Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-11-22

deputy marSnalS imam (ireaCer new
York City with a population of
more than 100000, and that city has a much
larger force of deputies than any other city
except Washington, or more strictly speaking
the District of Columbia. Chicago has 81 less
than Washington; Philadelphia, so less; San
Francisco, SO less and Los Angeles, 60 less.
This does not mean that the people of Wash
ington are any more lacking in good behavior
than those of New York or other cities much
larger, If we can measure the orderlineSs of a
community by the number of United States
marShals it has.
The conditions of the District of Columbia
are entirely different from those in any other
political subdivision in the United States There
is no county sheriff, with his staff of deputies,
in Washington. There is no city marshal and
there are no conStableS here. The United States
marshal here performs the duties of all these
officials in other communities. Besides, the
United States marshal and his deputies here
serve the processes for all the courts of the
District; make all arrests on bench warrants;
have the custody of such prisoners; serve all
writs of attachment replevin, eviction, habeaS
corpus, subpoena, summons, warrants, and con-
duct prisoners to the prisons when sentenced.
The police of the District make arrests for the
violation of the Police Departments regula-
tions.
In the % States the county sherifs, their
deputies and constables perform such func-
tons under the State courts as belong to the
United States marshals Office here. AS to cases
in the Federal courts in each of the several
States, the United States marshals have rela-
tions only with the United States Courts In
the District OF Columbia the United States
marshal serves all courts. The status of the
United States marshal in Hawaii, Porto Rico
and the Territory CT Alaska is practically the
same as that of the same officials in the States.
There three United States marshals in
Sparsely settled Alaska.
Before extraordinarily was abolished in
those countries We had United States marshalS
connected with consular courts in Turkey and
Egypt At present we have only one United
States marshal in foreign country and that
is in China at Shanghai, where we also have
United States court. Both are under the State
Department for obvious diplomatic reasons. ALI
the United States marshals, well as Federal
judges with the exception of the single instance
in China are under the Department of Justice.
There are no United States marshals in the
Philippines, Guam, Samoa or the Virgin Is
lands. Practically speaking the Philippines
have local self government through their Legis-
lature, comprised entirely of natives. Their
acts, however, must be approved by Congress
and the President before they can become laws.
The three small island possessions named are
under governors (naval of1cers) assigned by
the Secretary of the Navy.
The United States marshal of the District
of Columbia sometimes has duties to perform
in our distant possessions, through the officials
there. He has frequent relations with the
United States narshals in the several States.
Often the Federal marshals in the States call
upon Marshal Snyder to serve papers or make
arrests for them here. Even some officials out
side Of Washington do not know that there is
no such official as sheriff in the District of
Columbia. Frequently letters or kilograms adj
dressed to 1.-THE High Sheriff, Washington,
d. c." are turned over to Marshal Snyder. A
man in Western State once asked this writer:
els Washington county seat town."
IN very recent years our United States marshal
] has had activities in foreign countries. When
the Oil magnate, Harry M Blackmer, refused
to come to this country from France to testify
in the oil cases, the Government had no way of
serving him. So Senator Walsh of Montana
introduced bill, which was quickly passed.
legalzing United StatGs consular officers to
serve wrts sent then by the United States
marshal 1t was theL Marshal Snyder;s duty
% locate Blackmer. He sent the necessary