Evening star., 1934-07-29
ny ]. RUSSELL YOUNG.

Washington soon forgets its former
public servants. even those VINO nave
held places among the mighty.
Ex-cabinet officers and ex-Senators
and ex-Representatives, in fact vir-
tually all those who were In the lime
light for various periods, sink only
too quickly into oblivion very soon
after they have gone from public life
and public print.
But Clarence L. Dalrymple, captain
OF the White House police, does not
forget. He has become noted, during
his long and valuable service at the
executive ofice, for his uncanny MEM
ory of names and faces.
No matter how long since once
prominent individual has visited the
White House, Dalrymple remembers
him the moment he comes in the
front door of the executive Offices.
There is nothing more pleasing to
a caller at the White House execu-
tive Office, particularly one who has
long since been out of the public eye,
than to be greeted by name, and 9TH
erwise familiarly, when he presents
himself.
Capt. Dalrymple, as head of the
police who protect the White House,
executive office and surrounding
grounds, is generally stationed in the
main entrance lobby of the executive
Office. Usually he stands within few
feet of the doorway. He sees every
body who enters. If he doesn't know
the visitor by sight, the visitor must
Immediately make himself known. His
nod of approval is enough to permit
the visitor to continue down the cor
ridor to the doorman at the Office Of
the Presidents secretary.
Dalrymple, then, is the real "greeter"
at the White House. Once he hears
name and sees face, neither is
forgotten. Capt. Dalrymple says that
while his memory for names is not
quite as good as it used to be, his
memory for faces has never failed him.
"Cranks" Stop at Him.
Capt. Dalrymple has more than once
stopped a crank" at the entrance to
the executive office. 1t was he who
stopped desperate character named
Strickland, who came all the way from
Arkansas to make trouble because
President Taft had not done what he
wanted him to do. The fellow, burly
and wild, was armed with loaded .48
revolver, and was in an ugly temper
when Dalrymple recognized him and
refused him adlnittance. There was
briet scuffie on the doorstepS Of the
executive Office, but Dalrymple sue
ceeded In disarming the man and
making him prisoner.
Strickland, who was one of the
early pioneers from Arkansas, had be-
come obsessed with the idea that he
was the sole owner of all the land
comprising Pike County, Arkansas. All
others were squatters on his land, he
thought, and he had been to WASH
tngton several times previously seek
ing the Presidents assistance in re-
moving these "squatters." OF course,
he was never permitted to see Presi-
dent Taft and he necessarily became
enraged. More than two years before
his arrest by Dalrymple, he had been
taken out of the executive Office lobby
by force. In two years since then
Strickland had let his beard grow, his
hair had considerably grayed and he
was much more shabbily dressed, but
despite the changes In appearance,
Dalrymple recognized him the mo-
ment he arrived at the doorway to
the Office building.
Wartime Caller.
He had a similar experience with
another man during the term of Presi-
dent Wilson. The World War was on
and this man claimed to have in
vented a f1rearm that would be su-
preme as a weapon. Because of an un-
balanced mind, he had been turned
away from the executive Office the
first time he called, but when he re-
appeared a year later Dalrymple rec
ognized him and prevented him from
crossing the threshold. There were