people out of their sleep
to inform them they must answer to
a court summons. l seldom walked
less than seven or eight miles every
night to and from sections in Ana
costa and Congress Heights.
Serves IS Papers in Might.
One night ! had sixty-three papers
to serve. from various courts scat
tered all over the Southeast and South
| west sections of the city. the deputy
that usually covered the latter terri
tory being on his leave.
Il have lately seen II stated in a
Washington paper that there is some
| question regarding the abuse of sick
leave and that such leave may be
abolished. / wish to state that am
not writing this personal experience
with any desire to pat myself on the
back or to fiatter myself. or be fat
tered by anyone else. l am writing
because believe In a square deal
Il have been employed In govern
ment service some fourteen years in
various positions and / have never
been absent a single day on sick leave.
And am prepared to prove this state
ment II called on. ! believe 1t is not
true that sick leave is abused by gov
eminent employees. No doubt there are
some takers among them. Why
punish all because some do not ap-
preciate the privilege? There GER
4 tot ~ .roS M sio 10,