The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-03-25
MAN WHO DOES POLICE
Little Events in the Daily Life Of
This Useful Reporter.
Men Whom He Has on His Staff-HOw
He Keeps Good Story
from .'killing."

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The police reporter of a morning news
paper sees a side of life where the color
ing is the most varied. In his capacity as
the gatherer of news peculiar to his de-
partment he is accorded an admirable op
portunity of observing mankind. He finds
all that is good in the lives of those with
whom he is brought in contact and does
not lose sight of the shallow places. An
extensive acquaintance must be his. He
knows the keeper of the heightened gam
ing room and the habitues of the resort
for he has met them at headquarters" A
large per cent. of his acquaintance are
made in the little Office of the police turn
key, consequently the circle is not limited
by any means to the gambler and thief.
A party of gentlemen may have been sur
prised while making night of It and it
is necessary to call the patrol. 1t is an
incident unusual if the police reporter is
not present when the party is landed at
the station. He recognizes the prisoners
as "our best young men, but discreetly
holds his peace. He is also recognized by
the discounted FOUNDERS and many high
bred swell has trembled in his boots at
thought OF the awful havoc the police re-
porter may make of his gilded reputation.
But the latter individual is obliging, usual
ly. If there is not story in the ar
rest he makes friend for life by assur-
ing the trembling applicant for reportorial
favor that there will be nothing said about
it. 1t is the business of the police reporter
to scent the "story" and il he sees a
glorious possibility of securing a -four
line head he coolly refers the petitioner
TO the city editor. Here he knows that
his 1Ior story is safe ,, The city editor once
require many words with the repentant
rounder to place him on the alert:
;. Certainly, we will be glad to oblige you,
IL We can" he says with a chilling polite
ness. II shall speak to our police reporter
about il" The conversation with the lat
ter gentleman invariably ends with the or
with appropriate trimmings, but the po-
lice reporter is absolved from blame, for,
s ealsf. he left the matter entirely with his
About the newspaper office the police re-
owed by the highest-priced man on the
force. He sits in his STALL at the mid
tbg FEW f aM Us 6e a the
desk" he hears the swish of a pencil as
the chief of the city room runs through the
turbed. for ne knows that some other fel-
lows effort is being shorn of it's gems
instead OF his The police reporters copy
may require editing, but it ought not be
TO the shears and the merciless blue pencil
first, he thinks, He deals in murder, sui
tracts attention. People like to read about
a crime, and the police reporter knows 1t;
hence his conceit is pardonable. Occasion
ally he moraliZes and dips into sentiment
1t is then that he Is the badly used victim
of the blue pencil Perhaps he is sent
out to report a suicide and is touched by
no IF ia a
cry in his report, forgetful of the fact that
people want the details as they were. Next
nize his work, for his flowers are gone.
the work of an autumn frost. But
these occasions are rare. and if
and something must be killed, it will not
he murder or a suicide; There may be
departments to determine just where the
sacrifice should be made but the police
reporter awaits the verdict calmly; for he
man may come in from the composing room
with frown and vow that he will not
run another line. The police reporter smiles
compla Gently to himself for this is an old
complaint. He has heard it many times be-
fore, and he SwellS out with Importance
when he remembers how often ne mas got,
80 has been wired by the Associated
Press. 1t may have been necessary to
make a second" and second editions cost
worry about that. lie gets his STORY in
the paper and he is happy.
There are two events in the existence OF
the police reporter that serve to annoy him.
The first is that uncomfortable feeling that
he is being "scooped'' by the rival paper
The other and less formida6le annoyance af,a &c
get into print a certain story which ne
has taken Jealous pride in securing. Per-
haps it is because of the prominence of the
parties in disgrace that the episode is not
used, or it may be that the details or the
item are not proper for publication. In
either case the police reporter is dis
gusted Individual With whitening scorn he
comments on the inconsistency or human
ity and goes about his work in despair.
ingloriously ''scooped." There is, perhaps,
no event in the life of the young man who
does the police work SO perfectly adapted
to peruse the files of the rival paper ana
locate a sensation that he hasn't heard OF;
OF course it's a piece of police news, ana
feels that he is an appalling failure al as ga a
.'scooned" his rival a half dozen times in
count in this case. Then he begins to Won
der how it came about and instantly reels
that he has a grievance against the who,e
how his rival has the night before ''worket
him and he runs over the list or patrol
men. but can't recall to mind an enemy envy;
of the matter and attributes the scoop
to the luck of the other fellow.
The chief official on the stair of the po-
lice reporter is the superintendent of POI
lice, for here is the source of news. The
two often become confidential friends and
occasionally a great secret is imposed in
the reporter by the chief 1t is safe, for
betrayal of confidence is not in the line
of the news gatherer. He may have the
STORY a week before it is ripe" but it
is buried. The night captain is another
warm friend of the police reporter At
o. o'clock roll call if there is a raid to be
made the captain puts a bug in the ear
of the reporter 1t goes no further, but
the newspaper man is in at the roundup.
lie appreciates these little urtesies and
fights the captains battles on all coca
sions Then there is the sergeant, the
turnkey and the man on the phone. The
police reporter cultivates them all: it is
policy, and they are really good fellows
beside He knows the firemen and the am
bulance doctor and a host of others who
never forget him when there is a, casualty.
The police reporter has little time for
social duties. His inheritance is the dog
watch" which means that he is the last
man away from the office in the morning
and his society is the criminal and the Off
Ger of the law. His duties mostly lay in
the shadows and he is daily brought face
to face with the worst element of life. But
after all be is not a grumbler. Give him
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