Eaton weekly Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1866-1875, 1873-08-14
THE MEN WHO FACE DEATH.

Don't you go and make any mistake !!
The pictures in the comic papers, and
all the rest of the jokes about police
men, may be all very well in their way,
and I 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 I
know they may have been to the point
sometime, they amt nowadays, not by
long way. There's a saying about hfo
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 gen.
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, policemen don't always come
up Just when the fight is over, and it
isn't only women and little boys that
they collar-I should like to see 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, L expect. Why, taking it all
bIl6I0 dIO low Ou61A06Sc1S t1S hI0
more risky than a policeman's. In
plenty of 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 'em, and it's him as knows hoaO
dangerous they are. They know wheth-
er it's only women or boys we collar !;
they know who lays them by the heels,
and they remember it with a vengeance.
Revenge is sweet, " is a motto with a
good many of them, and when they are
loose they will often go 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 customer two years ago
for stealing lead, and 1 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 L
have to die for it. %
I could tell that he meant what he
said, and bore it in my mind. When
he was out again, kept well on my
guard, whenever I saw him lurking
about but at length he was too sharp
for me.
One rather foggy night was passing
the top of dark side street, when hear
ing rush, wheeled around as quickly
as I could-but it was too late. I just
caught sight of the scoundrel making a
swing hit at nae with a bottle tied in a
handkerchief, and the next instant I was
stretched senseless. / shall carry the
mark of the blow to the grave with me,
as you may see, and it was very nigh
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 the
temple it would have been an end of me.
As it was it laid me up for about three
months, but beyond marking me, it die
me no permanent harm.
When got on duty again I said moth
ing, but made up my mind that there
should be third chalk to the game be-
tween me and the fellow that struck tht
blow. He had bolted as soon as he haC
done it, and hadn't been heard of since
but for all that felt quite sure he would
turn up in his old lurk again, sooner o
later, for his wife and all his companion
were there. So 1 watched and watched
and sure enough, at the end of coupl
of years, spotted him again. foun'
out that he had only been back
week, when I caught sight of him
and so didn't try to futter the new
too soon. let three months go by, s
that he might think he was all right
and then I went in to score my mex
chalk.
reported him, and half a dozen c
us were told off to take him. Thre
went into the house after him, and tw
kept watch in the front, and took m
stand at the back, the way he wa
ikeliest to come if he managed t