Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-11-27
AN EXPERIMENT IN DETECTION.

The Crossing Policeman is M Wise
az Solomon When Necessary.
From the Chicago Times Herald.
1t Is IL question how some of the police
men stationed at downtown street intersec-
tons manage to keep from getting the
brain fever. The wear and tear on their
physical energies must be enormous. No
potentate of patchwork monarchy ever
had a harder time to balance his fayors.
He Is between a dozen fires. Besides all
this he is in imminent personal danger to
life and limb from people who can't drive
and horses which won't be driven. This
danger is not imaginary. as many suppose.
Indeed. several policemen have already
been severely hurt in this manner while in
the discharge of their duty. At the same
time he is absolutely necessary at nearly
all of the downtown crossings.
1t is wonderful how the presence of a
policeman at these places facilitates things.
If it were not for his prompt action and the
authority he carries the city would have to
order ambulances by wholesale. and half
the population would be going about on
clutches. 1t seems to be the intense desire
and ambition of every teamster to run peo-
pie down. One would think there was some
sort of bounty attached to knocking a
woman senSeleSs or breaking a mans leg
1t seems to be the settled opinion of every
dray-driving Action that people who wish
to cross should wait on the sidewalk until
after o'clock. while the coachmen of pro-
prietors of carriages evince laudable am
hilton to give their employers a taste of
how it would feel to ride on the heads of
the people. The policeman who maintains
life ana order at the meeting of two down.
town streets must pe possessed of consid-
cradle judgment He must know when to
make hole in the wall, SO to speak
through the mass of vehicles and let a por-
ton of the surgfng humanity surge through.
He must know how to do several things at
once. To at the same time chat pleasantly
with lady friend of his, tell a woman
from the suburbs where the street she's on
Is. and pull couple Of old gentlemen from
the jaws of cable cars. And, what is more
surprising, most of the downtown force can
do this. And, what is truly astonishing.
nearly all do 1t in a gentlemanly manner,
and keep their tempers well.
1t is not infrequently that an officer is
found who can do all this and more too.
At State and one CT the most prominent
cross streets there is a policeman who is
close second to the caliph that decided
the ownership of an infant in his own high
ly original way. Among many instances
where his acEmen has played particular
part is one that happened a day or SO ago.
1t concerned bicycle. The latter was left
by Its rider against the curb. A few min
utes later young man approached 1t. The
policeman in question had not seen the
owner get off the machine, but he thought
the newcomer looked trife suspicious.
The chain and sprocket wheel of the OIL
cycle had been secured together by a pad
lock. When the young man in question be-
gen to carry the wheel off instead of I'M
locking It he felt it was about time to act.
DO you own that bicycle?" he said to
the young man.
Yes was the reply.
where's your key, them" was his next.
I've lost it," That settled it.
Say, now" continued the policeman will
you give NE your name and address?''
The young man seemingly did not want
to make any trouble. He hesitated for a
moment and then said: why, yes, If you
want it."
"And. now" continued the policeman,
after he had 1t, you know the case looks
strange and you know we have SO many
bikes lost. would you mind waiting fifteen
minutes to see If any one else should come
after that wheel?"
mo. 1 guess not" said the young man.
Then he leaned back on a railing and began
to wait. After he had been there three or
four minutes the policeman said: well, I
guess it's all right. You can CO." And
then turning to a bystander he remarked:
You can bet your next months pay he
wouldn't have stood there If 1t wasn't his. /"