Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1883-08-01
GUARDING THE QUEEN.

cate work IN guarding Monarchs, Princes
and Ministers. In England we have be-
come familiarized with the idea that our
leading statesmen must be escorted by
detectives wherever they go; and pop
ular as the Queen is, we know that elab-
crate precautions are taken to protect
her every time she appears in public. .
Few, however, can be aware of how
much anxiety, activity, trouble and con-
sequent expense, are involved in that
word protecting" Looking only ut
the pecuniary side of the question, the
fine which madman or frantic inficts
upon country when he attempts, even
without success, 10 take the life of
ruler, is considerable. The services of
detectives have to be paid for; and to
do their work properly, these officials
must not be stinted of money for tele-
grams, railway and cab fares. and cas-
ual expenses. Sometimes they have 20
assume disguises, and to pay heavily for
secret information as to alleged crimi-
nal designs; and though this informa-
tion is often worthless, the police can
not afford to disregard any item of in
telligence bearing upon the safety of
ihc great personages whom they have
TO guard. Thus. the contents OF every
letter sent, whether anonymously or
not, to Scotland Yard are carefully con-
sidered. The mischevous simpletons
who concoct untruthful letters for fun,
and the foolish busybodies who write to
disclose suspicious circumstances"
that have come under their notice, may
all rest satisfied that they cause worry
~ M OF Of &
worse. AS the police have sometimes
received warnings of great importance
through unsigned missives bearing no
guarantee OF good faith, they make it q
rule to investigate all facts not palpably
absurd which are revealed to them; and
doubtless by so doing they have often
been enabled to prevent crimes. Many
an intending criminal must have been
baked in his schemes by the timely dis
coyery that his movements were being
watched.
To guard royal residence that is,
IN keep an eye on suspicious charac-
ters who may prowl about it, or seek
admittance requires vigilance, but is
easy work compared with the task of
protecting the sovereign when she ap-
pears in public. Every time the Queen
leaves one of her residences, even for
an afternoon drive, the event is notified
some hours beforehand to the police by
the equerry on duty, who announces what
itinerary her Majesty will probably fol-
low. At certain points all along the
route, policemen have 10 be stationed,
and detectives are placed at all the
points where the royal carriage is likely
to stop. Round Balmoral and Osborne,
the roads can be watched without diff
Guilty; but not so round Windsor
Castle and Buckingham Palace. Wher-
ever crowds can congregate, the Difficult
ties of the police are multiplied. A
special superintendent is deputied on
ordinary occasions TO patrol the line of
the royal progress; but when there is a
state pageant. this duty is performed
by the Chief Commissioner in person,
He has to see that not only the police
men in uniform, but the detectives
unsuspected by the crowds among
whom they stand-are all at their posts.
A regular code of private signals exists
by which detective can make his pres
ence known to the chiefs, and receive
short instructions from them, without
exciting the attention of the bystanders.
The whole dective force of Scotland
Yard, however, would be insufficient to
keep proper surveillance over miles of
streets, Us, for instance, when the Queen
went to open Epping Forest; so. on such
occasions rs these, hundreds of police
men "of duty" are pressed into special
service, and turn out in plain clothes.
Then. again, there are men who, in
consideration of having good places
from which TO view the procession, act
rs amateur detectives. Every detective
and policeman has q few personal
friends who will gladly undertake q
duty of this kind, and very often wom-
en- are among the number. Their in
structions are invariably to keep their
eyes and ears open; and mol to cheer
when the procession passes. In this,
English detectives differ from those of
foreign countries. who are frequently
enjoined to start the cheering among
the crowds; but the authorities of Scot
land Yard have discovered that u de-
tective who is bawling with all his might
becomes useless for purposes OF espion-
age. 1t is precisely when the cheering
is loudest that danger is most to be ap-
pretended, for the no sc and the sway
ing of mu titude excite the nerves of
the lunatic criminal who is bent on
mischief; therefore the police who are
watching the crowd in its moment of
greatest cnthu ,iasm should remain per-
fectly cool.
They have also to protect the sover-
eign against others besides the evilly
disposed. for there are always people
who want to thr, stpetition' OF bouquets
into the Queens carriage, or ese to
shake hands with her Maie-ty. Happi-
ly, these eccentric individuals generally
betray their purpose by their restless
ne s. The man with petition keeps
feeling his pocket to assure himself
that the precious thing is safe; and a ,
the royal carriages approach, he half
draw out the paper; but by this time a
detective has observed his movements
and strong hand laid suddenly upon
his arm paralyzes him at the opportune
moment.
IL is often lucky for would-be petition
ers that they should be pulled back be-
fore they can accomplish their purpose;
for II that purpose were misunderstood
by loyal mob, they might expose
themselves to some very rough handling.
The Queen is, indeed, very well guarded
by the affection of her subjects, and,
generally speaking, she has rather ia
fear annoyances from silly people than
criminal attempts from vicious ones
This shows what terribly difficult work
the police Of some foreign countries
must have to perform in guarding SOW
ereigns who arc unpopular. Occasion
ally, the English police have taste
of this work, when some of these un-
popular potentates visit this country and
have In bo puardcd a0ainat st,l,iecta Of