National Republican., 1888-02-19
A COMPLAINING COP,
\ POLICEMAN WHO THINKS THAT HISTORY
Is UNTRUE
The Men Exposed TO the Danger of Being
Killed by Burglars Should he Recorded as
Having Made the Arrest.

Say" said the Big Policeman, in a com
planning tone, when you fclcrs write up the
capture of burglar why don't you give the
credit of the arrest tu the officer who runs
the risk of being cut or shot while in the act
of cullaring the thief, and not to the detective
who comes out to the station to pump the
captvc?'
Not altogether certain who or what class
were meant by the term you frllcrs," and
just trillc dubious of the exact purport of
50 complex II sentence from II usually taCi-
turn officer the reporter ought Il further cX-
pnnutiun, and the conversation that cnsucd
disclosed the fact that the Officers are ag-
gricvcd at the action of the detectives in
claiming, upon the record, credit for the
actual arrest in all cjl>rs in which they are
concerned, whether II participant therein or
not.
"rhc ease in point is just ih's; Take the
arrest of Jim Carroll ARRESTED til" other night
for burglary in Mr. Hewlett hull>c. out at
the head of New York avenue. officer
Boyd and his partner actually arrested this
man III response to CryS of "puliCu' and
murder from member of Mr.. llrwlctt's
household. Sergeant nuyhIl WIS also en-
gagged in the capture, The .Ntdr Of the Mon
Mahun made this important capture, and
why! Simply hCCauS" the huu>u uf Mr..
O'Bricm had been rOhhcdWnd the thief had
disposed ufthc plumber to II man who re-
ported the fact to headquarters. We'll, after
we got Carroll lund one of we would have
got shot if Carroll had been in shat mood
Just ut the time, and not one of ihc dctcc-
tivcS), the man who bought O'iricu'S stuff
was called upon 10y one of the detectives To
identify Carroll. which lac did and the ease
was given on that ground Ia thu detectives
Here the big policeman viCi"usly tuggcd
away at his plug of tobacco, while the re-
porter remarked, SympathCtiCaly: What's
the usc of getting mad about It, That only
Happens occasionally
" "NOungStCr,' and the whitening tone in
which hc thus described the unpatriarchal
appearance of the scribe thoroughly wiltcd
him, " that happens every day. Remember
the two Prices caught up for forgery on the
paving contractor? We'll, the record says De
tcctivc Muhun made that case. The truth is,
Il clever cop went in an adjoining house and
waited for the elder Price to come home to
change his clothes, after asCCraining that his
acts had been discovered, while Detective Ma
hon waited two or three SullarcS away. Price
actually passed him ON his way home, I'M
known Ia the Jcr>cyman. and was taken by
the officer waiting for him. Now. after the
old man was put in Il cell his son came to
the station To see him, and in conversation
with the detectives and Others acknowledged
Ia having written tine forged notes at the in
sigatiull of his father whcrcupon Mahon
preferred n charge against him and took
credit on the record for both arrests.
"Thc record goes for something, too in
the eyes of people that don't know. | re-
mem bcr II case that happened u few wears
ago that took my wind away, There was Il
man shot and killed on ID street, in front of
the Past building, in the presence of quite a
cuncoursc ofpcuple, it being AN election day
and the curious busy scanning the bulletins.
II created great commOtiun, for ii was II
miracle that some innocent party was not
killed or wounded. Ed Boss Il young man.
then II statiun-kccpcr with Il worthy ambi-
ton tu get ON the force, arrested the man
who was compelled To thus defend his life
and took him over tO the first precinct sta
tun. lfyou remember, ut that time CON
grcSs had just passed II law allowing six out
sidcrs tu be appointed to the force (by an
outsider mean II man who has not served
in the army or navy, and Boss hoped to be
one of those men. Now, what did the then
lieutenant of that precinct du?"
/ The reporter knew but did not like To- say
"Wcll, he just took the credit of that ar
rest to himself on the bottcr, and thus de-
prvcd young Boss of something which, il
noticed, might have resulted in the elevation
of II rattling good man To- the force. ! don't
blame some fellows for yanking kinchcns
(arrc>ting children, rs that the only way To
get credit for making AN arrest
"Thcn you don't put much faith in history
aS rccitcd by the rccords?' qucrcd the re-.
porter.
History, young man, as rccitcd by tn,
records, iSa LIAR! gravcly yet cncrgctically
responded the indignant guardian of til,
peace, as he terminated the interview with Il
majestic wave of his glovcd hand