Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-11-10

BOUNDARY street (now Florida avenue)
was macadamized in the early seventies
and was one of the best stretches of road within
the District. They had their speeders and
their speed regulations then, just as they have
today, and they had their crazy drivers then
just as they have today The man with
q fast trotter or PAGER, before the advent OF
the automobile, was just as reckless and needed
just much watching the careless and
inconsiderate automobile driver does at present.
However, the difference then was that only
people of means had horses and buggieS, while
now there are many that can make o
mile a minute-more or less. No doubt the
traffic conditions would have been just as bad
then had there been as many horses ana
buggies we have automobiles now, and with
the same population Indeed, IT. might be sue
cessfully argued that the conditions would have
been even worse
1t was then against the law "to drive any
horse, mare or gelding in any street,
avenue alley of this city at a pace faster
than a moderate trot or gallop, or to make
any attempt or trial of speed between two
or more horses" If any one was injured dur
ing a violation of this law, the driver was
subject to fine of $40 and incarceration in
the workhouse for not less than thirty nor
more than ninety days.
Florida avenue proved a great temptation
to a man with a good stopper. and many q
driver contributed to the citys exchequer for
trying to lower the record of Maud S.
Many a desperate character was taken to
the old second precinct during the approx.
mately ten years it was used as station house.
When the precinct was moved next door, to
2040 Georgia avenue, that building housed for
a time some, if not all, of the Hirth murderers.
AS you will recall, this one of the most
atrocious and diabolical murders ever occurring
in the District of Columbia.
George Philip Hirth was young merchant
of lovable character, who kept store at 1904
Fourteenth street northwest. He had working
for him, toward the close of the year 1879, a
burly colored fellow named Babe Bedford.
whom he discharged In vindictive mood,
Bedford and three other colored men-Edward
Queenan, Sandy Pinn and JohnSon-caught
Hirth on the night of January z, 1880, and
beat his skull in with a stone placed In q
sock. Hirth-if the writer's memory serves
him right-was without one eye, and the muir
. derers, knowing this, approached him from
the blind side. The scene of the crime was
p street. near Eighteenth, then a section
undeveloped and very lonesome after dark.
Upon the occasion of this homicide, Hirth was
on his way to see Miss Sinclair, to whom
he was engaged to be married.
For this crime, Bedford and Queenan were
hanged at the District jail; Pinn died of tuber-
culosis in the penitentiary, where he was serv~
ing a life sentence, and johnson was let ON
for giving testimony against the three others.
Later, it is said, he met just end somewhere
out West, where he was hanged for numbering
some one else.
WHEN the station house on U street was
completed about 1892 the second pre-
cinct was moved there from Seventh street.
and the U street station took over the northern
area of the District, still with Lieut.. Johnson
in command
which greatly impressed the writer. 1t was
shortly after the building was first occupied
that a negro named Charles Shaw was exc
cuted at the District Jail for the murder OF
his sister. No sooner had he been inferred
than Virgo Jansen Ross, local grave robber.
had the body on the way to the Howard Uni
versity Medical School, where it detected
by a policeman, in a nightliner's carriage in
front of Freedmen's Hospital.
OF course, Jansen-as he was generally
called-was arrested and the body of the Negro
taken to the U street station, where it was
placed in the yard, exposed from the shoulders
up Together with other boys of the neighbour
hood, the writer viewed the remains from the
top of the fence, and recalls wildly seeing
the mark around the neck left by the hang
mans moose.
1t was not long after the second precinct
was moved to u street, between Ninth and
Tenth streets, that Lieut.. johnson was retired
and Lieut. James w. GeSsford transferred,
about 1884, to its command, where he remained
In charge for a number of years. always re-
garded by those who knew him a man OF
sterling character and one who always re-
hected great credit upon the Police Department.
of the District
The writer is told by Mai H. L. Gessford,
retired superintendent of police, and son Of
Lieut. Gessford that the change in the number
ing. of the precincts was in accordance with
General Order No. 1913, dated July g. 1885, and
effective August 1, 1886. BY this order No.