Eaton weekly Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1866-1875, 1873-08-14

| LII was q 1OW-DullG nOuS0, anu Oo1OT0
those who went in could get up stairs
he dropped out of the bedroom window,
coming down safely on his feet, but be-
fore he could take to his heels L was
facing him, my right hand holding
my staff ready-drawn behind my back,
my left hand ready to collar him.
| "Oh, it's you, is it ?' he grinds out
between his teeth, and before could
say a word or move an inch, he whipped
out a large clasp-knife. could see
murder in his eye, and dashed in at
once to seize, him but before 1 could
| lay hold of hum he had gashed my hand
to the bone-and then it was my turn.
He was drawing back to make a running
stab at me, when, quick as lightning,
and all the strength 1 could put into it,
swung around my right arm and
caught him with the staff in the face,
telling him like bullock. He was
quite senseless, and by the time the
others got round 1 had him quietly
| handcuffed. When we got him to the
station we sent for doctor to dress his
wound, but he wouldn't have it touched,
and insisted on being taken into court
next morning without being washed and
his face all marked but though he GER
tainly looked horrible enough, he didn't
make anything by his move. He was
well known, and besides, though I
struck with will, struck in self-de-
fense and for life. He had penal servi-
tude, and didn't live to do his time
out.
That is the sort of a customer po-
iceman has sometimes to tackle, and he
never knows the day or hour he may
have to tackle. Men as are wanted will
generally come q11iet enough when they
find they are fairly dropped upon ; but
still you can never be quite certain OF
them if the drink or the evil is in them
at the time, they may take it into their
heads to show fight, and when they do,
they're not particular as to trifes-the
first thing that comes handy they'll use.
But, as said before, it's when they go
in for being revenged on you that they
are most dangerous. It isn't 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 lam
ing man. Many fine man has been
made a cripple for life, in doing, or for
having done his duty as a policeman,
and some have been killed outright.
Then see how policeman has to go
into a row and take his chance of what
may happen from interfering with wild
or drunken men with their blood up
again, see how he has to go into 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 a
poker. Then there is being at fires, and
being out in all kinds of weather, SO
that what with one thing and what with
another, a policeman's is both hard
job and risky one. If there's any one
as thinks it amt risky, just ask any po-
/ 80 For haT m
how often she has lain awake, fearing
something might happen to him, when
he's been on night duty In bad quar-
ter.
What class of criminals are the most
dangerous for policemen to have to deal
with? Well, 1 hardly know the regu-
lars, or "habitual criminals" as they
are called, are much of a muchness. A
sneak-thief may turn Turk upon you,
while burglar or garroter, as you might
think likely to show fight, will often LEI
himself be took as quietly as a lamb.
The chance cases are often rough ones.
A mad-drunk sailor amt a nice custom
er to handle, and mad-drun soldier
especially when he takes to the belts
decidedly nasty one and sometimes
your swindling clerk or abscondlng
bankrupt will show his teeth-pull his
pistol, or pick up decanter or chair,
and talk of knocking your brains out II
you lay hands on him !; though of course
we do lay hands on 'em for all that. II
you dash in boldly at them they gener
ally knock under.
Conners 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 of 1T be
fore he'll be taken, and as is generally s
J rough un to fight, and that is the es
} capped convict It's generally a rough
and desperate hand that does manage tt
escape, and one that's dreadfully fonc
of his liberty, and knows that if he Ii
took again he may bid long Goodbye
to it. A gentleman of that stamp gave
} me the toughest tussle ever had, an6
the one I'm proud of, for fought hin
7 fair and took him single-handed. Whel
, he made his escape he got clear away
and he had sense enough not to harl
back again to his old London haunt
, while the search was hot; but about {
: year afterward he did venture back, ant
I accidentally got wind of 1T.
[ knew that there was five pounds TO
! any one that took him, and L had
! pretty good idea that the governor of tn
) prison he had broke out of would stant
3 something more but more than al
that, well, / may as well say it
l had not been long in the force at tn
l time, and wanted to show that I ha'
, something in me and so, though
3 could have asked for help, I made III
. my mind to try and take him myself.
3 was twenty-seven at the time, stood fiv
i foot eleven, weighed twelve stone
good fighting weight-and, though I sa
: it that shouldn't, the convict, escaped G
g unescaped, didn't breathe that I feare
= to take single-handed
e It was not of the man himself that
d was afraid, though I knew he was
!; Tartar what made the job so risky We
d the danger of being set upon by til
II whole of the gang to which he belonged
IS and who always went about togethe
|, and would, I knew, think nothing
e numbering policeman. waited fe
d weeks to see what chance might turn VI
a and at length one afternoon heard tn
l, the gang had picked up some sailo
IS and were spreeing with them in publ
10 house some little distance from the
t, regular lurk; and thinking to myse
1t that might wait long enough witho
finding any much better opportunity,
of determined to try my luck there al
ee then, and down to this public-house
70 went.