The Indianapolis journal., 1897-09-19
THE LONDON POLICE.
They Are Not Armed, and Ofenses Are
Committed in Their Presence.

esting to Americans, though scorned by the
English, so here are a few. The writer met
the first mate of his steamer the instant
he stepped on board.
'"Take your luggage to the steward" said
he. ''for you don't know who is on board
Put that watch and chain out of sight if
you want to keep it,"
The writer was still on American soil and
it was his first warning against English
pickpockets. He loosened his witch chain
and deposited it in his vest pocket
'"Take it out of there" said the mate.
Some one will get it sure"
The watch and chain went into a deep
pants pocket.
THAT will never do" said the mate
Give your watch, your pocketbook and
everything loose you've got to the steward.
You can't travel in England as you can in
America. This is a friendly warning for
your own good"
The injunction was obeyed and the writ
ers effects reposed in the stewards strong
room for the voyage. The vessel landed at
Deptford a London suburb, and now 1 was
landed stranger in a strange city.
Hi there, Jack; wait a minute and I'll
walk up with you," called out a lantern
jawed cockney who stood across the street
but who recognized a stranger at l O'Clock
In the morning, and that, too, by the un-
certain flicker of a gas lamp-for London
town is behind most American cities in the
matter OF electric lighting for streets. There
was a policeman a few PAGES ahead, and
toward him the writer made way the lam
tern-jawed piece of humanity paraIleling
him on the opposite corner of the street
casting furtive glances across the interven-
ing space and acting for all the world like
a hyena The fellow was all jaw. He seemed
to have no head at ali. His heavy features
resembled more the outlines of a bulldog
than those of a human being. His eyes
We're small and deep set, and he shambed
along like a guilty dog.
You're lucky in meeting me first" was
the remark of the officer. Il would advise
you to dodge into the first public house you
see. There's one across the street. Go in
While watch you. Don't speak to that fell
low low across the street or he'll go through
you. Now hurry up
The writer started across the street, but
at the same moment the saloon darkened.
Hold on, you're too late" sang out the
ofncer. Come here and II show you where
TO go Now do you see that lantern over
the sidewalk? It's a lodging house not
very good, but you'd better turn in You
see that gang there? Well, they are thieves
and pickpockets. / can't leave this corner
very well, but We'll wait and perhaps some
of the police will come this way"
Ihe lodging house was only square off
and dozen police could be seen standing
al around They We're not over half
square apart, and there were three or four
IN different groups. The writer signfied his
Willingness TO walk unattended the i.tter-
Venlng square, but the officer said no.
You are lucky to get to me, my boy he
said patrOnizingly. Il know you Americans
are Venturesome but after You're in Lon
don spell you won't go about with such
impunity. | don't suppose you would get
TO see you lose anything. That satchel Of
yours would be out of your hand in a min
ute and into some of these by-streets or
houses the next. If you took the hold-up
good naturedly as our people do, you'd
probably not get hurt, but if you'd object
10 being robbed the rascals might break a
bone or two, and you can't see many sights
in London hospital Just wait here until
to bed"
DO you mean to say that it is possible to
be held up right here with a dozen police in
sight?' was asked.
Exactly. It's done every night right
here in London. You see, we have a differ
ent class OF criminals here to what you
nave in the States. We don't have as dam
gerous class, but they are meaner. What
| mean is that we don't have much shoot
ing, but we have some cutting and a great
deal OF thieving. Pickpockets surround a
stranger all the time. They are as thick as
bees in this quarter. All London is not this
Wy Wy ouI we ponce Always warn strangers
You see, 1t is this way We police are not
allowed to carry reYolvers. We never
shoot and catching thief is a matter of
sprinting. Now, If we should take after
man who robbed you we couldn't catch
him once in a hundred times. He would
dodge into some door and tnat would end
the matter. In America an officer calls out
to halt. and if the thief does not halt he is
liable to get shot. We're at disadvantages
L IL AUNT, out 1t would never do to a
revolver in crowded city like this. 1t is
better to let the guilty escape than to xiii
one innocent Thieves here laugh at u.s.
ana our position is amusing sometimes"
Do you mean that it would be unsafe to
walk to that lodging house?" persisted the
writer.
sand police. Why, / have known of cases
where foreigners have been robbed of their
clothes clothes Three or four thieves will catch
hold at once and skin a man like a rat
I've called cabs several times in nv dav
and sent foreigners to their hotels wrapped
in brown paper in lieu of clothes Yes sir
l have picked up strangers without a shirt
on and I've seen men robbed while I was
running to help them. These very thieves
reports Of their jobs. We don't arrest
often, because it's no use In this square
reside hundred professional thieves
know them all and joke with them every
day-must do it for my own protection for
II London policeman fights back he will
get the worst of it; I've even had fellows
try TO steal the badge from my helmet If
anyone throws a bowlder at me | saw
nothing for / would get killed l merely
nnd cut tt, who threw it at me and then get
some officer from a different part of the
city to come here and make the arrest on
some petty. charge. The headquarters are
informed of the true nature of the offense
and in this way the fellow is punished We
always get even in this city, but not so
quickly as in America But we get 'em in
his name around and we secretly help each
other. It's all day with a criminal if we
OHGt get aIter nlfn- he might we'll get
out of the city. The fact is we overlook
many ofTenses, and we don't see a great
deal, Why. if we arrested all law breakers
London prisons would not hold them
punishment here includes good meals and
the worse punishment we can infiict upon
some people is to let them roam the streets
his IS often worse than imprisonment .
just here came along sergeant who ex-
cused the officer while the writer was es-
ccTted to his room. These fellows YOU see
here all are thieves" remarked the police-
man as he said good night.
The above incident was told at Scotland
Yard to the inspector in charge Yes"
said he, "our officers are instructed to care
to strangers We have found it easier than
to care for the thieves We do not work
case up so closely as you do in America
for the reason that we haven't the time
Neither will you have when your cities
grow larger Already New York and Chi
The American system of making arrests
and dealing roughly will do in America, but
not here. We have too many people who
would protest. Our people, while they look
10 us for help. do not expect us to do
everything for them. The American public
demand too much of their police and de-
tectives. We solve mysteries when we can
and when we are baffled we let them go
In America the public seem to think that
all mysteries should be cleared up. We
work here conscientiously, and yet we ad-
nit that we are often baffied. 1t is one
intellect against another. with chances in
favor of the petty criminal, who has his
cunning to aid him. London police annals
furnish many mysteries that will never be
solved