The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1873-05-24

upon being taken into court next morn
ing with his face al marked but
though he certainly looked horrible
enough, he didn't make anything by
his move. He was well known, and
besides, though 1 struck him with a
will, struck in self defense. and for
lie. He had penal servitude. and he
didn't live to do his time out.
mat is the sort of a customer u
policeman has sometimes to tackle,
and he never knows the day or hour he
may have to tackle. Men as are want,
ed will generally come quiet enough,
when they find they are fairly dropped
upon; but still you can never be quite
certain OF them IF he tdrink or the
evil is In them at the time, they may
take 1t into their heads to show fight,
and when they do they're not particu-
lar to trifies-the first thing that comes
handy they'll use. But, as I said
before, it's when they go in for being
revenged on you that they are most
dangerous. It isn't a case of fighting
then they don't give you the chance
to fight; they creep upon you--in the
dark for choice-and are up to all sorts
OF cruel, cowardly ways of tanning a
man. Many fine man has been made
a cripple for life, in doing or for having
| done his duty as a policeman, ana
some have been killed outright.
| Then see how policeman has to 60
into row and take his chance from
what may happen from interfering
with Wild and drunken men with their
blood up; again, see how he has got to
go into a house where murder is
being shouted, and where perhaps the
first thing that meets his sight is a
man more than half mad, slashing
right and left with poker. Then
there is beng at fires, and being out in
all sorts of weather, so that with one
thing and another, policeman is both
a hard JOB and a risky one. If there
is any ore that thinks as it isn't risky.
just let EN- ask any policeman wife
as cares for her husband how often she
has lain awake, fearing something
might happen to him, when he's been
on night duty in a bad quarter !
| What class of criminals are the most
dangerous for a policeman to have to
deal with2 Well, I hardly know; the
regulals, the Hhabltual criminals as
they are called, are much of much
ness. A sneaking thief may turn Turk
upon you, while burglar or garrotter,
as you might think likely to show fight,
will often let himself be took as quietly
as lamb. The chance cases are often
rough Cnes. A mad drunk sailor amt
a nice customers to handle, and mad
drunk soldier, especially when he takes
to the telt, is a decidedly nasty one :;
and sometimes your swIndling clerk,
or ASCENDING bankrupt, will show his
teeth-lull out pistol, OF pick up
| decanter or chair, and talk of knock
ing yorr brains out if you lay hand
on him although of course we do Law
hands or 'em for all that. If you dash
IN boldlyat them they generally knock
under.
| Colners used to be about the worst,
but thert's not many about now.
| There is one customer, however, as is
more likely than not to make fight of
1t before he'll be taken, and as is
generally tough TN to fight, and that
is the escaped convict. It's generally
a desperate hand that does manage to
escape, and one that's dreadful fond
of his liberty, and that knows that if
he is took again he may bid long
goodbye to It, A gentleman of that
stamp gave ne the stiffest t1ssle | ever
had, and the one I'm proudest of, for
fought him fair, and took him single
| handed. When he made his escape he
/ got clean away, and he bad sense
| enough not to bark back to his old
| London haunts while the search was
hot; but about q year afterwards he
did venture back and | accidentally
got wind of it.
| knew that thee was five pounds for
any one who TOOK him, and [ had a
pretty good idea that the governor of
the prison he had broke out of would
stand something more; but more than
all that, 7. Well I may as well say
it: / had not been long in the force at
that time, and | wanted to show that
| had something i'll me; ana SO, though
[ could have asked for help, l made up
| my mind to try to take him by; myself.
| | was twentyseyen at the time, stood
five feet eleven, weighed twelve stone
good fighting veight-and, though |
| say 1t that shouldn't, the convict escap-
ed or unescaped, didn't breathe that /
feared to tackle single handed.
1t was not of the man himself that /
was afraid, though [ knew he was a
| tartar what made the job SO risky was
the danger of being set upon by the
whole OF the gang to which be belong
| Ell, and who always went about to-
gether, and would, [ knew, think
| nothing of numbering policeman. [
waited few weeks to see what chance
| might turn up, and at length one after
noon heard that the gang had picked
up some sailors, and were spreeing
with them in public house some little
distance from their regular Turk and
thinking to myself that / might wait
long enough without finding any much
better opportunity, / 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 shut-in little alley,
[ caught sight of the gang, eight in
number, and with three sailors in tow
l felt qualmish, but Tknew it wouldn't
do to give way to that feeling, and so
seeing my gentleman there in the MIDST
as large as life, / put on my boldest
face, bounded into the alley, and shut
ting the door, placed my back against
1t. Though the gang were taken by
surprise, they acted cleverly enough
they didn't know which of them might
be wanted, and not one them said
word or moved an inch, and l noticed