Evening Star Newspaper, November 10, 1929, Page 99

THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, NOVEMBER 10, 1929. and no doubt other sports were included from time to time. Like the Schuetzen Park, a half- mile farther up the road, beer seemed to be the greatest attraction, and the clang of the big triangle which they struck every time a new keg was tapped could be heard for some distance away. During the Civil War these grounds in part .were included in the territory occupied by Campbell Hospital. After the war the build- ings were transferred to Gen. Howard and were used for a long time as the Freedmen's Hospital. To the north of the old station were the Metropolitan Railroad car barns, and a block to the west ran Reedy Branch, in a southerly direction. It was an open stream, at least until 1871 or 1872, when it was converted into a sewer. It was quite a stream, and where it crossed Florida avenue at Eighth street, a hand bridge was placed for the use of pe- destrians. As a child, the writer loved to gather the beautiful pebbles to be found in this branch, and for many years the whatnot at his home was decorated with the stones gathered there. Some distance above Grant avenue (now Barry place) were Quinlan's and Dutrow's slaughter houses, Cowtown—the real and only Cowtown—was no paradise for policemen, and Lieut. Johnson’s men were frequently called upon to quell dis- turbances there. The late Sam Einstein, the poundmaster, never visited there without police protection, and even then his visits met with strenuous resistance from the population. When the Boundary sewer was completed, Reedy Branch was diverted into it. This sewer was begun in 1879, and, when finished, was the largest cylindrical sewer in the world. At its starting point at E street, between Seventeenth and Eighteenth streets northeast, it is 22 feet in diameter, inside measurement. It extends along Florida avenue from its northeast start- ing point to about Eighth street northwest. It was one of Washington’s greatest engineering feats, and was constructed under the direction of Maj. Hoxie, IKE old friends—childhood friends—these -old landmarks are one by. one passing away. A new Washington is taking the place of the - old Washington. However, fond memories of the past are sure to prove of the greatest com- fort and pleasure to us during our closing days. Perhaps it is only imagination, but it does seem that the type of young men whom we have on the police force today do not compare with such men as Johnson Slattery, Slack Dunnigan, Amiss, Arnold and other old-timers. Only two of these men were six-footers, the others being around 5 feet 9 inches, but just imagine one of them being handled as they handle some of our policemen at the present day. Of course there are exceptions, and it would no doubt be showing bad judgment for a prisoner to attempt today to mix it up with Acting Capt. Mike Ready of No. 8, for the captain, in his younger days, held some cham- pionships in the prize ring, and there are favor- able chances that he still retains a dangerous wallop or two. Lieut. Johnson just seemed to enjoy a scrap. At least, it is doubtful if he ever ran away from or avoided one. A writer for The Star, a number of years ago, in speaking of the prowess of this officer, said: “At the time that Lieut. Johnson was ap- pointed, which was away back in the days of 1861, Washington city was overrun with thou- sands of soldiers who came from all classes and all sections of America and Europe, and when certain of these blue-clothed soldiers would fill up with the horrible whisky of that period they would become so crazed with the stuff that dis- order was rampant in the city and murders were of dally occurrence. “It was during this exciting period that the venerable subject of this sketch was appointed and was placed in charge of what was then known as the second police precinct, which was located at a point above Florida avenue and on Seventh street, just about where the Brightwood terminal station is now, and from his first entry into the police business until he retired, after 35 years of active duty, the ‘life of Lieut. Johnson was a mighty strenuous one. “On his first day’s duty in the precinct, Lieut. Johnson - sauntered down to the corner of Seventh and T streets, and just as he arrived at the northwest cormer of this intersection, three soldiers who had been drinking, members of the Scot’s Nine Hundred, which was a famous regiment during the Civil War and which was composed entirely of natives of Scotland, came around the corner of T street, where the drug