The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1859-06-25

The following paragraph clipped from the local
column of yesterdays american, seems to our
mind to offer sufficient explanation, both Of, the
contempt in which the police are habitually held
by rowdies, and of the frequency with which
their efforts to make arrests are resisted and de-
teated: sa .aa'ss.a SEAS rr
OUTRAeEous CoNDucr-Richard Pryor last evening
caused quite an excitement in the vicinity of the Beair
market in consequence of his outrageous proceedings.
lie attacked the house Of Mr. Frederick Cook sergeant
OF the police on Ensor street who by the act
ing a friendly part towards him, and demolished the
windows and several articles of furniture. He
finally arrested after endeavorng to shoot Cook and i'm
prisoned. ..i ....l. ...- ---....f'r
1t is precisely this 'friendly part" which the
police are continually acting towards those whom
it is their duty to arrest, that embodens ruffians
to the commission of just such outrages as the one
here chronicled by our neighbor. A desperate
commits assault upon a peaceful citizen. He
is arrested by an officer, and resists. Instead of
promptly quoting his struggles by rap over the
head with his club, or by the application of
pair of nppers to his wrists, the chances are ten
to one, that the officer begins to coax-to expos
tulate-to entreat-where he should command and
compel. Now certainly we are no more disposed
to justify violence the part of the police than on
the part of anybody else. We are no advocates
for brutality to prisoners, nor would we approve
of resort to extreme measures, except upon an
extreme occasion. But we do think that the most
summary method is the best method of dealing
with an obstinate and refractory ruffiau who as
saults or attempts to kill the officer who has him
in custody. That the police do not ordinarily
manifest more spirit on such occasions is, perhaps
not exclusively their fault. The very manner in
which criminals are dealt with, after their arrest,
by the magistrates and others, having authority in
the premises has great deal to do with it.
Cases have happened more than once in which
policemen have made arrests at the peril of their
lives, and in doing So have had their uniforms
torn from their backs, and been beaten, and cut,
and shot, and stabbed, and five minutes after reach
ing the statonhouse, the prisoner has been turned
loose straw-bail, and carried off in triumph by
his friends, while the officer, bruised and bleeding,
has gone home to dress his wounds Much blame,
too, is to be ascribed to the system under which
the police are appointed, and under which they
are subject to removal with every change of polit-
cal administration. Until the police constitute a
distinct body of men, holding office by the tenure
of good behavior, chosen without regard to poll |
tics, and with reference only to their moral and |
physical qualifications, and encouraged by the hope
of promotion for meritorious conduct it is, per-
haps, impossible to expect from them any thing
like a vigant and vigorous enforcement of the
laws. So long as their ranks are recruited from
that very class in the community which they are
required to hold in check, and to which they must
return at the expiration of their two or four years
of service as the case may be- we need not be sur
prised to find them 'acting friendly part to-
wards the worst men in the city, and assocating
upon terms of easy friendship even with their muir
derers. The very man. Pryor. mentioned in the
above paragraph, was formerly in the police, ap-
pointed by Mr.. SWAMI, and kept in office by him,
until common decency and necessary regard for the
discipline of the force, no longer permitted his re-
tenton. How little Pryor merted, on the particular
occasion reported in The american, the ''frendly''
offices of Sergeant Cook, may be best inferred
from the following more detailed account of the
affair." contained in yesterdays Sun The occur
renee described is the same-the suppression of the
names of the participants in the riot-though 'the
''partics are knOwn'-beng merely characteristic
of our cautious contemporary:
RIOT AT THE BELAIR MARKEr-About eight O'Clock last
night the neighborhood of Beair Market thrown into
state of excitement which for time proved be
in its results party of some twenty thirty persons
were at lager beer house at the of Mott
streets when hack drove down Ensor and STONED
at the of the market and persons got
oft One of those who had left the beehouse
the hack and wanted to get in He refused when he
began an assault on the hack party Unfortunately
knocking two or three of them down. Officer Cook who
resides in the immediate neighborhood,
purpose of restoring Order when attack made
him by several men at the time One of them
tempted to shoot him, but the only exploded and the
party who had the weapon struck Cook
the head with it.
Officer Church went to aid Cook when three four of
the party fell upon him and beat him severely about the
head and face information the police station
but the met several of the night officers on
Gay street. Front, and told them, and in few min
utes large force of officers the ground The
assalans fled soon as the police approached Officer
Cook followed of them down to Low street when the
turned and fired at him. without however doing any
damage. The fire returned by the officer without e
feet Soon after the ARRAY first began of the
bers of the assaing party went to the house officer
Cook the lower front of which is occupied as an of
flee by Justice Wheat and broke all the glass in 'front.'
Up to late hour last night arrests had made
as the parties known they will probably be arrested
to-day. ..N IF.