Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1873-08-14
THE MEN WHO FACE DEATH.

Don't you go and make any mistake
The pictures in the comic papers, and
al the rest of the Jokes about police
men, may be all very well in their way,
and [ can laugh myself at good joke
at the expense of the force, but for all
that there is not SO much in them as
some OF the would-be sharp ones make
out Most of 'em are as stale as they
well can be, and though for anything [
know they may have been to the point
sometime, they amt nowadays, not by
a long way. There's a saying about life
being all beer and skittles, and you may
take my word for it that life amt all
cupboard courtship for a policeman.
Even if he had the inclination for it. his
superiors would take precious good care
that he didn't spend his time on duty
making love to cooks and feeding in gem
tlemen's kitchens. That may be very
well in pantomime, but it's about as
much the real thing as pantomime fish
and carrots are, and, whatever people
may think, policemendon'ta always come
up Just when the fight is over, and it
isn't only women and little bows that
they 5ollar-I should like to SCI some
OF them that talk that way have to
tackle some Of the customers that we
have to do; they'd mighty soon alter
their tone, expect. Why, taking it all
through, there are few businesses as are
more risky than a policeman's. In
plentyof neighborhoods he goes on duty
with his life in his hand. People read
and talk about the dangerous classes,
but it is the policeman that has to deal
with EN-, and it's him as knows hoa0
dangerous they are. They know wheth-
eI it's only women or boys we collar
they know who lays them by the heels,
aud they remember it with vengeance.
:" Revenge is sweet, . is a motto with a
good many of them, and when they are
loose they will often go a long way to
have it on the man that has been the
means of caging them-that was how I
came by the cash you see on the side OF
my face here.
] had got a customer two years age
for stealing lead, and was one of those
that escorted him to the van after he
was sentenced, and as we passed along
he growls out to me under his breath
You scored this chalk, but you may
lay odds that I'll score the next, if
have to die for it.
I could tell that he meant what he
said, and I bore it in my mind. Wher
he was out again, kept well on my
guard, whenever I saw him lurking
about but at lens til he was too SHARP
foE me.
One rather foggy night was passing
the top of dark sid street, when hear
ing q rush, I wheeled around as quickl,
as [ could-but it was too late. / jus
caught sight of the scoundrel making
swing hit at me with bottle tied in
handkerchief, and the next instant wa
stretched senseless. [ shall carry tn
mark of the blow to the grave with me
as you may see, and it was very nigl
carrying me to the grave was within
half an inch of death, as you may say
for had it been half an inch more on tn
temple it would have been an end of me
As it was it laid me up for about tire
months, but beyond marking me, it di
me no permanent harm.
When l got on duty again I said moth
ing, but made up my mind that Their
should be third chalk to the game be
tw5en me and the fellow that struck tn
blow. He had bolted as soon as he ha
done it, and hadn't been heard of since
Out IOE du tIldl 1eib ute sure uc Moul
turn up in his old Turk again, sooner c
later, for his wife and all his companion
were there. So [ watched and watched
and sure enough, at the end of coupl
of years, I spotted him again. foua
out that he had only been back
week, when I caught sight of hin
and so I didn't try to futter the new
too soon. I let three months go by, s
that he might think he was all righ
aud then [ went in to score my ne1
chalk
Ireported him, and half dozen
us were told off to take him. Thrt
went into the house after him, and tv
kept watch in the front, and took n
stand at the back, the way he WI
ike6est to come if he managed
make a run for it. AS it turned OF
he did make a run, or at any rate
got start.
It was low-built house, and befol