The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-06-19
TALES OF THE TOWN.

In the last few months the Board of Pub
lie Safety has investigated charges of brutal
assault against several patromen and dis
cussion of one of the cases brought out from
an officer of the police department a story
Its a crime said the officer, Ito circulate
stories about a mans faults without setting
against them his good features. The patrol
man of whom we speak was found not gull
ty by the board | believe him to be the
right kind OF a man. This was impressed on
me at the time l first met him. One day
when l was a patrolman and Off duty l
went into the Police Court just as the ses-
sion closed. The bailif asked me to take a
man to Jail who had been found guilty of
some crime or other, l forget now what it
was. 1 said l would and he turned the pris-
oner out of the pen. He was a great, mean
looking colored man, and while the COM
mitment was being made out for him no
ticed that he kept looking around at the
windows and doors ii searching for way
to escape L saw that 1 was going to have
trouble. | got firm grip on his sleeve with
my right hand and started Tor the jan,
which was then in the northwest corner OF
the courthouse yard had an umbrella ii
my left hand AS we walked out of the east
door | saw crowd of tough looking colored
men on the sidewalk. Just then my man
made Il break for liberty. l jerked him
umbrella 1t broke in three pieces, and as
l threw them aside the fellow tr1ed'to JERK
loose again. succeeded in keeping my hoid
on his sleeve and reached around IN my
right rear pocket and pulled out my black
jack In the struggle | struck MN right
above the eyes, but it never touched MIN;
He redoublCd his efforts TO tear my mana
loose from his sleeve, but l brought MIN
down with another rap over the eyes. AS
he fell l hit him again, The gang on the
sidewalk made rush for me and l thought
l saw my finish.
''Then this man who has been before the
board for cowardly cruelty appeared. He
Jumped between me and the gang ana
yelled, Stand back, stand back, or III XIII
you" II reached for my gun ana hanued IL
over to him Though had never seen MN MN
before | knew that could trust him with
my life. He took the gun and the gang took
to it's heels. That was my introduction 70
this patrolman end we have been IrlendS
ever since You now know the reason L
don't believe him to be guilty of the charge
on which he was tried by the Board OF
Safety
There is a sergeant of police in this city
who starts nervously when he hears any
one speak of a shower bath, and he looks
suspiciously at the speaker as If he thought
he were speaking the words for his benefit
and not in legitimate conversation
Neither can he be persuaded into a discus
sion of the virtue of water cures. He
avoids the whole subject of baths scrupu-
lousy, and looks frightened when the word
'Ddtn is spoken 10 nlIIl ne SeCIel VI ills
condition, as told by another policeman, is
that the two went to the bathroom or one
of the larger hotels and proceeded to take
shower baths. The sergeant had never be-
fore entered one of the canvas Enclosures
of a shower-bath apparatus, neither ala ne
know exactly how the water was arranged
Of course he asked for no advice, but
turned the water on with an air of man
who takes a shower bath every morning
before breakfast as one of the duties or the
day. AS it happened, he got hold or the
hot-Water faucet, and the water was extra
hot 1t poured down on him in fury and
steam He made frantic attempts TO get
out of the canvas, but before he found the
Way he was half boiled. For couple OF
the bath. They at last left him, but there
is a scar on his mind that will be with him
until the end.
1t is said of City Attorney John w. Kern
that if storytelling contest could be ar
ranged among all the lawyers of the town,
great the contest would be and close
the result, the judges would needs award
the prize to him. Nor is this disputed. ex-
cept possibly, by the advocates of Henry
Span. In the offices of the Federal Court
new example of Mr.. Kerns ability is be-
ing related. 1t Is said that in talking of
the war he suggested that there are some
people in the city who think that because
Indianapolis has four companies out the In
dianapolis boys are the whole United
States army.
Two Germans said Mr.. Kern, "were
talking of the war, and one of them said:
SpoSe we gets lickt in the free battle,
what ISIS it?'
Well hat we not Cincinnati an Chi
cago, an St. Louee, an utter big cities to
call on, yes?''