The Portland daily press., 1897-08-23
IN POLICE CIRCLES.
Gew England Fair Week a Quiet One

Very Few, Crimes for such Tremendous
Crowds-The Sailors Very Well Behaved
Very Little Drunkenness Reported
Some Pocket Picking.
The sight of wagon load of police 60
ing at breakneck pace through the streets
created good deal Of excitement late Sat
urday afternoon and as the patrol wagon
dashed along q constantly growing stream
of men and boys running or riding on
bicycles fell in behind. The wagon rat
tied down Market street and into Com
mercial where it stopped at the head of
Portland pier. Then the officers got out
and commenced to look about for the fight
they had come to subdue, but they did
not find it. They learned, however, that
a few moments before drunken man had
been making himself offensive about the
locality and was evidently determined to
clean out the navy, for group of blue
jackets aroused his ire and be did his best
to get into trouble. The sailors were dis
posed to take no notice of the man but
finally he was favored with an inter-
change of compliments and in the melee
some blood was drawn but no great dam
age was done. The affair was soon over
and the combatants had left the place be-
fore the wagon load of police arrived.
1 This by the way was the first disturb
gance of the kind reported to the police
during the week. For week during
which there have been so many people In
and around the city the one which has
Just closed has been remarkably free from
law breaking. The week began with the
appearance of a circus and that as every
one knows is frequently the opportunity
for evil disposed persons to indulge in
their propensity for acquiring other peo-
pies property. Then there came the fair
which drew great crowds to the city and
Rigby park, and in connection with 1T
there were the parades where the people
were massed along the streets in way to
give the light fingered gentry chance to
ply their trade. Some people have lost
money and Jewelry as has been reported
in the papers but there were few such
cases. On the whole it was week afford
ing rare chances to the wrong doors and
the city may congratulate herself that
such good order was kept.
Marshal Sylvester said Saturday evening
when asked about the business of the
police during the week that he regarded
1t as q week in which there was very lit
tie crime, considering the size of the
crowds on the streets at all times of the
day and night.
Deputy Marshal Sterling said the same
thing and spoke particularly of the good
behavior of the sailors who have been
given shore liberty to see these sights on
shore. Not sailor has been arrested for
breach of the peace and there have been
only four taken into custody at the re-
quest of the officers of the feet as desert
ers. To be deserter, a man does not
have to be actuated by desire to leave
the service of the government. When 6
sailor overstays his shore liberty, he il
marked as deserter and a request il
made of the local police force that he bt
taken in charge and returned to the ship
In many cases the man wanted has beer
guilty only of taking a drop too much
and getting into condition in which ht
u
board in time to save the disgrace of ap
pearing on the records as having deserted
So desertion in times of peace is not The
heinous offense that it is in the face OF
the enemy. Mr.. Sterling who recalls the
visits of many war ships to these waters
says that the character of the men has
greatly changed. Now when the sailors
come ashore it is the exception to the rule
to find one who gives the officers any
trouble but in the old days the fact thai
there was a row between the sailors .ant
fishermen down on Fore or Commercial
street was regarded as necessary accom-
paniment to the jubilation of the tars.
AT Rigby Park close watch has beer
kept on the crowds. Inspector Burke o.
the Boston police force has been of grea
assistance to the local officers. Mr.. Burke
has a wide and varied acquainted with
criminals and he found a number of wei
known performers here when he arrived
on Monday. To all Of them he made the
Same statement that 1t would be condu
Give to their continuance in state of free
dom from the restraint of iron bars Il
they returned to the large cities from
which they came and most of them die
SO. 1t was stated at the sheriff's Office
last night that there had been but one
complaint of loss in the park proper since
Tuesday and that was made by a mar
who had lost stick pin from his scar
but Was not at all sure that it was stolen
admitting that it may have dropped out
On the crowded cars the pickpockets piled
their trade more or less but except in the
cases already reported the officers know Of
no heavy losses. Mr.. Burke sale
to- PRESS reporter that in his
opinion there were 100, 900 people at Rig
by during the week and it was one of hi
most orderly crowds that he had eyel
seen.
Deputy Sheriff Firth made an arrest al
the park Saturday afternoon, but it wal
in case which had nothing to do witt
the fair. Bernard Devine reported to thu
Ii L l.