Park View, D.C.

The above image and following article are from the November 3, 1903, Washington Times. I found it interesting because this squad did duty in the District’s 10th Precinct (750 Park Rd.) in addition to other parts of the City.

The above picture shows the mounted squad of the Metropolitan police force drawn up for inspection by Major Sylvester before taking part in last Wednesday’s parade. One of the features of the model police force of the National Capital, the mounted squad,is one of the most important branches of the service.

The mounted men do duty in the Third, Fifth, Seventh, Eighth, Ninth and Tenth Precincts, being called upon to watch closely all roads entering Washington, and to keep a lookout for suspicious characters of all sort, coming into the city or going out of it. In addition to this they are the dread of the automobile scorcher, the bicycle scorcher, and fast driver or rider along the speedways and roads on the outskirts of the city. Even as they hold the reckless in check, they act as defense to those whose ideas of locomotion keep them within conservative bounds. Many a runaway horse that threatened death to the occupant or occupants of the vehicle to which he was hitched has been stopped by the nervy and efficient mounted police and the lives of those in danger saved by their prompt and courageous actions.

No small part of the achievements of the mounted police is the polite and courteous attention they give to those unfamiliar with the roads around the city in setting them right when they are unable to find their way, and Washington has every reason to be proud of the impression they invariably create upon strangers visiting the city.

The following officers compose the mounted squad: Third precinct, Private P. Creagh; Fifth precinct, Privates J. W. McCormick, A. W. Greeen, M. Ready, M. E. Hagan, Robert Dyer; Seventh precinct, Sergt. S. J. Harry, Privates J. E. Giles, James Law, G. B. Cornwall, E. C. Blake, G. W. Neal, Augustus Hess, John Maher, C. C. Pearce, J. B. Lipscomb, H. M. Smith; Eighth precinct, Private W. E. Yellow; Ninth precinct, Privates S. L. H. Russell, J. E. Joyce, William Piley, Rufus Vandechaff, W. J. Rogers, Robert Tapscott, E. M. Jett, J. E. Schuyler; Tenth precinct, Privates M. Jennings, H. C. Stromann, J. E. Bryarly, C. P. M. Lord, B. T. Rhodes.

This entry was posted on March 19, 2010 at 10:01 am and is filed under City services, Crime, History. You can subscribe via RSS 2.0 feed to this post's comments.

Tags: history and culture, MPD