Boylan, Washington G.

Submitted by Mike Miller

Boylan, Washington G., executive head of the noted Boylan Detective Agency and
Protection Police, with headquarters in the city of New Orleans, was born in
the city of New Orleans, La., and has resided there from the date of his birth
to the present time. In the course of his earlier education he attended the
public schools of the city until attaining the eighth grade, when he withdrew
and entered Dufour's college. After having completed the prescribed course at
this institution, embracing some years, he entered Spring Hill college at
Mobile, Ala., from which he later graduated. Returning to New Orleans while
yet quite a young man, he sought and obtained employment with the firm of Geo.
A. Fosdick & Co., shipping agents and commission merchants, remaining in the
service of this firm until the year 1861, when he enlisted in the service of
the Confederate states as a private in the 13th Louisiana volunteers. His
command went to the front and the young man saw much of the carnage and shock
of strife that within the span of a few never-to-be-forgotten years clouded
the land, darkened the homes and tore the hearts of so many of our people. He
served throughout the great historic struggle, winning promotion in rank for
gallant conduct from time to time, until he had gained the grade of captain.
After the surrender he again returned to the city of his nativity, securing
employment in the service of the American Telegraph Co., where he remained
until the date of the consolidation of that corporation with the Western Union
Telegraph Co., at which time he resigned to accept a position in the Probate
court under the regime of the late Justice Louis Duvigneaud, there continuing
until the successor to Judge Duvigneaud had been elected. He was then
appointed chief docket clerk, under the late Thos. H. Handy, civil sheriff.
During the incumbency of Thos. H. Handy as civil sheriff the supreme court
appointed by Gov. Francis T. Nicholls was installed in office, deposing the
Republican court headed by Judge Leduling. On the evening of the 7th of Jan.,
1877, the late Benjamin Onorato and Captain W. G. Boylan were deputed by
Thomas H. Handy to take charge of the courtroom and appurtenances of the
Louisiana supreme court, they being admonished to keep everything therein
intact. During the evening the court was entered by Maj. Loan, at the time
chief of police, in full uniform and accompanied by Capt. Gray and 8 or 10
uniformed metropolitan police officers, with orders from Judge Leduling to
take possession. Maj. Loan and the accompanying party of officers were
immediately ordered by Capt. Boylan and Benjamin Onorato to withdraw, which
they declined to do, augmenting their force of metropolitan police by an
addition of 15 armed men. Capt. Boylan and Mr. Onorato held their position
during the night and at 2 a. m. the following morning received the surrender
of the squad of metropolitan police that had been sent to take charge of the
court, the only condition of the surrender being that the members of the party
of officers should be guaranteed safe return to their homes by the sheriff's
representatives. After the retirement of these officers, accompanied by Chief
Justice Leduling and his court, the Nicholls court, headed by Chief Justice
Manning, was sworn in, and this incident, the details of which had been so
ably managed, through the devoted heroism and cool courage of those to whom
they had been entrusted, marked the initiation of Democratic govenment in
Louisiana. Afterward Capt. Boylan disengaged himself from political
commissions and kindred pursuits as much as possible, with the intention of
devoting his abilities to commercial pursuits, but in 1885, during the
administration of President Cleveland, he was appointed to the position of
assistant weigher, in the service of the Federal government. He was shortly
thereafter advanced to the post of weigher, and occupied that office for about
20 years, only resigning to enter the Boylan Detective Agency and Protective
Police as an associate until the retirement of Capt. W. J. O'Connor, when
Capt. Boylan assumed the direction of the agency as principal.

Source: Louisiana: Comprising Sketches of Parishes, Towns, Events,
Institutions, and Persons, Arranged in Cyclopedic Form (volume 3), pp. 59-60.
Edited by Alcée Fortier, Lit.D. Published in 1914, by Century Historical
Association.