Derastus Clapp
Encyclopedia
Derastus Clapp was head of the first city detective
bureau in the United States, located in Boston
, Massachusetts. He was appointed to the office of constable
by the elderly Mayor Josiah Quincy
in 1828, and was reappointed every succeeding year to 1874. In 1848, he was promoted to be one of the first detectives in the city. Clapp is most noted for his role in the arrest and prosecution of John White Webster
for the murder of George Parkman.
, but soon moved to Boston, after his marriage to Susannah Bowditch of Braintree, Massachusetts
on February 15, 1818. He established an auction house, over which he presided for several years before he was appointed to the office of constable for the City of Boston in 1828. In 1832 and 1836, he was also captain of a ward militia
company. According to an interview in the Boston Traveller on October 26, 1874, Clapp stated that “136 prisoners arrested by him were sent to the State Prison, and several hundred to the House of Correction, and that many thousand dollars worth of stolen property have been recovered by him and restored to its owners.” He gained renown during his tenure as constable as “a successful detecter [sic] of crime” whose name would conjure “dread...among those who had reason to fear an arrest.” There were reports that he would instill fear in the guilty without even approaching them. In 1850, most of the dread was harbored by school-aged children, as he was also an appointed truant
officer. He and his assistant literally carried hundreds of children from all parts of the city back to the public school system.
In 1849, Clapp caught his “big break”. A prestigious member of the Boston Brahmin
s was reported missing. Clapp's role in the investigation of the disappearance of Dr. George Parkman propelled him into international fame. His fame was short-lived, however, and in 1854, Boston established its first uniformed police force, with Constable Clapp as its less prominent member. His sole concern was ticketing illegally parked traffic on State Street
and serving orders of notice issued by the City Clerk. In January 1874, a muscle tear in his right leg disabled him, but he continued his duties until October of that year. He retired on October 1, 1874 after 46 years of service.
for the murder of Parkman. Clapp's experience before this event was centered on less heinous crimes, such as burglary
and counterfeit
ing, and he was initially unprepared for the demands required when dealing with homicide
among the Boston elite.
November 23, 1849, was the last day Dr. Parkman was seen. Parkman's family notified Charles M. Kingsley, Parkman's business manager, that the doctor never returned home for lunch. The next day, November 24, he began a search of the city along with a half dozen police officers and a group of concerned citizens. The search continued as the family posted notices offering a reward of $3,000 for information related to Parkman's disappearance. Based on information acquired during the search, on November 26, 1849, Clapp, in addition to Kingsley and other officers, began focusing on the Harvard Medical College
and surrounding areas. During the search of the college, Clapp made his deference to the upper class apparent.
According to trial testimony by Mr. Kinsley, Clapp stated to Professor Webster that he was just following orders and no one in the college was a suspect. Clapp’s hesitancy during the search is also on record. While searching Webster's laboratory, he started opening a door to a small room. When Webster told him that he kept his valuable and dangerous articles there, Mr. Clapp put his head as far as the door and turned back again, saying, “I will not go in to be blowed up."
As the investigation continued, and suspicion fell on the college as the scene of the crime, Clapp became more aggressive. The college's janitor, Ephraim Littlefield, had been conducting his own investigation, and found what were later to be identified as Dr. Parkman's remains under Webster's private privy. On November 30, a week after Parkman's disappearance, Clapp was again called to the college, where he was the first to view Littlefield's gruesome discovery. He was dispatched to Webster's house to make the arrest.
Clapp was not going to be made the fool twice. Having experience with the “rogues” of Boston, Clapp called upon his “devious Yankee” skills to lure the professor out of his house and into jail. He took a coach and two other officers for back-up and rode to Cambridge to the Webster residence. Leaving the coach and the other officers parked away from the house, Clapp approached Webster on his porch as he was escorting out a visitor. He requested Webster accompany him to the college to perform another search. Webster went back inside to get his hat and coat, but when he saw the coach and other officers, he suddenly remembered his keys. Clapp deterred his efforts to return to the house and told him they had keys enough to get in, “it was of no consequence.”
Webster boarded silently as Clapp instructed the driver to go over Craigie’s Bridge
, where the police had been searching the waters earlier. After a few minutes of desultory conversation, Clapp broached the subject of the search efforts for the doctor and the progress the police had made. Webster confessed he had seen Dr. Parkman the week prior at the college, but the doctor had left the campus, still alive. During their conversation, the coach turned on to Brighton Street, and Webster became very agitated. “The driver is going the wrong way.” Clapp tried to calm him by telling him the driver was “probably green” and would get it straightened out. When they stopped in front of the jail, Webster knew something was wrong. “What does this all mean?” Clapp escorted him into the jail and charged him with the murder of Dr. George Parkman.
