The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-01-18
HANDLING A CROWD.
Row IT Is DONE ~ The POLICEMEN
or NEW YORK.

For the control of large crowds New
York policemen have been regarded az
more effective than those of aEy other city
lin the world.
10 has been said that Nv Yorkers will
stand more police dictatioA than would be
}endured by the people os London or Paris
land will submit without complaining to
being ordered about and even dubbed by
the autoorat with brass buttons Recent
observations bnTs tended to confirm the
belief that the police Of this city are be-
looming less . mineering, while they are no
less effective IN the protection of the public
when the streets are filled with crowds.
There was time, remembered by many
New W Sers, when Ii was hardly safe to
ask lordly policeman plain question.
he =" 81 inclined to make reply by "stiff
Ipr oh" with the end of his big night stick.
10 art of clubbing was practiced with
such impunity that the average citizen re-
garded policeman with fear, and trem-
bling. Alec Williams was In his glory
then, and the "boss clubber" WAS an OBJ
ject Of 80 much interest that people would
stop and gaze at him with curiosity as he
etrode about the streets. His declaration
policeman's club than In decision Of the
court of appeals" had weight then. 1t was
the custom In those days to control crowds
IN the streets by the free use Of brute force.
Ii People were so much accustomed to exhi-
bitions of violence that there was no pub
lilo outcry when squad Of police chased q
crowd Of unoffending men back from a
!, fire with q shower of blows and deluge
4 of awful threats
n Old time police officials have declared
/ that the riot of 1858 was responsible for
/ much police brutality In the years that fol-
| lowed. The police had to fight hard on
/ that occasion, and their only weapon was
| the club. When they closed with the mob,
| their orders were, "Take no prisoners. "
| Inspector Carpenter, who led In the fight
Ing. gave the additional command, "Wher-
| ever you see a head hit it." When the
riot was over, the citizens of New York
| united In praise Of the police who bad
| earned the designation of 1.-THE finest "
Later the members of the force never failed
to distinguish themselves In fights against
| disorderly crowds, but they often failed to
make distinction between rowdies who de-
served to be clubbed and unoffending citi-
zens who were entitled to protection and
considerate treatment. The habit of
"charging the crowds with drawn clubs
remained fixed for years, and it was not
until the commissioners amended the rules
so as to require policeman to keep his
club in his belt unless he was Obliged to
draw 1t in self defense that the practice
was dropped. Even in holding police lines
at fires UT at great parades it was the Gus
tom of policemen to use their clubs in
pushing back persons who got over the
1ine and 1t was a common thing to see
policeman reach over and hit the heads of
people who were being pushed toward the
front by crowds In the rear. The sight OF
waving clubs was an inseparable feature
of every great parade In Broadway and
Fifth avenue, and smashed hats, If not
broken heads, were often the results of too
much eagerness to get In the front rank OF
.sightseers.
The ability Of the police to handle large
crowds without the use of clubs was first
demonstrated at the great Columbian pa
rades In New York. Never were the side
walks In Broadway more densely crowded
at a passing show. At all the corners of
side streets stood trucks, four or five at
each corner, piled high with spectators.
People pushed their way In solid masses
between the trucks, blocking the outlets
from Broadway and threatening to force
/ the police lines The orders of Superin.
tendent Byrnes against clubbing were pos
tive and explicit and 1t would have been
reckless for policemen to use their clubs in
such an emergency. Mounted policemen
were stationed at the street corners and
they used their horses In pushing back the
crowds. Some of the we'll trained animals
appeared to understand the work cut out
for them as well as their riders. They
would lean up against crowds and push,
making short, careful steps, as II mindful
of the feet that were near their iron shod
hoofs.
It was at the time of the centennial
parades also that the system, of telephone
stations along the line was first put into
operation. Mr.. Byrnes was able to sit in
his Office at police headquarters and hear
the music Of the bands and the cheers Of
the multitude at any point from which he
desired to get information. He was able
also to strengthen the police lines at a
place where crowd increased unexpected
ly by sending reserve force from the
nearest station.
The advantages Of complete telephone
service were demonstrated In the oenten-
nial parade Several persons were hurt at
<overcrowded stands or tainted in the crush
Of pushing people, and In every case am
bulances were summoned from the near
est hospitals without delay.
At recent large parades and on other oc-
casions when the police have had to con-
troll large crowds in the streets 1t has been
noticed that all the policemen carry their
clubs attached to their belts and wave
only their hands when they order people
TO move back. They have received the
most positive orders not to be rude or use
unnecessary force In keeping the lines, but,
on the contrary, to mingle gentleness with
frmness.
It must not be supposed, however, that
oil the members Of the force are fond Of
the new method and there are instances
when policeman will exhibit the domi-
neering manner which members of the
force often displayed 30 years ago.-New
York Tribune.
The Cocoanut.
The coooanut tree is the most useful Of
all plants In the tropical region. Its seed
l.