Evening journal., 1888-12-06
THE LONDON BOBBY"
GOOD UNr,ER ORDERS. BUT A dunn
ny UNDER RESPONSIBILITY.

ny UNDER RESPONSIBILITY.
The London Policeman Wonderfully Civil
and Naturally Obliging-Anecdotes Of
the Tosce-sometiiing in Hame-Timid-
ity and Indecision.
The London policeman is by no means a
bad sort of fellow On the contrary. ho is
wonderfully civil and obligiug, and his
natural desire 20 please is stimulated BY
small "tip.n Every stranger who visits Lon
don viii carry away with him grateful recol-
lections Of the kindness and courtesy Of Lon
don policemen in showing him how to find
bis way through the intricate thoroughfares
Of that great human hive.
The 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 70 think. Give q London police
man orders and lie win obey them to the
letter. But put hin In position where no
hos to suggest orders for himself, where he
has to act on his own Judgment, and the
weight Of responsibility ovorwhelms him.
He becomes a dummy. He shows up worst
Just whore the New York policeman would be
at his DCnl.
WAITING ron "uoEDERs."
I remember once attending a political
meeting whore Leonard Courtney was to
make an address lIr Courtney was a
Liberal who lad hot gone over with Gladstone
on the Irish question. Consequently he was
not loved by those who had followed Glad
stones lead. When Mr.. Courtney roso to
speak three men, who obviously had no other
al ID 70, Fr.s,,
speaking, mounted d form and at the top Of
their lungs shouted, "Turncoatl Turncoat
Turncoatp Mr.. Courtney could not contend
against their combined capacity for noise.
Uproar and confusion ensued. But the three
obstructionists continued their shouting
Standing near were couple Of policemen.
"Why don't you put those men outm
asked ono Of them.
1--WE hain't got no horders to DO it, sir,n he
replied
''Why, a New York policeman would have
them out in iTy"
"AIay be, sir, but this is free country,
sir, and hat political meeting heverybody
as a right 70 hexpress is hopinion, sirn
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 DO
q virtue, so they rushed the obstructionists
out Of the hall and hustled them down stairs
at the risk Of breaking their necbs or limbs.
And when they were out in the street the
policemen arrested them for disorderly con
duct
SOMETHING IN A NAME.
Tho London policeman is nicknamed by
the street urchins bobby Cheese it, tho
copl' exclaim New York gamins when inter-
rupted by the approach Of some rlinion 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 a difference in these greetings, and
the difference is in favor Of the New York
'cop." The 'copn is a much spryer individ-
ual than the bobby as the name would
imply.
When the dynamite scare ragged in London
all tho 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
child among them who carried bundle that
afternoon was made to submit It's contents to
the scrutiny OF policeman before being
allowed to pass into the abbey. Tho spec
tacle Of an officer Of the law exhuming greasy
packages Of sandwiches, cake and pastry
from the 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 your / asked one OF them.
"No, sir,n was the abashed reply, Il don't;
but hits horders, sir, and we as to hobey
Them
T1AIDITY AND INDIGESTION.
Late one night was approaching Black
friar's bridge from the Surrey side A small
knot Of people attracted my attention. A
drunken Irish soldier aud a woman we're en-
gagged in an alteration. He accused the
woman Of stealing his money, and when she
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 the
brute7" l asked the policeman.
"Well, l don't like to do that. He might
have some of his pals about and might set
hurt" the policeman replied.
After some further exhortstion the brute
was induced to move on, protesting, how
ever, that he could lick all creation, and
especially that portion Of it that wore police
mems uniforms He had not gone FAR when
he fell foul Of a companion, who was merely
trying % get him home, and kicked him and
belabored him numerically. Still the DO
iceman merely exhorted him mildly to
"move onw
It's feelings Of a costermoager at length
got tho better Of him and he exclaimed,
BLAST my bleeding heyes, hif don't ave
so at you myself Put hup your dukes now"
Tho Irishman ran off at a great rato but it
was tho costermonSer, and not tho police
man, who had put him TO rout-New York
Herald.
In the Streets OF TOXIC,