Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1897-02-12
HANDLING a CROWD.
HOW ii, IS DONE BY THE POLICEMEN
n. or NEW YORK. M
Clubbing, which Was Once So Popular, 10
Not Now In Favor Telephone Stations
Along the Line Of March Keep tho Chief
In Touch with . Big Parade.


III tho world.
b 1t has beon said that New Workers will
stand more police dictation than would be
endured by the.people Of London or Paris
and will submit without complaining to
being ordered about and even dubbed by
the autocrat with brass buttons. Recent
observations have tended to confirm the
belief that the police of this city are be-
coming less domineering, 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 Workers, when 1t WAS hardly safe to
! ask lordly policeman q plain question.
He was inclined to make reply by ''stin
punch with the end Of his big night stiok
The art of clubbing was practiced with
such Ampunity that the average Citizen re-
Qarded policeman with fear and treln-
bling. Alec Williams was In his glory
then, and the "boss clubber" was aD OBJ
iect Of SO much interest that people would
stop and gaze at him with curiosity rs no
strobe about the streets His declaration
that there was more law in the end of a
policeman's club than In u 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.
! People were so much accustomed to exh1'
| billions Of violence that there WAS no pub
| lie outcry when squad of police chased
crowd of unoffending men back from
| fire with a shower Of blows and deluge
| of awful threats.
! Old time police officials have declared
| that the riot of 1868 was response BILE 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, I'd with the mob,
their orders were, "Take no prisoners. !"
Inspector Carpenter, who led In tho fight
ing, gave the additional command, "Wher-
4 ever YOU see q head hit it. When the
riot wac over, the citizens of New York
united in praise of the police, who had
earned the designation Of "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 dubbed and unofending citi-
zens who were entitled to protection and
considerable treatment. The habit OF
! "oharging. the crowds with drawn clubs
remained fixed for years. and 1t was not
! until the commissioners amended the rules
40 as to require policeman to keep his
club in his belt unless ho was obliged to
draw 1t in self defense that the practice
was dropped. Even in holding police lines
at fires or at great parades 1t was the GUS
tom of policemen to use their clubs IN
pushing shack persons who got over the
line, and 1t was a common thing to see
policeman reach over and hit the heads OF
people who we're being pushed toward the
| L. l,.{k 10 "A ri nj
waving clubs was an inseparable feature
4 al every great parade In Broadway and
| Fifth avenue, and smashed hats, IT 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
| cruwds without the uAe 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 chow. 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
j 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 we'll as their riders. They
would lean up against crowds and push,
making short, careful steps, ae If mindful
of the feet that we're near their iron shod
boots. go
It was at the time Of the centennial
parates 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
I also to strengthen the police lines at q
place where crowd Increased unexpected
lily by sending q reserve force from the
nearest station.
The advantages Of a complete telephone
service were demonstrated in tho centen.
NAL parade. Several persons were hurt at
overcrowded stands or tainted in the crush
Of pushing people, and in every case am
balances were summoned from the near
est hospitals without delay. ....
At recent large parades and on other o.