store is now located. No sooner had they spied Lieut. Johnson than they simultaneously blazed away at him with their pistols, and for a while the bullets were whistling like so many angry serpents about the lieutenant’s ears. “Shielding himself as best he could, the litutenant stood his ground, and when the soldiers had exhausted their ammunition the officer went across the street, and in a very businesslike manner proceeded to knock the three warriors into unconsciousness with the aid of his baton.” TBE story of how he saved the life of Sergt. David Dunnigan of his command has also some thrilling aspects. Dunnigan was sent to the house of Mrs. Bailey, who was suspected of keeping a “speak- easy,” on Brightwood road, now Georgia avenue When the sergeant arrived and told the wéman his mistion, he was invited into the house, but, as the story goes, “no sooner was the blue- coat inside the dwelling than the light was extinguished and he was beset by a gang of rowdies. He was knocked down time after time with clubs in the hands of the gang, yet he managed to fight back, but the blows he had received, together with the loss of blood he sustained, finally so weakened him that he was almost in, for the fight in the dark had lasted nearly an hour, and the officer had about given up all hope when his ears caught the sounds of a horse running rapidly up the road, and as he listened he heard a police ‘whistle which told him that assistance was mear. frhe sergeant’s theqr; was the right one, Lieut. James Johnson (front row center) taken with the police of the second precinct in front of their headquarters at 2040 for the nex' moment the door of the house was crashed i, ar 1 Lieut. Johnson entered the room vhe.e t.e life and death struggle was going ocn. T ihe two men cowed the gang of ruffians arl the entire party was put under arrest. “During the fight and before the lieutenant arrived a member of the gang of rioters, one Jack Donohue, killed the Bailey woman by striking her in the head with a table leg, the blow being aimed at the head of Sergt. Dun- nigan.” Poor Dunnigan, later as lieutenant, gave his life for the public’s peace as security. IEUT. JOHNSON came of sturdy stock. His father, Willlam Johnson, was a sea cap- tain and lived to be 88 years of age, dying December 18, 1859. His wife was Barbara (Miller) Johnson of Middletown, Md., a woman said to be of unusual strength, who died on March 31, 1847, at the age of 66 years. While William Johnson was at sea Mrs. Johnson kept a dairy farm where the base ball grounds are now, her home being where the Park Hotel once stood. It is said she was so powerful that she could draw a steer down Georgia avenue, on September 12, 1878. Miss Payne, loaned the writer the portraits used in this story, and George, now said to reside in Laurel, Md. Recently the writer received a clipping from a Pacific Coast paper which, in connection with other matters, speaks of our old police force. It is interesting in at least two ways, for its accuracy and its inaccuracy. Here it is: “Herbert Hoover cannot be arrested for any act whatever—not even if he kills some one. The person of the President of the United States is inviolable during his term of office, and he is beyond the reach of any other de- partment of the Government. If the Presi- dent should be impeached, convicted -and re- moved from officz, he can then be arrested. In spite of the fact that the President cannot be arrested, both Franklin Pierce and Ulysses 8. Grant, while President, were arrested. “President Pierce, while returning on horse- back from the home of Willlam Morgan, acci- dentally ran down the wife of Nathan Lewis, A constable named Stanley Edelin placed President Pierce, under arrest. He was imme- diately released, however. “President Grant was arrested in Washington for fast driving, while driving west on M street, between Eleventh and Twelfth streets. Wil- ‘An early picture of Lieut. James Johnson and his family. Left to right: Mrs. Ellenora Payne, Baby George, Lieut. Johnson, Mrs. De Neale and Mrs. Uns- worth. to the bull ring and kill him as easily as could any man, and from this it is evident that her son, the lieutenant, must have inherited her strengtie. The children of William and Barbara John- son were: William L., James, Sarah A., Henry and Jacob, twins, and Andrew. Sarah A. Johnson married John B. King, and their daughter, Emma R., married Capt. James E. Heffner, one of the finest policemen who ever wore a uniform. The writer is par- ticularly well acquainted with Mrs. Heffner and her daughter Lillie—Mrs. Edward J. Stull— having resided as a child in the same neigh- borhood with them. Lieut. Johnson married Miss Mary De Strange, and the following issue resulted: Kate, who married Thomas H. Unsworth, the jew- eler; Sarah, who became Mrs. Frank T. De Neale, and whose husband resides in the old Johnson homestead, to the north of the en- trance of the base ball park; Ellenora, who married John W. Payne, and whose daughter, liam H. West, a Negro policeman, ran out In the street, grabbed the bridle and was dragged half a block before he brought the horse and buggy to a stop. When West recognized Presi- dent Grant he apologized. President Grant said, ‘Officer, do your duty.’ “The policeman took the horse and buggy to the police station on Massachusetts avenue, from which place the horse and buggy were driven to the White House stables. The Negro April 11, 1866, Gen. U. S. Grant was arrested by Officer S. A. Bailey for fast driving and was fined $5. On July 1, 1866, he was ar- rested by Officer S. T. Crown for fast driving and again fined $5.” : Bln’NG the family genealogist, my sister-in- law sent this item on to me because wished to know if the S. T. Crown here ferred to was her uncle, and of course received a prompt reply that it was. Samudl Truman Crown, by which name h: was chris- tened, could not have lived long after this event happened, for he died in 1872, three years after Gen. Grant became President. At his death he left a widow and two small sons, William Stanley Crown and Frank Bland Crown, the latter being the manager of the Law Reporter Co., while the former passed away a few years ago. Officer S. T. Crown, according to Maj. Syl- vester, for his frequent acts of bravery received the sobriquet of “Rarey Crown.” Just how much of the clipping quoted Is true is not easily answered. Frank B. Crown says he always heard that his father did upon one occasion arrest Gen. Grant for fast driving, :ut recalls nothing further regarding the inci« ent. Gen. Grant did not become President until 1869, and the statement that he was arrested while Chief Executive in 1866—when Johnson was President—would of course be impossible. The writer always understood that Officer West arrested President Grant for fast driving on Boundary street—now Florida avenue—and took him to the old second precinct on Seventh street, where he disclosed his identity and was released, afterward highly complimenting West for doing his duty. West was then attached to this precinct, and it is quite unlikely he w:‘uid' take a person outside of his own pree einct. Any arrest of the President in the District of Cclumbia must, under any and all circum- stances, be but technical, for the President, if he so wished, could discharge the whole force and place in office here those who would show the proper regard for his exalted position, even if he did violate the law. ks Even if thirsting for notoriety, there are few policemen who would knowingly arrest, or ate tempt to arrest, the Chief Magistrate. 4 - Speed in Reforestation: TBA'I‘ the country is gradually awakening ®® the necessity of replacing the sadly depleted forests is indicated in the figures for 1928 con- cerning the tree planting of the 34 States and two Territories co-operating with the Federal Government under the terms of the Clarke-Mce Nary act. In exact figures, 68,565,291 trees were set out, of which 28,757,448 were distributed to farmers under the Federal measure. More than 18,000,- 000 trees were set out on private lands other than farms, and nearly 21,500,000 on State lands. Many of these trees were set out as shelter belts and windbreaks, but by far the greater part were planted for reforestation purposes. Strangely, New York led with 9,840,000 trees, with Pennsylvania a close second, and Ohio, Massachusetts, Vermont and New Jersey ranke ing well up. Tribal Customs in Ecuadors EOUADOR may look small on the map, but te the explorer it is an immensely large coune try, because of the greatly varied nature of its physical characteristics and the absorbingly ine teresting things seen on all sides. Rising from the lowlands of the Pacific it ex« tends back over the Andes and then down inte the jungle land about the headwaters of the Amazon., Many of its ancient tribes still exist; with their tribal customs of hundreds of years ago, such as grotesque painting of the bodies and disfiguring of the faces. ‘The main industry of the country is grazing, although large quantities of chocolate and smaller quantities of bananas, rice, cotton, cacao and other lowland products are raised. Fairly good qualities of cotton and woolen goods ard