Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-02-27
IDEAS OF "pUrY"
Entertained by Augusta Police Don't Agree
with Ideas Of Augusta Taxpayers.

The latest excuse ventured by the police
for their neglect to arrest the parties i'm
plicated in those Sunday fights at the North
End is to the effect that there were really
no fights. They would have it understood
that the parties were only ''jawing' one
another, etc. They also say that no COM
plants were made to the police. In short,
under these circumstances they would have
the people understand that there were no
reasons why the police should effect an
arrest of the parties.
Now as matter of fact great crowd of
people doesn't gather to listen to "jaw -
between two great, able-bodied men, and
where the tongue is the only weapon used
in the row teams are not sent skurrying
around after the police who are hurried to
the scene. Then again, when parties are
simply "jawing" one another they do not
punctuate their remarks on each others
noses and the ruddy gore doesn't fly in
EAul6tluB JotS.
When officers of the law are hauled to
the scene of brutal fight what need is
there for formal complaints being made :
Don't the police of this city know what
their duty is or don't they dare to do their
duty? So far as heard from the general
opinion is that they didn't dare to do their
duty in this particular case. And this case
isn't 50 particular after all. Many other
cases recur to mind where it was exceed
ingly doubtful just what the police deemed
their duty and whether they supposed the
taxpayers Of Augusta hired them to main
tain law and order or to pose as ornaments
and political "heelers." One of these in
stances occurred several weeks ago. Not
that it is necessary to go back that length
of time but the event seems worthy OF men,
ton in this connection. Three men were in
the city with a load of hay which they FOLD.
They then proceeded to load up, not their
hay rack, but themselves. One got eead
drunk, and was laid out on the bottom of
the rack by the other two who were also
under the influence of intoxicating liquor.
The day was bitter cold, and the man in
the bottom of the rack must have frozen
to death if they had carried out their plan
of driving home. He also lay in
such manner that his feet were
in imminent danger of dropping down
through the timbers of the rack, in which
event his legs must have been broken.
One of the other two was fighting, bowling,
crazy drunk. The other managed to drive.
Someone, it is said, called the attention of
q policeman to the predicament the drunken
trio were in and he started to arrest one of
them. He informed the officer that they
would proceed to do him if he attempted
it and blue coat marched away as the King
of France marched down the bill
again. The party then went to the
East side and the nearest sober
man of the three bought some graf
The team was backed up to the store to
take it on. The old man lay dead drunk
in the bottom of the rack. One of the
younger men wanted to fight everybody,
the storekeeper included. When the latter
individual threw him out of his store the
brawler boarded the rack and con-
tinued to abuse and insult the Fassers-
BY. Finally the conduct of the drunken
fellow became unbearable and the store
keeper ordered special policeman who was
passing to arrest the offender. The latter
resisted and the storekeeper assisted. After
the man was taken TO the station the regular
officers came over and arrested the remain
der of the trio. When one Of the police
was asked why they didn't arrest them on
the other side and not let them drive on in
the condition they were ia the answer was
to the effect that the police weren's hired to
pull men off their teams. When men on
teams are dead drunk and in condition to
freeze to death if not to break their necks.
or where they are insulting everyone they
pass the query arises as it did in connection
with the Sunday fight and as it has arisen
in connection with many other notorious
eyents-what do the taxpayers hire the