The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-09-30
REPORTERS WHO ARE POLICEMEN
A Missouri Town Where ~Newsgatherers
Are Guardians of the Peace.

- o'
Are Guardians Of the Peace.
When a man refuses to answer a
question asked by a newspaper repor-
ter in this city he may be arrested
and taken to the police station. The
reporter may call the patrol wagon n
send the offending citizen there II he
feels inclined to do so. The reporters
are all policemen.
A short time ago the police commits
sioners gave all the reporters commits
sions, vesting them with the right TO
wear stars and carry clubs and with
all the powers of the patrolmen. The
reporters are not expected to perform
any of the work Of patrolmen. OF
course. and they do not draw salaries
from the city, but they are peace offl-
GERS and can make arrests.
While the experiment has not been
given a thorough trial. the police COM
m~issioners believe IL will prove a sue
cess. Several of the reporters have
already made arrests in the absence
OF the regular patrolmen, sending the
prisoners to the station in the patroi
wagon. They have quelled disturbances
on certain occasions. and the commits
sioners find that they have added to
the force a squad Of alert men, scat
tered day and night in every part of
the city and mingling with the throngs.
ready for duty at any moment and
without a cent of cost to the city.
The appointments were made at the
request Of the newspaper writers them
selves because they had been barred n
few times from public places where
they believed they had the right to be
present. AS officers of the law they
can go anywhere now and with the
authority of a policeman they can per-
form the work of news gatherers.
Fears were expressed at first that
the reporters would overstep the
bounds of their authority after they
had been commissioned, but Ii has
never yet been done. They are under
the authority of the board Of commits
sioners n amenable to the law the
same as the regular patrolmen. Should
one of them violate the regulations laid
down for the guidance of policemen his
commission would be revoked and he
would find himself a plain reporter once
more. minus his star and club.
Unusual adventures accompany the
new roles of the reporters since they
nave been made policemen, ana others
are yet to be experienced, no doubt.
Four of them have been arrested on
the charge of carrying concealed weap-
ons, but they were liberated again when
il became known that they were vested
with the same authority as the man
who made the arrest. One of them
was compelled TO club a man who re-
sisted arrest. and the clubbing was
done as scientifically as the most ex-
per1enced man on the force Coulu nave
performed II. .
1t is noticeable that the personal
enemies of the reporters are very quiet.
and retractiOns are believed TO be a
thing of the past in ST. Joseph. The
policemen-reporters rave more author
ity than they have ever enjoyed before.
and so far they have been careful not
To abuse II. They are no longer COM
PEELED to waste valuable time awaiting
the pleasure of an autocratic officer
or someone with self-assumed author
ity when there is an item behind closed
doors. The policeman-reporter may
now ran with his club, show his star
and enter. In a few minutes he has
gathered the facts as they really exist,
and not as they come to him distorted
by several repetitions.
Since the reporters have been COM
missinned. n is noticed that the amount
Of news gathered by them is nearly
twice as great. Its volume the first
dav was too much for them to handle,
but the novelty has worn off consider
ably by his time.
In detective work the reporters have
already outdone the secret service men
of the city force, and many times have
been Of great service 10 the regular de-
tpctives. one or two Of them have made
good captures and scoops at the same
time. The chief advantage is that they
can now get at facts instead of being
compelled 10 accept IuiltlS anu oi' nv
true from the false by the use OF good
Judgment.
Several persons have learned that
the commissions given the reporters by
the police board are not jokes by any
means. They regarded them as such
until they felt the weight Of a club,
, Threats have been made of lawsuits or
; account of the commissions, but the
/, members of the board have ound that
/, the appointments are legal. They have
/, the right to appoint any number OF
sDeciaI officers. and there is nothing In
the law to prevent them from confer.
= ring the W upon the reporters. The
experiment is so new hat ii is prac'
/, tlcally untried yet. but II will be watch
ed with interest by the entire country
!, st. Joseph CMo) Cor. Chicago Chron'