The Dickinson press., 1889-01-26
THE LONDON BOBBY
GOOD UNDER ORDERS, BUT A puM-
MY UNDER RESPONSIBILITY.

The London Policeman Wonderfully Civil
and Naturally NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Of
the Force-Something in Name-Timid-
ity and Indccision.
The London policeman is by no means
bad sort of fellow On the contrary, he is
wonderfully civil and obliging. and his
natural desire to please is stimulated by
small tip" Every stranger who visits Lon
don will carry away with him grateful recol-
lections of the kindness aud courtesy of Lon.
don policemen in showing him how to find
his 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 tho
ideal of excellence 1t is their business to
obey, not to think. Give London police
man orders and he will obey them to the
letter But put him in position where he
has to suggest orders for himself, where he
has to act on his own Judgment, and the
weight of responsibility ovcrwhelms him.
He becomes a dummy. He shows up worst
just where the New York policeman would be
at his best.
WAITING FOR "HoRDERs"
remember once attending n political
meeting where Leonard Courtney was to
make an address. Mr. Courtney was II
Liberal who had not gone over with Gladstone
on the Irish question. Consequently he was
not loved by those who had followed Glad
stones lead. When Mr. Courtney rose to
speak three men, who obviously had no other
object in view than to prevent him from
speaking, mounted form and ut the top of
Sl,o fol
Turncoat!' Mr. Courtney could not contend
against their combined capacity for noise.
Uproar and confusion ensued But the three
obs'ructionists continued their shouting
Standing near We're n couple of policemen.
why don't you put those men OUT"
asked one of them.
"We hain't got no horders to do it, SIR" he
replied
"Why, Il New York policeman would have
them out i'll a jilfy."
MAY he, sir, but this is free country,
sir, and hat political meeting hcverybody
'as right to hexpress is hopinion, sir"
And he looked at mo after fashion which
indicated that i'll his judgment lie 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 he
a virtue, so they rushed the obstructionists
out of the hall and hustled them down stairs
at tho risk of breaking their necks or limbs
| And When they were out in tho street the
| Policemen arrested them for dsorderly coil
duct.
SOMETHING IN A NAME
The London policeman is nicknamed by
the street urchins "bobLy" "Cheese it, the
cop!' exclaim New York gamins when inter
rupted by the approach of some minion of
the law. "I.ook out, ERE comes the bobby,
boys" is the language usually employed by
mischief making London street arabs when
policeman looms up in their vicinity.
There is Il difference i'll these greetings, and
the difference is in favor of the New York
"cop." The 'cop" is much spryer individ-
ual than the 'bobby," us the name would
| imply.
When the dynamite scare ragged i'll 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 ut the ell.
trance to Westminster abbey one Saturday
afternoon in consequence of these orders.
Saturday is great day for country folk to
visit the abbey, and every man, woman and
child among them who carried n bundle that
afternoon was made to submit it's contents to
the scrutiny of policeman before being
| allowed to pass into tho abbey. Tho spec
tacle of al 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 you!' | asked one of them.
'No, sir" was the abashed reply, 81 don't;
but hits horders, sir, and we 'as to hobey
them"
TIMlDITY AND INDECISION.
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 and woman were ell
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 a
policeman in tones OF gentle cxhortntion.
why in thunder don't you arrest the
brutes' asked the policeman.
"Well, don't like to do that. lie might
have some of his pals about and might get
hurt" the policeman replied.
After some further exhortation 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 to get him home, and kicked him and
belabored him numerically. Still the po
lcelnan merely e1horted him mildly to
move on!'
The feelings Of a costermonger at length
got tho better of him and he exclaimed
BLAST my bleeding heyes, hif don't ave
90 at you myself. Put hup your dukes now"
The lrishman ran off OF great rate, but it
was the costermonger, and not tho police
man, who had put him to rout-New York
Herald.