Evening star., 1939-08-21
1t. Harry Lohmon Completes
~ Years on Police Force
70-Yeur-OId Officer
Still Remuins on
Active Duty
BY WILLIAM PARRIOTT.

BY WILLIAM PARRIOTT.
Forty-seven years a policeman
and still giving no quarter to GRIM
inals or age is the record of 1t.
Harry r. Lohman, oldest member
of the Metropolitan Police Depart
ment in point of service, who to-
day celebrates completion of two
score and seven years in uniform
a career daubed with color, danger
and near-fatal injuries, but, withal,
plenty Of humorous twists to give
it even keel, he declared.
1t. Lohman, 10, tanned and
rugged and straight as steel girder,
is almost as active today as when
he joined the force on August 81,
1892, and went to old No. 3 precinct
to tramp his first beat, which in
cluded the tough Foggy Bottom
district - Toughest beat I ever
walked" he said, smiling in retro
spect.
He has come a long way since
he helped bring law and order to
Foggy Bottom, has rescued women
and children from fires and floods,
been wounded in service, cited, COM
mended, praised by friends and
damned by hoodlums. And he glo-
ries in his career. He wouldn't trade
it for the Capitol dome or maha-
rajah's jewels, although there have
been times, he admits, when he felt
like chucking it all for a ham sand
wich. P. She was eligible for re-
tirement six years ago.
Active duty for 1t. Lohman means
"active" all the way. At present he
Is commanding officer at No. 8
precinct (where he has been sta
toned for II years., serving in the
absence of Capt. Lloyd E Kelly, and
he's as spry as the youngest rookie
in the station.
Holds Pistol Award.
When interviewed today, the gray
haired veteran wore on his shirt
gold medal inscribed pistol expert"
which he won late last spring at the
headquarters range, matching his
younger rivals shot for shot. IT
haven't done much pistol work the
past five years." he declared, "but
thought I'd test my eyes and
nerves." They were both all right.
Eight of 10 shots in the target which
he saved struck vital places and
the two "strays" were only a hairs
distance away. All 10 were in the
mythical midsection of the man
target
Reversing the order of firing, Loh-
man also knows how it feels to get
shot, having been carried into
Emergency Hospital with two bullet
wounds in his chest early one Sum-
day morning about Is years ago.
He was blasted at short range whiie
attempting to arrest man for ques-
tioning in connection with a series
of holdups. The shooting occurred
at Ninth and D streets NV.
The prisoner whom he had
grabbed by the left arm, shot him
point-blank in the scuffle that en-
sued, powder burning the officers
chin as the first bullet tore down.
ward through his chest. II was
paralyzed," Lohman said, "and I
couldn't bulge"
Gunman Felled by Bullet.
Also on duty in the neighborhood
were Detective Harry Cole and
Policeman Oden G.. Clay (now Lob
mans son-in-law), who ran to his
aid. The wounded officer yelled:
Shoot him! I can't get my gun!"
The gunman, as he turned to run,
shot Lohman again but was felled
by Clay with bullet that fractured
his leg in two places. Both in
jured men were taken to Emergency
Hospital. Although seriously in
jured, the policeman said that when
they brought the gunman into the
emergency room II was so mad I
just couldn't help cussing the devil
out of him."
The officer was back on duty in
about three months but his assailant
died Of blood poisoning about a
month after the shooting.
The incident was only one of many
for which he was cited. and COM
mended-so many, in fact, that he
can't remember half of them with
out consulting his file. There is
little in police life that he hasn' t
experienced, having been on duty
at nine precincts and spending four
years with the harbor police as
lieutenant and harbOr master, While
there, he had plans drawn for the
police boat now in service which was
built to replace an old Navy tug
used then.
Born in Georgetown.
1t. Lohman was born in George
town December 10, 1869, and began
work at Is as a field trumpeter in
the Marine Corps. After six years
in the service he resigned and be-
came streetcar conductor, then
turned to selling insurance. His
next step was to the police force
where he rose steadily through the
ranks. He now hopes to step into a
captaincy before he retires. Friends
say his career has been worthy of
that rank.
1t. and Mrs. Lohman live at 341s
Fessenden street NV. with Their
son-in-law and daughter, Pvt. and
Mrs. O. g. Clay and their three
grandchildren.
Asked what advice he would i've