The Southern herald., 1898-03-11


police force II is different, For exam
pie, if you and two other men were 10
see me go into saloon and take drink,
and you were to report it 10 the chief
Of police, be could not dismiss me solely
on your word, or on your oath, lwould
be brought before a trial beard, and the
whole matter would be gone over. l
would employ lawyer, and might
somehow get out of it. At any rate, |
would have a chance for my life. |
think that this ought TO bs the way to
administer the law in the departments.
! know that is what the people expect
Of the law.
"Do like this business? Well, It
pays SIS per month, and that is mighty
good pay in these times. would like
to do better, but | am contcnted with
my lot for the present. Of course I'd
like to be sergeant or a lieutenant;
but that is long way off 1t takes in
fluence, as well as experience, to get
advanced on the force, or in any busi-
ness for that matter. Excuse me;
must leave you now. have been wait
ing here for a gentleman on police
business, otherwise would not stop to
talk to you, as it is against the rules to
spend time in talking while on your
beat But have been waiting fer that
gentleman who is now coming down
the steps; so good-by."
Later in the evening, when he was
off duty, met him on street ear, and
he said; 81 think we have a splendid
administration of our police depart
ment. Our commissioners are gentle
men who understand the city, and onr
perintendent is a man who has re-
sided here all his life. lie was a sol.
dier, and for a long time Las been in
command of a crack military orguniza-
ton. lie is a good disciplnarlan, and
yet is considerate of the men. We all
like him, and we all like the lieutenants
also. 1t is a good force and we have
plenty of good men in the ranks.
as there danger in the business?
Well, l should say SO. 1t is always dam
gerous to be on duty, although days
and weeks go by in some neighborhoods
without any arrests being made.
recollect an instance in which the big
gest man on the force came near losing
his life a short time ago. He is now n
the uptown hotel beat. Some months
ago he was standing down near Masonic
Temple, when private watchman told
him that burglars were getting into
house near the Presbyterian church, a
block away. II was an awful bad
night, and the rain was just coming
down in hurry. The officer ran up to
the place, and throwing away his rub
Der coat ran up the dark alley, where
the burglars had scaled high brick
wall. Without sending for assistance
the officer, who was ambitious to make
an arrest unaided, climbed over the wall
and dropped down into the dark yard.
AS be did so he struck his 1nee on a
low fence on the inside and gave it a
sprain from which he did not recover
for three months.
"After he fell he saw a dark form ten
feet away, and pulling his revolver he
fired from the hip. The ball clipped off
the ear of big negro who howled muir
der and mercy all in one breath. The
big policeman grabbed him and took a
revolver and a knife from the burglar
before be could recover his presence Of
mind and use his weapons. just then
the other burglar, who had effected an
entrance, came rushing out and ran
through the gate which he had un-
locked from the inside. lie escaped, as
the private watchman had vanished
when he heard the pistol go off. He
supposed that the officer had been
killed and he did not wait to be shot at.
Well, the officer brought his man out
into the alley and around the corner
and led him to the patrol box. The
wagon came hastily in response to the
summons. Now the other burglar had
not been recognized, and he could have
easily escaped if be had run away. But
curiosity led him to come back and
mingle with the crowd. After the pris-
oner had been placed in the patrol
wagon, he was asked what had become
Of bis pal. He looked over the crowd
and pointed him out, where he was
standing on the corner. The officers
who came in the patrol wagon arrested
the other maraudef, and both Of them
went TO the peniientiary TOR three
years. But, talking Of danger, wasn't
thst-a ntFYY thing for an officer to dol?