The Washington times., 1926-02-24
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TOH(N()R
HEROES

At the request of Major and
Superintendent of Police, Edwin
E. Hesse and Chief George Wat
son, of the Fire Department, Com
missioner Frederick A. Fenning
has accepted an invitation to pre-
sent the gold and silver medals
and the merit bars to the thirteen
members of the two departments
for valiant service during 1926.
The exercises incident to these
presentations viii be held at Cen.
trail High School Auditorium at 8
p. m, March |. Happy Walkers
orchestra will provide the music
and entertainment features, and
the Hillbillies Quartet through the
courtesy of their manager, Mr..
AdoIps Marks, win sing old time.
tunes.
Honor Is Fitting
In accepting the hero awards. an
nuaily made by The washington
Times Affer citizens committee
has gone thoroughly into the many
heroic deeds performed in the dis.
charge of their duties by the hun
dreds of members OF the two public
safety departments. the thirteen
men viii be signalIy honored by
their real commander-in-chief, be-
cause 1t Is over the Police and
Fire departments that Commissioner
Fenning presides in his official ca
pacity on the local Board of Com
missioners.
The Police and Fire departments,
20 to speak. are his especial
charges. He is as much interested
in the manner in which they acuuit
themselves in the discharge of their
various functions as are Chief
Hesse or Chief Watson.
Commissioner fleming has long
been an admirer OF the system by
which The Washington Times an
nually brings the attention of the
public to the heroic deeds of the
two departments through these pub.
lie bestowals of medals and merit
bars. Long before he was appoint
ed Commissioner he was in
tensively interested in the yearly
ceremony which brought honor to
and reflected credit upon the out.
standing members OF the police and
fire organizations.
Principal Heroes
The two principal heroes selected
are Precinct Detective Michael ].
Dowd. of the Police Department,
and Fireman William j. Schnitz,
Of the Fire Department. These two
VIII receive gold medals, and al
third, Patrol Driver Jacob Wolfe.
VIII be awarded a special silver
police medal for facing death in
capturing man who was armed
TO the teeth and hiding in an attic.
Ten other members of the two
departments will be the recipients
Of merit bars at the presentation
exercises March /. The citations of
the citizens committee, which, be.
sides Commissioner Rudolph, in
clndes Mrs. John Allen Dougherty,
Mrs. Frederick H. Brooke, Charles
w. Darr, Odell s. Smith, DIR. Ed
ward X. Gookin and Henry N.
Brawner, jr., were as follows
Fireman Schmitz answered the
appeal Of a 70-year-old' woman for
aid-she was trapped in her smoke
filled home, leaping flames cutting
OH every avenue OF escape. SchmitZ
dashed through these flames, gath
cred the woman in his arms and,
fortunately, reached safety. The
woman lives today tribute to the
fiPeman's heroism.
Detective Dowd faced the muzzle
of a revolver held in the hands of
q dangerous highwayman. He ad.
vanced toward that gun as the
holder pulled the trigger. He grap-
pied with the gunman with the odds
of 100 to / against him. He won
the battle, shooting the robber, who
died later.
Captured q Slayer
Driver Wolfe captured a muir
derer. He climbed through a trap
door, leading to an attic, after a
man who was armed to the teeth.
He gambled with his life. His
quick action and his strength SAVED
him. He was on top Of the MUIR
derer before the latter could pull
Tn0HEeEoS