Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1873-05-28

ii"J outh Auih upou yout WhhO q oNt9''A
or garotter, as you might think likely 10 /
show fight, will often let himself be took as
quietly as lamb. The chance cases are
often rough ones. mad-drunk sailor amt
nice customer to handle, and mad-drunk /
er-especially when be takes to the
BELTS decidedly nasty one and some |
times your swindliug clerk, or absconding |
bankrupt, will show bis teeth-puIl out
pistol, or pick up decanter OF chair, and
talk of knocking your brains out if you lay
hand On him; though of course We do lay
hands on 'em for all that. If you dash in
boldly at them they generally knock under.
Corners used to be about the worst, but
there's not many about now. There is one
customer, however as is more likely than
not to make fight oft before he'll be taken,
and a, Is generally tough un to fight,
and that is the escaped convict. It's gen.
orally desperate hand thet does manage to
escape, and one that's dreadfully fond Of his
liberty, and that knows that if he is took
again he may bid a long good-by to it. A
gentleman of that stamp gave me the stitfest
tussle ever had, and the one I'm proudest
of, for fought him fair, and took him sim
gle-handed. When he made his escape he
got clean away, and he had sense enough
not to hark back to his old London haunts
while the search was hot but about year
afterwards he did venture back, and | acci-
dentally got wind of it.
I knew that there was five pounds for any
one who took him, and had pretty good
idea that the governor of the prison he had
broke out of would stand something more
but more than all that, l--Weli, | may as
we'll say it had not been long in the Force
at the time, and wanted to show that |
had something in me; and so, though l
could have asked for help, made up my
mind to try to take him by myself. Twas
twenty-seven at the time, stood five foot
eleven, weighed twelve stones fighting
weight-and though | say it that shouldn't
| the convict, escaped or unescaped, didn's
breathe that | feared to tackle single handed.
1t was not of the man himself that was
afraid, though | knew he was Tartar what
made the job 80 risky was the danger of be-
ing set upon by the whole OF the gang to which
he belonged, and who always went about
together, and would, knew, think nothing
of numbering policeman. | waited few
weeks TO see what chance might turn up,
and at length one afternoon heard that the
gang had picked up some sailors, and were
spreeing with them in a publc-houss some
little distance from their regular lurk; and
thinking to myself that might wait long
enough without finding any much better Op-
portunity, | determined to try my luck
there and then, and down to this public
| house | went
| There was no one then particular in the
bar. and SO | passed through to the back,
and there in a shut-in skittle alley caught
sight Of the gang, eight in number, and with
three sailors in tow. | felt qualmish, but l
knew thas it wouldn't DO to give way to
thut feeling, and 50 seeing my gentleman
there in the midst es large as life, put on
my bOldest face, bounced iato the alley, and
shutting the door. placed my back against
it. Though the gang were taken by sur
prise, they acted cleverly enough; they
didn's know which of them might be wanted.
and not one of them said word or moved
an inch, but | noticed my man picked up
beer pot aud make pretence of slipping at
il, thought conld see easy enough that his
real move was to be ready to fling it at my
! head il it should turn out that he was the
man wanted
caught bis eye, ani in an of-handed
tone said,
| "Oh. you know it's you I've come for,
then but take my advice, don's do any
thing in he pot-throwing line. IL viii
only make things worse for you, for the
house is surrounded, aud there are men
enough in reserve to take a houseful Of
| you
." | shall make it det;h or glory this time"
he answered, . aud so hsre goes - and as he
spoke the words he tlrew the po. as hard as
! he could, and then made dash for a win
dow at the end Of the alley. The pot just
skinned my ear. and then | Was on 50 him
like panther, and dragged him back just az
he had got about half out of the window. |
downed him, and had all but mastered him, Il,
when one of the gang that had popped out
as soon as my back was from the door, came
running back 20 tell the others that il was
all gammon about there being reserve.
This was enough for them. Without another
word said, they made q rush towards me !;
and, though still held my man. my heart
grew cold, and prayer flushed through my
mind, for l felt that | was face to face with
death. Iknew that they'd stick at nothing
aud that the very same gang had kicked a
man to death only few months before. But
| was IN luck.
| would have called to the sailors for help
but they locked helplessly drunk, and two
of 'em was but the thrd. ny it happened
was only hal! seas over. He was big lump
Of u fellow, Yankee mate, as knew after
wards, and about as cool and bold card as
there well could be. As they sprang for
ward, so did he, and whipping out a revol-
yer, says he, in an aggrayating sort of way,
d" Gentleman, fair play is Jewel, and Ike
to see it respected-and go | will. They are
man to man, and pretty fairly matched, and
| # the otf:e eau take him, he shall" "
Whether or not he would have fired at them
they must have believed 50, for they skunk
back. All the same they had dore good
thing for their mate
While this had been going on | had,
without knowing it, slackened my hold, and
my man, putting ont all his strength in a
sudden move, threw me off, and got on to
his feet, and before | could close with him
again, had drawn a alite-preserver. He made
a dash at me with it, and aimed a crushing
blow at my head.
Fortunately it only reached nay left shoul-
der, but even there it was a crippler Tor the
time being, for felt my arm drop useless at
my side. He staggered a bit from partly
missing his blow, and before he could recov-
er himself was alongside of him, and he
went over like a ninepin, and held up his
ha nds to have the bracelets put on.
1t was only about two minutes job
altogether, but 1t was mighty tough one, |
can tell you, and dangerous one, too ; and
what | say is, that when people talk about
policemen, they should remember that they
never know the day or hour when, in the
way of duty, they may have to tackle a iob
in which their life is at stake - CdsseU',
Magazine.
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