Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-03-24
Ace Detective
On D. {. Force
Will Retire
Inspector FIuherty
Has Solved Many
Murder Cases

Inspector jeremiah F. Flaherty,
known as MIR. Homicide around
the Police Department, is retir-
ing after more than 20 years Of
tracking down the city'S cleverest
killers.
Now assistant chief Of detec-
tives, Inspector Flaherty will go
before the Board of Fire and
Police Surgeons next Tuesday
and probably will be retired the
latter part of next month.
Speculation as to his successor
as No. 2 man in the Detective
Bureau pointed to Capt. Aubrey
NJ. TolSon, now chief of the
general assignment squad and
once homicide squad man.
Inspector Flaherty. now 81, has
been i'll for some time and re-
Gently underwent a number of
operations.
He is closing out one of the
most colorful careers in the de-
partment'S history, one marked
by more than 100 official COM
mendationS and the solution Of
scores of crimes of violence.
Named Homicide Head in 1871.
He took charge of the homicide
squad July Is, 1941, at a time
when a congressional investiga-
ton had scathingly denounced
the department for failure to
solve the murders of Betty Strieff
and Rose Abramovitz.
Then a lieutenant. the in
vestigator saw the need for more
modern methods of fighting
criminals. for a crime labora-
tory and larger homicide force.
He helped direct the capture of
Theodore R. Catoe. convicted
and executed for the Strict and
Abramovitz Sayings.
Two years later the detective
was commended six times for
solution of the Charlotte N.
Robinson Staying. He brought
Fred C. Mergner to justice in
that one. In 1914 the Washing
ton Cathedral Staying of Cath
crime c. Reardon shocked >the
community leading to the exc
cution of Julius Fisher.
PrObed Boyer Murder.
More recently, Inspector Fla
herty had a major part in the
capture of James Medley and
Earl Mcfarland. executed in
the Nancy Boyer murder case.
Inspector Flaherty's COM
nlendations often came in
wholesale numbers as the II he
received with the solution of
the Howard Jones and James
Hardy cases. Both cab drivers.
they were slain in February.
1913. Two brothers, George and
Lawrence Garner, died in the
electric chair for the Jones
murder and were not tried for
the second.
Three men were arrested and
executed in the Staying of
Frank c. Kelley near Central
High School in 1947, another
case in which Inspector Flaherty
led the investigation. The list
Of solutions goes on and on.
Joined Force In 1922.
A native of the District, In
spector Flaherty was appointed
to the force July %, 1922. He
was commended three years
later for arresting a man who
threatened him with gun.
His career in the detective bu-
reau began nearly "a years ago
and he began his work with the
homicide squad in 1882.
The policemen rose to rank Of
lieutenant August /, 1915, and
to captain February 16. 1919 In
1850, when it was reported he
was about to retire, his physical
condition improved and he was
elevated to inspector and made
assistant chief of detectives.
Inspector Flaherty, who lives
with his wife at 231 Missouri
avenue NV, said he expected to
take a trip to Florida soon after
the retirement is made official.
He also has a summer home at
Beverly Beach, Md.