Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-12-13
THE LONDON BOBBY
GOOD UNDER ORDERS, BUT A DUN
MY UNDER RESPONSIBILITY,

iOOD UNDER ORDERS, BUT A DUN
MY UNDER RESPONSIBILITY.
The London Policeman Wonderfully Civil
and Naturally obliging-Anecdotes Of
the something In a Name-Timfd-
ity and Indeeision.
The London policeman is by no means a
BAD sort OF fellow. On the contrary, he IL
civil and obliging, and bis |
natural desire 70 please is stimulated BY |
small tip" Every stranger who visits Lon !
Ion will carry away with him grateful recol- |
ections of the kindness and courtesy Of Lon
aon policemen in showing him how to end
ais way through the intricate thoroughfarss
or that great human hive.
Inc system employed by those who control
the London police makes of them machines
implicit obedience to their superiors is the
IDEAL Of excellence 1t is their business to
obey, not to think. Give a London police
man orders and be will obey them to the
letter. But put him in position where he
mas 10 suggest orders for himself, where he
has to act on his own Judgment and the
weight OF responsibility overwhelms him.
DE becomes dummy. He shows up worst
just where the New York policeman would be
at his best.
WAITING FOR "HoRDERs.r
l remember once attending political
nleetlhg where Leonard Courtney was to
make an address. Mr. Courtney was q
Liberal who had not gone over with Gladstone
On the Irish question. Consequently he was
.oe loved by those who had followed Glad
ZONES lead. When Mr.. Courtney rose to
Il ak three men, who obviously had no other
OBJECT in view than to prevent him from
speaking, mounted form and at the top of
their Lungs shouted, "Turncoatl Turncoatl
TurncoatF Mr. Courtney could not contend
against their combined capacity for noise
oproar and confusion ensued But the three
oostructionists continued their shouting.
Standing near were couple of policemen.
ny don't you put those uen outf' |
asked one of them.
We hain't got no borders to do it, sir" he
replied
Y Why, New York policeman would have
them out in a jiffy.n
1o"May be, sir, but this is free country,
SIT, and hat a political meeting heverybody
as right to hexpress is hopinion. sir"
And he looked at me after a fashion which
indicated that in his judgment he had shown
the superiority of English institutions.
The upshot Of the business was that after
awhile the majority of those present came to
the conclusion that patience had ceased to be
virtue, so they rushed the obstructionists
out of the hall and hustled them down stairs
at the risk of breaking their necks or limbs
And when they were out in the street the
policemen arrested them for disorderly con-
duct
SOMETHING IN NAME
The London policeman is nicknamed by
the street urchins bobby" Cheese it, the
cop.' exclaim New York gamins when inter-
rupted by the approach of some minion of
the law. Look out, ere comes the bobby,
boys" is the language usually employed by
mischief making London street arabs when
a policeman looms up in their vicinity.
There is difference in these greetings, and
the difference is in favor OF the New York
''cop" The cop is much spryer individ-
ual than the bobby" as the name would
imply.
When the dynamite scare ragged in London
all the policemen were instructed TO look out
for dynamite, but they were also directed
how TO look out for it. | shall never forget
the ludicrous spectacle presented at the en-
trance to Westminster abbey one Saturday
afternoon in consequence of these orders.
Saturday is a great day for country folk to
visit the abbey, and every man, woman and
child among them who carried bundle that
afternoon was made to submit its contents to
the scrutiny of a policeman before being
allowed to pass into the abbey The spec
tacle of an officer OF the law exhuming greasy
packages Of sandwiches, cake and pastry
from tine recesses of the capacious basket OF
some thrifty farmers wife in order to dis
cover if there was any dynamite there, was
very funny.
''You don't really expect to find any dyna.
mite that way, do you!' asked one of them.
NO, sir" was the abashed reply, 81 don't
but hits borders, sir, and we as to hobey
them"
TINIDITY AND INDIGESTION
Late one night I was approaching Black
friar's bridge from the Surrey side. A small
knot of people attracted my attention.
drunken Irish soldier and woman were en-
kdIsu Al Hu u-LElCdAItu. Ilt 6CtuStsO Liz
woman of stealing his money, and when sh.
denied it he kicked her.
Come, now, move on, move on" said {
policeman in tones Of gentle exhortation.
why in thunder don't you arrest tn,
bruteF' I asked the policeman.
well, don't like to do that. He nigh
have some OF his pals about and might &c
hurt the policeman replied.
After some further exhortation the brut
was induced 10 move on, protesting, how
ever, that be could lick all creation, an
especially that portion of it that wore police
mems uniforms. He had not gone far whe
he fell foul of a companion, who was merel
trying to get hin home, and kicked him an
belabored him numerically. Still the p,
hcernan merely exhortsd him mildly {
move ON
The feelings Of a c1stermonger at lengt
got the better Of him and he exclaimed
Blast M bleeding heyes, hit don't ave
go at you myself. Put hup your dukes now.
The Lishman ran OF al great rate, but
was the cos-ermongeT, and not the polio,
man, who had put hin TO rout-New Yor
Herald.