The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-02-23

of the thong is placed over the thumb,
and the thong is then carried over the
back of the hand; the hand is then closed
upon the stick. The thong is made or
such a length that 1t can be adjusted in
this manner and at the same time per-
nit Of a secure and easy grasp upon the
stick. This method of wearing the thong
is prescribed by the rules. 1t makes pos
sible firm hold upon the club, and at
the same time, with this hold, the club
can be dropped instantly If emergency
should require, which might be impossi-
Bile with one or two turns of the thong
around the hand. The rules require that
the club shall be carried in the socket at
tached to the belt, which the policeman
wears when it is not drawn for some pur-
pose.
To sound the locust the hold upon the
stick is released, and 1t is swung by the
thong, and the end let fail upon the pave
ment, with the stick In a diagonal posi-
| ton. There is a code of club signals. In
case of fire, for example, an officer sounds
signal of certain number of raps,
which calls upon all officers in hearing; 1t
| is hurry call. There is a signal which
an officer makes when he finds door open
and calls for assistance If he is pursu-
ing a fugitive, and is being outfooted, he
sounds upon the pavement as he runs,
and again few rods further on, and again
If need be; but he Is almost certain to be
heard by some other policeman in adj
vance, who comes to the assistance Of the
pursuing policeman and heads of the flee
ing man, and very probably trips him and
| throws him as he comes along. There are
other calls that are sounded with the club.
The policeman who hears the sounding of
another policemans locust, calling, gives
one rap with his own as he starts. In
! this case the single rap means II am COM
| ing, The sound of the locust is to the
| policeman something like the sound of the
bugle to the soldiers; the time never comes
when it ceases tofstir his blood
The day stick must be made of rosewood
or mahogany or some other fancy dark
wood that can be polished. 1t is from
twenty to twenty-five inches in length
! and of such a diameter that ii will fit the
same belt socket as the night stick, The
/ dAV piuD is QIIitp different ho ,1a ~,
! night stick in finish. 1t has a turned
handle, or grip; and in place of a leather
! thong IL has a cord and tassel. The cord is
| secured around a knob at the end of the
/ handle and then carried loosely TO the other
! end OF the handle, where it is secured
! around a knob at the end of the handle
| and then carried loosely to the other end
| OF the handle, where IL is secured around
the club IN a groove turned in the wood
| TO receive It, The loop, from one end OF
! the handle to the other, is something like
| the guard on a sword hilt; the free end of
| the cord with the tassel attached hangs
! from where the cord is fastened around
] the lower end of the handle. The rules
| of the department prescribes that the day
sticks carried by patrolmen and rounds
| men shall have red cords and tassels
| those of sergeants, blue, and those of can
tains, inspectors the deputy chief and the
| chief, white cords and tassels.
The day stick is carried from o'clock in
! the morning till o'clock in the evening
| by an men on regular post duty, and it is
| carried on parades. II Is oftenest made of
| rosewood, is heavier than the night stick
| and therefore not so easy to carry, car
! ried IN its socket, hanging against the
coat II wears the coat white, and wears IL
| out-as for that matter, the belt does also
II Is. probable that policemen generally do
not fancy the day stick with its cord and
! taSsel, and that they would prefer the
! billy; In fact, men assigned to posts in
! tough districts carry in the daytime, be-
| sides the day stick. a billy, upon which
they would be more likely to RELY than
! upon their day stick. The latter though
heavier than the night stick, is more like
| ly to be broken; while the billy, though
sure weapon.
The rules prescribe that the billy shall
be of hgnumvitae or .grenadilla. ii must
| be fourteen inches in length, one and five
| eighth inches in diameter at the larger
END ana tapering to one inch in diameter
az me handle IDLE end The billy has frrned
| tapering shape it is very different in APP
pearance from the severely plain night
stick and more ornamental; but its dimen-
| sions are such that II looks rather pudgy
so that 1t is not very pretty after all But
Il Is very useful, The billy is provided
! the billy are not used in signalling yby
sound as the night stick is. They are not
made OF woods suited to that purpose, and
traffic. u
While the billy is carried more or less
~ y. various uses the year round, IL is prac-
! tcally the departments summer club for
! IN that season Il is the club regularly car
ried on patrol duty, The uniform coat in
/ summer Is a loose-fitting sack coat with
| which II would be impossible to wear a
! belt becomingly or with comfort, so the
belt Is not, worn, and for the day stick is
| substituted the billy, which Is carried In
| a pocket specially made for that purpose.
| The billy pocket, which Is ten Inches i'm
| denth Is placed on the back of the right
| leg or the trousers between the thigh and
! the knee, where Il Is not visible when the
coat Is worn whore It gives the least pos
! sible Inconvenience TO the Wearer and
/ A
man may carry his billy in the daytime
| II he chooses and there are some, usually
| they are in uniform, though not on duty
| when the sight of their uniform, however,
might lead TO their being called upon. Po-
crossings at ferries. al public buiidings.
| ana so on wear no belt or club at any sea-
son, but they always carry a billy.
All clubs carried In the department are
| numbered, the number corresponding with
| that Of the shield worn by the owner Of
| and the practice Is due TO the following
/ incident. Years ago, twenty-five or thir-
| ~ years, a police inspector, who used to
/ go out himself TO see how the men per-
| formed their duty, found In a place one
/ night two or three policemen who should
| have been on post. When the inspector
| appeared the lights were turned out and
| the men escaped him. But they left their
| night sticks behind The Inspector lit up
| the place and looked around and found
| the night sticks and carried them to the
| police station. calculating that when the
| men came OF post those with no night
sticks would be the deinquents. But
| when the men came In every man had
| night stick, and the solution of this Is
| very simple. The mon who had lost their
| clubs had sent one of their number 20 the
| police station for other sticks, and he
| managed TO get them. So when the men
| came In every man was provided with
/ a stick While the inspector failed In
| this case 20 discover the men, the Incl
! dent led 20 the making OF q department
| rule that all clubs should be numbered,
| ana TO this day. in every police station,
! at every assembling Of the men for roll
/ call and inspection, before going out on
! post. the clubs are inspected to see that
| each man has his own club. with the
! his shield. IL Is said that no club has