The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1892-01-27
OUR NIGHT PATR0LMAN.
What He Said to Me While We
Secured the Door.

About o'clock one evening this week,
when had settled down at home and was
reading a book, the landlord of my hotel
knocked on the door and told me police
man wanted TO see me.
"a whatr' said.
"Oh, it's true" he said. "He is in
hurry, too"
i thought of ali that / had done for
some months past, but didn't seem TO
reco11ect anything which should demand
such untimely attention from a blue
coated censor unless il was that / might
have committed some assault when was
suffering from the grip. Downstairs
found the policeman. though. He was
beat where the Office is had telephoned him
to send me down. / went, wondering
what the trouble could be. and when got
there all was dark. Suddenly, out OF a
corner tall form stalked. IL was our
patrolman. He had found our neighbor's
door open and as the rooms were connect
ed and our neighbor lived far away he
sent for me.
He wasn't feeling bad because he was
Obliged to stay there so we hunted up
nails and hraced the door inside and then
he told me how the police sometimes fixed
a brace like that and let IL rest against the
door so that when they went out and shut
il the door fastened itself. / thought OF
my easy chair and book. But was some
what interested when he showed me how
two men had broken into the store when
it was occupied by former tenant and
stolen lot of cigars. They broke glass,
opened a door and burst a panel from the
connecting door. They were captured:
"Do you find many doors openT' i
asked. NO.
eyes. great many" he replied. 81
have $50 doors TO try twice in seven hours.
1t is the most responsible beat in the city,
find the doors of big, wholesale houses
in them. open very often. One night at i
o'clock the book-keeper of wholesale
house lust below left the Office and i saw
him trying the door to be sure IL was
locked. When he had gone found a side
door in a dark place wide open"
"Men become so accustomed to going out
during the day and leaving the doors un-
fastend," he continued, and when they
20 out at night they often walk right out
and never think of fastening the door
"What do you usually do when you find
door open e' / asked
"If it can be fastened securely, we do
that" he replied, "but if not We watch
the place until some one can be sent for
to lock up. keep a list of persons who
can be reached by telephone in all bust
ness places in my district They don't
always like to be pulled out of bed TO lock
their stores, DuJ tney are Always tIdnh-
full when they get wide enough awake to
know what the trouble is. 1t isn't easy
for any one to get into place on my beat
but il is hard job trying all these doors,
especially in bad weather, / don't get
very cold, for there is work enough 70
keep me warm. Some people think
said the big fellow, as we left
the Office and I locked the door, that a
policeman only needs TO be big and handy
with "a club, but he has got TO have about
as good a head as anybody, / tell you.
He must be mechanic, a philosopher, u
diplomat and brave man. IL takes
philosophy to tramp around such nights
AS we have been having and do ones duty
faithfully. and it takes diplomacy to pull
! n man out Of bed AT 1870 A. NJ, even If IL
is TO look after his own interests, and IL
takes courage TO walk into dark places
when burglars may rush out and put bull
lets into you or knife you before you
realize what is going on. Some people
don't seem to think much of policemen,
but they would hardly be the ones who
would be willing TO do our work"