Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-10-20
PRATT IS GIVEN
PHYSICAL TEST
Retirement Is Forecast as
StoII and Others Are Or
dered Before Board.
Continued From First Page)

Continued From First Page)
law the Commissioners have authority
20 retire any officer who has reached
the age of so, regardless Of his physical
condition.
Educated in Virginia.
Mai. Pratt was born at Passapatanzy,
King George County, Va, and was ed
ucated in the Virginia Public Schools
and at Bethel Military Academy In
Fauquier County.
His family has been prominent in
the Old Dominion for many years He
has two brothers, one of whom, John L.
Pratt, Is vice president of General
Motors. and the other. Frank c. Pratt,
physician in Fredericksburg.
Henry Pratt left the farm to accept
a minor job with an express company
here. He gave up the express job to
enter the Police Department, August /.
1896. His first assignment of leader
ship was as drillmaster at the seventh
precinct. He remained at the seventh
precinct four years and then was trans
ferred to the Detective Bureau as pri-
vate, April. 1900. He WIS promoted to
detective sergeant in i-06 and con-
tinued detective work until July. 1915,
when he was assigned to the United
States attorneys Office, to assist in
preparation of cases for the grand jury.
He returned to the Detective Bureau
in January of 1917. but shortly there
after enlisted in the Omcers' Training
Corps at Fort Myer. Va. He was COM
missioned as captain In the Signal
Corps and placed on active duty In
october, 1917.
Ordered to Washington.
With the declaration of war against
Germany. the then Capt. Pratt was
sent to Newport News, where he per-
fected an intelligence organization there
and in adjacent camps. He served as
intelligence officer at the port of en-
barkation. He was ordered back to
Washington in October 1918. and as
signed to the graft and fraud section of
the intelligence division of the general
staff of the Army, in which post he
directed activities of civil agents and
intelligence police.
The Army commissioned him as
major in June, 1919, and he remained
on active duty at the War Department
until his discharge from the service,
October 4, 1920. After generalization
of the emergency troops he was pro-
NOTED to lieutenant colonel in the Off,
GERS Reserve Corps, a commission he
now holds.
Returned to Police Force.
Upon his discharge from the Army
Pratt returned to the police force. and
In 1922 was promoted to inspector and
assigned as assistant superintendent of
police. He was made chief of the De-
tective Bureau in January, 1929, and
en- April l of that year was appointed
superintendent of police.
Maj. Pratt is one of the few police
chiefs who were financially independent
when appointed. He is said to have a
large income from stock holdings.
His record in the department Is re-
plete with Communications for special
services. He was commended by the
Commissioners for the work of the De-
tective Bureau, under his command. in
affording protection to the vast throngs
which attended the Lindbergh recep-
ton after the Paris-New York flight.
Maj. Pratt is a charter member of
George Washington Post Of the Ameri-
can Legion and a member of the Wash
ington Board Of Trade.