Evening star., 1939-12-11
By BAINBRIDGE CRIST.


sergeant.
Since joining the police force
more than 43 years ago-July, 1896
Mr.. O'Dea has amassed a gallery
Of probably 1000 pictures, Of which
more than half cover the walls of
the robbery squad room at police
headquarters and the long corridor
outside. Briefly, the collection in
cludes photographs of policemen
and officers, past and present: pre-
cinct stations, Harbor Police boats.
newspaper clippings. horse-drawn
patrol wagons and bicycle squads,
murder victims and scenes of raids.
The pictorial record covers the
last 81 years of police history. It
includes not only major events and
personalities since the organization
OF the department into a police dis
trict In 1861. but also yellowing
prints of the auxiliary guard organ
ized back in 1912, when officers
used rattles instead Of whistles.
Picture Of Leader.
Placed over Detective Sergt.
ODea's desk is a picture of this
special force and its leader-except
for a short interval-Capt. John H.
Goddard. The guard was organ
lied "for the protection of public
and private property in the city of
Washington" largely as result of
a stone being thrown at President
Tyler by drunken man. Ironically,
one Of the guardsmen in the auxil-
larry group claimed that he was the
one who threw the stone. Shortly
after the formation of the Metro
politan Police Department In 1861
the guard was disbanded.
Detective Sergt. O'Dea, who says
that he ''likes to look at his COL
lection and to talk about it," has
q number of "firsts." AS he sits
behind his desk in the robbery
squad room and picks up his cane
to point out the various pictures,
he is apt to point to several photo
graphs Of what he believes are the
first patrol wagons in the city. The
first one-if that it be-looked very
much like an open delivery wagon
with high rear wheels. The later
wagons were built lower to the
ground, because. Mr.. O'Dea ex-
plains, the police were afraid that
drunks might hurt themselves If
they attempted to jump or If they
fell from the wagon.
Among other f1rsts in the gallery
are pictures of Zenas C. Robbins.
one Of the first commissioners O.
the Metropolitan Police Department,
and William B. Webb, first super
Of police under the Met
ropolitan system. Robbins was ap-
pointed in 1861 by President Lin
coin, who gave him a letter Of intro
to whom it may con-
cern," SO that he could collect in
formation concerning the New
York police system"
A Police Diploma.
Another relic of these days is q
diploma granted to a police appn-
can't, Alexander Campbell, back In
December, 1862, little over a year
after the organization Of the Met
ropolitan Police. And hanging
nearby is picture with the simple
inscription, "The First Cop"
One picture that the detective is
certain to point out is one of the
t1rst Christmas tree put UP by
the Police Department for the poor
children of the city. It was set up
IN the District Building in 1918.
Sprinkled among the hundreds of
pictures are many that concern
Detective Sergt. ODea himself. who
was once the leader Of a raiding
group known as "the four horse
men," The newspapers gave the
title to him-and the three men
with him, Howard E. Ogle,
Oscar w. Mansfield and Arthur
Fihelly-because of the number of
raids that they made on gambling
places and speakeasies during the
era.
The detective is emphatic In his
opinion that the speakeasies were
much better furnished than the
oarrooms of today. But when we
got through our raids" he con-
[esses with a twinkle in his eyes,"
the raided place looked as If the
ire department had hit It,"
Shows Chicago Mobsters.
One picture, tackled up on the
wall near his desk shows q group
II Chicago mobsters in q local
police lineup, with one man wear
ing several bandages on his face.
IT beat him up," Mr.. ODea ad-
mits.
The collection, Of course, includes
many autographed pictures, most Of
which have been presented BY
prominent police officials. One Of
hem, however, is from Bill Robin
ION, famous colored tap dancer,
Who wrote:
I'll do a dance anytime for Larry
0Dea, best always, comparatively
Bill Robinson"
The gallery not only attracts the
,ye of those who wander down the
,hird floor corridor of police head
quarters, or those who enter the
'obbery squad room, but it serves
hose who wish to see old and rare
pictures Of their relatives. "Once,"
Mr.. ODea points out, "a woman
;ame- in here with her daughter,
Who had never seen her father"
The detective hunted around In his
lies, succeeded in finding Q picture
II the father, and gave It TO them.