Detective Clapp and the other officers continued their efforts while Webster was incarcerated. On December 5, 1849, Clapp executed a warrant
to search the Webster house, meticulously and overtly following proper procedures during the course of the search. Evidence acquired during the search provided motive for the court to proceed in the prosecution of Professor John White Webster.
Although Derastus Clapp retired from the police force in 1874, he continued to serve in public office and retained his notoriety. In 1896, fifteen years after his death, a small paragraph in an Ohio paper noted:
Detective
A detective is an investigator, either a member of a police agency or a private person. The latter may be known as private investigators or "private eyes"...
bureau in the United States, located in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, Massachusetts. He was appointed to the office of constable
Constable
A constable is a person holding a particular office, most commonly in law enforcement. The office of constable can vary significantly in different jurisdictions.-Etymology:...
by the elderly Mayor Josiah Quincy
Josiah Quincy III
Josiah Quincy III was a U.S. educator and political figure. He was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives , Mayor of Boston , and President of Harvard University...
in 1828, and was reappointed every succeeding year to 1874. In 1848, he was promoted to be one of the first detectives in the city. Clapp is most noted for his role in the arrest and prosecution of John White Webster
John White Webster
John White Webster , born in Boston, Massachusetts, was a professor of chemistry and geology at Harvard Medical College...
for the murder of George Parkman.
Biography
Clapp was born in Claremont, New HampshireClaremont, New Hampshire
There were 5,685 households out of which 27.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.5% were married couples living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.7% were non-families. 32.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.7% had...
, but soon moved to Boston, after his marriage to Susannah Bowditch of Braintree, Massachusetts
Braintree, Massachusetts
The Town of Braintree is a suburban city in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. Although officially known as a town, Braintree adopted a municipal charter, effective 2008, with a mayor-council form of government and is considered a city under Massachusetts law. The population was 35,744...
on February 15, 1818. He established an auction house, over which he presided for several years before he was appointed to the office of constable for the City of Boston in 1828. In 1832 and 1836, he was also captain of a ward militia
Militia (United States)
The role of militia, also known as military service and duty, in the United States is complex and has transformed over time.Spitzer, Robert J.: The Politics of Gun Control, Page 36. Chatham House Publishers, Inc., 1995. " The term militia can be used to describe any number of groups within the...
company. According to an interview in the Boston Traveller on October 26, 1874, Clapp stated that “136 prisoners arrested by him were sent to the State Prison, and several hundred to the House of Correction, and that many thousand dollars worth of stolen property have been recovered by him and restored to its owners.” He gained renown during his tenure as constable as “a successful detecter [sic] of crime” whose name would conjure “dread...among those who had reason to fear an arrest.” There were reports that he would instill fear in the guilty without even approaching them. In 1850, most of the dread was harbored by school-aged children, as he was also an appointed truant
TruANT
Truant is Alien Ant Farm's second album. It was released on August 8, 2003 by DreamWorks Records. The producers of the album were Stone Temple Pilots' guitarist and bassist Robert DeLeo and Dean DeLeo....
officer. He and his assistant literally carried hundreds of children from all parts of the city back to the public school system.
In 1849, Clapp caught his “big break”. A prestigious member of the Boston Brahmin
Boston Brahmin
Boston Brahmins are wealthy Yankee families characterized by a highly discreet and inconspicuous life style. Based in and around Boston, they form an integral part of the historic core of the East Coast establishment...
s was reported missing. Clapp's role in the investigation of the disappearance of Dr. George Parkman propelled him into international fame. His fame was short-lived, however, and in 1854, Boston established its first uniformed police force, with Constable Clapp as its less prominent member. His sole concern was ticketing illegally parked traffic on State Street
State Street (Boston)
State Street is a major street in the financial district in Boston, Massachusetts and is one of the oldest streets in the city. The street is the site of some historic landmarks. The Faneuil Hall Marketplace can also be found nearby...
and serving orders of notice issued by the City Clerk. In January 1874, a muscle tear in his right leg disabled him, but he continued his duties until October of that year. He retired on October 1, 1874 after 46 years of service.
