Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1898-12-16
LOCKING DOWN 4 TUBE.
Constable Safley's Experience Discretion In
dOubtediv the Better Part of ValOr

Those who laugh ut Constable Safely
for obcyinga pcrcmptory order to drop
his gun while attempting to arrest
two hobos at the depot the other day,
when he found two rcvolvers pointed
at his head, might not have seen 81
much fun in an actual personal cxpe-
ricnce with the desperadoes. At least,
nobody can realize how formidable Il
six-shooter looks until he glances
down its barrel, with resolutc eye be-
hind it and a nervous finger pressing
the trigger.
1t seems that when the information
that some suspicious characters were
lounging around the n. =. depot
reached Chief Swan yesterday, he was
in the midst of important duties in
Justice Kings court, and he requested
that Constable Safely to accompany
the informer, Frank Foster, to the de.
pot and bring the suspects to police
headquarters.
The constable and his guide soon
found the two men they were looking
for, and Mr.. Safely told them that they
must come with him to police head
quarters. They did not seem surprised
nor offer any opposition, but simply
asked permission to inform their
partners" up the track where they
were going. Ii there is any quality IN
the makeup OF Constable Sailey that
predominates it is the disposition to
accommodate his fellow man, and he ut
once granted this to him very reason
able request. After the party had pro-
ceeded about hundred yards, it
dawned upon the officer that he might
be drawn into ambush, and he COM
manded them to turn about, "We
guess not" said one OF the men, as he
proceeded onward. Sailey had been
provided with pistol by the chief and
he now drew it with the command
Stop right where you are" The
next instant the constable was as
founded bv the command "Drop that
gun, you -" and when he
cast his eyes in the direction from
whence it came, he found himself look
ing down the barrel of a murderous-
looking weapon in the hands of the
second hobo. When his glance re-
verted to the leading man in the
drama he too had columbiad aimed
directly at the officers head. "Now
drop that gun quick" was the next
command and the pistol fell rattling
to the stony ground. Then the sec
ond william stopped down and secured
the pistol that had been dropped and
the duet started over the hill at the
back of the depot on run.
Oily remarks, in narrating these de-
tails, that within n hundred yards OF
the spot where this little drama was
being enacted, the afternoon train was
preparing for departure with hundreds
of people on the platform, but as the
conversation could not be heard, no
one attempted to interfere" Suppose
the conversation" had been heard,
probably there could not have been
found 4 frearm in the whole crowd.
Is it probable that one or hundred
unarmed men would have marched up
against three pistols i'll the hands OF
resolute and determined men? Would
they not all have acted precisely as the
constable did and made discretion the
better part of valor?
Chief Swan, Officer Mack, Sheriff
Billings and Deputy Sheriff McNaiI
have been securing the surrounding
country for the apprehension OF the
hObos but so far without success.