The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-12-21
POLICE DREAD XMAS
HOLIDAYS MEAN LONG HOURS AND
HARD WORK.
UNIFORMED MEN UNHAPPY
ENTIRE FORCE WILL BE KEPT IN
QUARTERS TWO DAYS.

Supt. Reilly VIII EndeavOr to Pre-
vent the Usual Scenes of Disorder
on BroughtOn Street-Wiu Bank
His BIuecOats on the Street on
Christmas Eve NiGht-Fact That
Afrairs Have Been Quiet in Police
circles for More Than a Week
considered n Bad Omen by the
officers.
AS Christmas draws near the police
become restless and already the men,
hers of the force are yawning at the
thought of doing twelve hours duty at
time. Superintendent Reilly said yes
terday that unless something unusual
occurs he will not put his men on the
long hours until Christmas Eve.
Then the entire force will be in serv-
ice and the men who are not on the
street will be kept at headquarters in
case of emergency. Christmas Eve and
Christmas are Usually two busy days
with the plain clothes men, and those
in uniform. They are kept on the jump
as rule and naturally dislike the hol-
idays. 1t means plenty of hard work
for the officers of the law. and they
are no more fond of work than other
mortaIs. ..'
The police always pray for rain on
Christmas. If it is cold and the
rain is falling the officers find that
there is not so much trouble. Last
and for this reason the police fear that
there will be an outbreak this year.
Christmas Eve night is as a rule the
critical time. 1t is then that the Of
ncers have to be on the alert.
Citizens Must Behave.
If an extra squad of patrolmen can
DO the work there will not be the US
ual scenes of disorder and riotous con-
duct on Broughton street this year.
Superintendent Reilly intends, if it is
possible, to make all citizens conform
strictly to the law and he does not
propose to stand for any wholesale
lawbreaking.
This has in a measure been permit
ted in the past, but it will not go this
time. The city ordinances must be re-
spected and so must the state laws.
Both patrol wagons will be in service
and persons placed under arrest will be
carted to the police station house in q
jiffy.
The uniformed men are the busiest
up to midnight. After that hour their
chief k is the picking UP of the
scatt remnants of the night be-
fore -ons with jags too heavy to
carry nome. The plain clothes men
have their troubles from the sound of
the first cannon cracker until the blast
of the last trumpet.
There is no let up in their work
while the celebration is on, and if any
thing they are buster during the early
hours of the morning Then the crowds
have disintegrated and DRINKS in all
stages are staggering homeward. FIRE.
quently these DRINKS meet, and there
is trouble. "A. knife is jerked or a pis-
tol is WHIPPED out and fly cops are
called upon to work.
1t is the custom for the. city detec-
tives to remain at headquarters after
Broughton street has been cleared,
and this custom will prevail this year.
When those who storm the business
district have cleared out the detectives
will chase to police headquarters and
remain handy until only the occasion
a explosion of cannon cracker is
heard.
Then when the quieter citizens, those
WHO nave not DeGu OIL d QeDduCn, are
beginning to open their eyes and pre-
pare for the celebration of Christmas,
the plain clothes men make tracks for
home in the hope of catching a few
hours sleep before being called upon
to investigate the invariable Christmas
tragedy.
Recorder VIII Punish.
There will be no. difference this year
so far as the police are concerned
With them it's the same old six and
seven. They have, however, some con-
ISOLATION in the knowledge that those
who violate the law and are placed un-
der arrest will not be treated lightly
by Recorder Myrick. The Recorder
will punish all violators. even though
they are forced to spend Christmas In
the cooler.
Even the ordinary Christmas jag Will
not be forgiven by the Recorder. II
will be case of all defendants look
ing alike and those who imagine that
they can raise sand and escape the
penalty of their sin are doomed tc
bitter disappointment they will oper
their eyes to find that they have just
one more guess.
The fact that for more than a week
affairs in police circles have been ex-
tremely quiet is a bad omen according
10 the officers. The vicious and I'M
ruly, say that men who make a study
of these matters, are saving up all OF
their deviltry for the two days thai
chance this year to fall on the coming
Wednesday and Thursday.
In all candor the guardians of the
peace declare that the weather man
alone can prevent that which they hope
will not hapepn, but which they are
certain will occur. The patrolman's
life is a hard one at best, but during