Derastus Clapp and the disappearance of Dr. Parkman
During 1849-50, Derastus Clapp participated in the investigation of the disappearance of Dr. George Parkman and the subsequent arrest and trial of Professor John White WebsterJohn White Webster
John White Webster , born in Boston, Massachusetts, was a professor of chemistry and geology at Harvard Medical College...
for the murder of Parkman. Clapp's experience before this event was centered on less heinous crimes, such as burglary
Burglary
Burglary is a crime, the essence of which is illicit entry into a building for the purposes of committing an offense. Usually that offense will be theft, but most jurisdictions specify others which fall within the ambit of burglary...
and counterfeit
Counterfeit
To counterfeit means to illegally imitate something. Counterfeit products are often produced with the intent to take advantage of the superior value of the imitated product...
ing, and he was initially unprepared for the demands required when dealing with homicide
Homicide
Homicide refers to the act of a human killing another human. Murder, for example, is a type of homicide. It can also describe a person who has committed such an act, though this use is rare in modern English...
among the Boston elite.
November 23, 1849, was the last day Dr. Parkman was seen. Parkman's family notified Charles M. Kingsley, Parkman's business manager, that the doctor never returned home for lunch. The next day, November 24, he began a search of the city along with a half dozen police officers and a group of concerned citizens. The search continued as the family posted notices offering a reward of $3,000 for information related to Parkman's disappearance. Based on information acquired during the search, on November 26, 1849, Clapp, in addition to Kingsley and other officers, began focusing on the Harvard Medical College
Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School is the graduate medical school of Harvard University. It is located in the Longwood Medical Area of the Mission Hill neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts....
and surrounding areas. During the search of the college, Clapp made his deference to the upper class apparent.
As the investigation continued, and suspicion fell on the college as the scene of the crime, Clapp became more aggressive. The college's janitor, Ephraim Littlefield, had been conducting his own investigation, and found what were later to be identified as Dr. Parkman's remains under Webster's private privy. On November 30, a week after Parkman's disappearance, Clapp was again called to the college, where he was the first to view Littlefield's gruesome discovery. He was dispatched to Webster's house to make the arrest.
Clapp was not going to be made the fool twice. Having experience with the “rogues” of Boston, Clapp called upon his “devious Yankee” skills to lure the professor out of his house and into jail. He took a coach and two other officers for back-up and rode to Cambridge to the Webster residence. Leaving the coach and the other officers parked away from the house, Clapp approached Webster on his porch as he was escorting out a visitor. He requested Webster accompany him to the college to perform another search. Webster went back inside to get his hat and coat, but when he saw the coach and other officers, he suddenly remembered his keys. Clapp deterred his efforts to return to the house and told him they had keys enough to get in, “it was of no consequence.”
Webster boarded silently as Clapp instructed the driver to go over Craigie’s Bridge
Charles River Dam Bridge
The Charles River Dam Bridge, officially the Craigie Bridge, also called Craigie's Bridge or the Canal Bridge, is a six-lane bascule bridge across the Charles River, connecting Leverett Circle in downtown Boston, to Monsignor O'Brien Highway in East Cambridge, Massachusetts...
, where the police had been searching the waters earlier. After a few minutes of desultory conversation, Clapp broached the subject of the search efforts for the doctor and the progress the police had made. Webster confessed he had seen Dr. Parkman the week prior at the college, but the doctor had left the campus, still alive. During their conversation, the coach turned on to Brighton Street, and Webster became very agitated. “The driver is going the wrong way.” Clapp tried to calm him by telling him the driver was “probably green” and would get it straightened out. When they stopped in front of the jail, Webster knew something was wrong. “What does this all mean?” Clapp escorted him into the jail and charged him with the murder of Dr. George Parkman.
Detective Clapp and the other officers continued their efforts while Webster was incarcerated. On December 5, 1849, Clapp executed a warrant
Search warrant
A search warrant is a court order issued by a Magistrate, judge or Supreme Court Official that authorizes law enforcement officers to conduct a search of a person or location for evidence of a crime and to confiscate evidence if it is found....
to search the Webster house, meticulously and overtly following proper procedures during the course of the search. Evidence acquired during the search provided motive for the court to proceed in the prosecution of Professor John White Webster.
Although Derastus Clapp retired from the police force in 1874, he continued to serve in public office and retained his notoriety. In 1896, fifteen years after his death, a small paragraph in an Ohio paper noted:
They have extremely venerable policeman in
Boston, Mr. Derastus Clapp.
Who is ninety years old, has been in the
department about forty-four years, and is
at present in the special service of the
board of street commissioners.