Captain John W. Eason, commanding the Second Precinct, was born in New York City, February 22d, forty-three years ago, and came to Brooklyn shortly afterwards. On April 18th, 1861, he enlisted in the Fourteenth Regiment, New York, as private. He was promoted July 8th, 1861, to Third Corporal of Company G, and assigned to the Color Guard. August 1st, after First Battle of Bull Run, made First Corporal. He was made Second Sergeant January 1st, 1864, and took part in every engagement the regiment did, except two days during the Second Battle of Bull Run. He was wounded at the First Battle of Bull Run, also at Antietam and Gettysburg. He was honorably discharged, June 6th, 1864, at the expiration of his term of enlistment, being one of the remnant of the gallant regiment, which for bravery and fearlessness, was called by foes "The Red-Legged Devils," and by friends, "The Fighting Fourteenth."
On June 29th, 1864, three weeks after his discharge, he was appointed patrolman on the old Metropolitan Police force, and assigned to the Forty-first Precinct, now the First Precinct, Brooklyn. In May, 1870, he was made acting-sergeant, and a month later appointed sergeant. He then served two days at the Fourth Precinct, and returned to the First. In the fall of 1873 he was transferred to the tenth Precinct, where he remained until 1875, when he was again sent back to the First Precinct. On September 16th, 1881, on account of the illness of Captain Craft, he was ordered to take command of the Second Precinct.
Captain Eason has always been connected with precincts where police work was the heaviest in the city. He is model a captain as he is a worthy citizen. There is no nonsense about him. He has a plain, straight-forward way of talking directly to the point, and the meaning of what he says is never obscure or conjectural. He is direct, clear, terse and emphatic, without being rude, brusque, rough or ill-mannered. He has strong sound sense. "He has got horse sense," one of his friends declares, which is supposed to mean the most sensible kind.
He never flatters, nor palavers. If he is dissatisfied he makes it plainly manifest in an outspoken way, without humiliating or causing undue embarrassment to the violator of rules or orders. He believes in men performing their duties faithfully and with exactitude, without any attempt at evasion or skulking. He has in fact a wholesome dislike of eye-service, and cannot tolerate the sycophant or toady. He has a manly way of doing things himself, and insists on others acting in the same manner.
This influence, so far from conflicting with his efficiency as an officer, has materially aided it, as it is the result of his efforts and labors in protecting and maintaining the rights of citizens and property-owners against criminals and the marauding classes, which has established him firmly in the confidence of his fellow-citizens.
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