The evening world., 1893-11-29
~ Wan or Woman " fe a%S %d Sh ya s sHa y" 20 Word Advt for 10 c.

~ 'iStliSt struggling Win q prisoner
on the verge of delirium tremens, with
his face scratched and uniform torn, be-
1ore the 'stretcher' arrives? How often,
also. are they compelled ever to drag
their prisoners through the streets, ac-
tually drag them through muddy thor
oughfares, along the sidewalks, some
times several blocks, amid the jeers of
the o%nlookers?
These scenes have been witnessed by
nearly everybody. They can be seen al
most any day in the week-an investlga-
ton OF the records OF the Police Depart
ment will show II. or the record of the
Police Courts. In fact. they have become
80 common that newspapers have ceased
to publish anything of such occurrences
unless they are surrounded by unusually
dramatic Incidents.
That the effect of such scenes upon the
youth of the city is debasing in the ex-
IRENE must at once be apparent, but
there are other features to the present
obnoxious system that demand its rele-
cation to the rear.
Scores Of innocent men, It is well
known. have been arrested even during
the present year They have been taken
from their Offices. or from their own
doors, on horse-cars, or on the sidewalks
and marched by a policeman through
the streets to the station-house or to
the court. Many have been forced to
parade thus in their own neighborhood,
among their acquaintances, who natur-
ally conclude that a stain of some sort
rests upon their characters. 1t Is i'm
material that they have been 'honor-
ably discharged" They have been seen
under arrest, and while that intelligence
flies like fire among flax. few take the
to inquire about the disposition
of the case.
evils Is a proper patrol wagon
service. Then on making an arrest an
officer could at once telephone his pre-
cinct station and in a minute or so the
wagon would arrive and convey the pris-
oner to station or courthouse.
Under the laws OF the State every cit
lien is a policeman. and in fact is guilty
of a misdemeanor If he does not act as
such in cases of emergency. 1t Is safe
to say that not even the hardest crimi-
nal is willing to stand idly by and see
a murder committed. Under the pres
ent condition, however. II he is fearful
of his own life, he can do nothing.
If there was q signal station on every
corner. as there ought to be. a telephone,
or something which every one could use
not a telephone of which a policeman
alone holds the key. to tell his superiors
that he is alive and In good health-but
something which every citizen could
h plIa hnu, @ g, ~ mould oil no
1t might be argued that false alarms
would be turned in. That argument has
been made before and proved fallacious.
Mail boxes are now on nearly every
block, and on top Of each box mail mat
ter is piled high every day. How often
is any of it stolen
There are lots of fire boxes In the city
at present by which any one can send
in an alarm. Yet the number of false
alarms sent In is insignificant beside
the good which is accomplished.
Two days ago an incident occurred
which, however trivial in itself, dem
onstrated the absolute necessity OF a
signal system as we'll as the patrol
wagons. The foreman of the New York
Central Railroads grain elevator, Six
tieth street and North River, was at
tackled by some discharged employees.
He drew a pistol and fired at the men,
and later some arrests were made.
There was every indication there of
a riot. Twenty-one men had been dis
charged, and all were inclined to be
ugly. The excitement lasted over an hour,
or long enough for the elevator to have
been fired and many lives lost.
The nearest police station was at Sixty
eighth street and Tenth avenue, so that
n good half-h would be lost In send
ing a messenger there and coming back
with the reserves on foot Fortunately
there was a telephone In the elevator
building. and word was sent to Police
Headquarters. Captain Doherty was
sent up o. a run to take charge OF the
police forces and su-~ress the riot"
Word was also sent to the station-house
and Capt. Smith with half a dozen men
hurried to the scene.
Order had been restored, however, by
tina time, and n policeman, stationed
nearly two blocks away, had mad the
arrests. What would nave happened,
however, had the men really broker out
in n riot, and without n signal system or
a patrol wagon, at hand. 1t is disagree
able even to conjecture.
Six years nave been wasted In some
manner in dealing with this pressing
need. There is a demand for an i'm
mediate change on all sides. The public
wants it, and what the public wants it will
have. Humanity demands 1t. The safe
ty of the city requires it. The Board of
Estimate and ApportIonment must act
and act promptly. This Old. obsolete
system must go.
The Police Board has now In Its pos
session 500, 600. The Commissioners have
had 1t for nearly six years. why do
they not do something? 1t is not a
| question of systems nor Of politics, The
public wants something which every
| man or woman can use In the way 81
signalling the police. Il wants patrol
wagons, which will prevent the present
debasing spectacle Of seeing men and
women dragged through he streets
Comptroller Myers is in favor or n
system. He told an "Ev"ninS World
r.porter that he WAS in favor OF any
thing that would benefit the Police De-
nnrtment and the C.iy