Saturday press. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1880-1885, 1880-11-13
SATU RDAY PRESS.
A Days Police Duty in ireland.
NOpEuBER IL, 1880.


everybody in tho aubdistrict and ovofy-
thing about IL. Tho mon having been
stationed in tho place for somo tima have
learnt nil about the roads and by-roada,
aud have paid visits To every adjoining
station, no that their knowledge of tho
country around in perfect. At sovcn 4. N.
In anmmor and eight \. ". in winter the
mon have got up and made their bnrrack
bods. Aa II il April, tho summer hours
havo not yet come no tho mon, having
brcakfaatod, arc on parade at ton o'clock
sharp. Tho four mon have fallen in under
arms, and tho constable also turns ont
similarily accoutrcd. Having inspected
the party, TO SEQ that tho arms and appoint
monta arc clean and tho mon properly
drosscd, tho constable puts thom through
the mammal and firing exercise, forms foure,
and wheels them up TO tho right and left,
dc.-qnito enough TO keep tho men up to
tho mark, so that thoy can tako their plnco
in tho ranks whom any number nro brought
together IIo thon tolls of tho days duty,
naming tho barrnck gunrd-who must re-
main inside tho barracks until parade ON
tho following morning and tho mon who
nro TO hold themselves in readiness for
patrol or other duty. Tho daily oxnmina.
ton in police duties then takos place tho
constable sometimes asking tho questions,
sometimes ono of tho men being ordered to
examine tho others. Tho questions are ns
to descriptions in tho iuo and N,'y, and M
to general dutios =" Give tho description
of Ammo Martin, wanted in Roscommon "
" How must you proceed to describe any
person :" Sometimes tho sub.inspcctor
practically tests their power of description
and the sub-constablo who, in answer to
such questioning, described his constable
ma having "a bottle nose, with cast in his
eye, and an evil expression, had probably
n hard time of it afterwards. Descriptions
over, questions are asked in police duties.
"What arc you to do if you find man
badly beaten on tho roadside 7 What arc
your duties under the Habitual Criminal
Act? What arc you to do if you find
man drunk in public house? ia murder
is reported how arc the police to act
What il your duty if it il reported to you
that property has been stolen In case of
sheep. stealing, how arc you to proceed with
n Wow to the discovery of the sheep =" DC,
&c, the entire range of polcomen's duties
being gone over from day to day. Some
times, on an inspection by an inspector
general, mon who know perfectly what to
do become so nervous that they make ridi-
cnlous mistakes but tho native sharpness
GENERALLY pulls them through. "What will
You do, =" asks an inspector-g general of the
constable of station, if you find man
living dead on the roadaide ?" "Take his
dying dispositions, is the ready response.
But, my man, the person is dead" re-
marks tho inspecting ofiicer. "Ah, but
L. H., n 81, nrl, 20 Iort
answers the constable, with a sigh of relief
at the happy issue out of his difficulty.
Parade over, tho constable enters the pro-
ceedings of the previous day in the diary
kept at every station. Two men had been
told off to patrol in n certain direction at
twelve o'clock. They proceed, each man with
his baton in n case, and generally carrying
n small cane. As they walk along the road
they must take note of anything uncom-
mon that comes under their notice. If
complaints arc made to them of any assault
they report it !; and if the assault is a severe
one, which has nevertheless been settled
before the case is heard at petty sessions,
the constable will apply to the magistrates,
who will, if the assault is of n nature that
ought to be punished, direct the constabu-
larry to take up the prosecution, and sum.
mon the person assaulted rs witness. AS
they go along they talk with the people,
and sometimes sit down and chat for some
time. When the district is poaceable the
people are friendly and talk openly but if
any serious outrage has been committed
the police cannot hope for more than "Good
morning." for ill-natured persons might
accuse the people of giving information.
As this is the month of April, third man
has been told off to collect the annual
agricultural returns. He has gone out i'm
mediately after parade, and proceeded to
every farmers house in the sub-district.
He learns from them, aud enters in the
proper form, the acreage of their crops and
the number of live stock and fowl in their
possession.
From these returns the statistics are
annually compiled by the Statistical De-
partment in Dublin. He, at tho same time,
learns if any Of the family have died or
emigrated since the previous year; and
from this information the constable revises
the housdholders' book at tho station, in
which is entered tho name of every person
residing in the district. His duties while
collecting statistics are pleasant, as during
collection he takes no part in the duty oil
police supervision, and the friendly feeling
with which police not on duty are gener,
ally met is freely shown towards him. II
is the same when he is serving Jurors sum.
mouses, or distributing the voting-paper,
for the elections of poor-law guardians. II
about four hours the patrol has returned
Nothing particular has been observed. A
cart was seen on which the name of tn,
owner was not painted heap Of stones
was found negiigen.ly thrown upon the
road; there was dangerous hole in the
roadway where portion of small bridge
had broken away; drunken man whC
was furousy driving his cart was stopped
and his name taken, with a view of his be
ing summoned, while the reins were handed
to sober companion. In the mean tim
the constable had been making inquire
about case Of larcency, in which ther
was no difficulty, ON account of it's nature
in obtaining evidence. The two men retir
to rest Immediately after roll-call at 8 Pm.
as the constable has determined To have
patrol after midnight, and are called a
half.past twelve, when, accompanied b,
the constable, they again start for patro
l. Al A. a Il