The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-07-19

fish: "A police officer is approaching
our midst intent upon placing us UNI
der arrest for violating the city ordi-
nances In his hand he carries a heavy,
black club, which is nodded from a
piece of black locust timber. Should
he strike you on the head with the
club and take you to police headquar-
ters you will be called before the po-
lice judge in the morning to explain
why you should not be fined and be
sent to the workhouse."
This same negro was caught and sent
before the police judge one morning,
but on an entirely different charge from
shooting craps. In explaining his APP
pearance in polio court he made clean
breast of it and threw himself on the
mercy of the court. 'fYo' honah, 1t was
like dis, dat / run away from dat Off
sab, and he catch me. took a sack of
coal, and when 1 see him a-cumin' /
took a duck"
When the Judge had fathomed the
mystery of how the negro took a sack
of coal and a duck he laughed and
gave the negro a small fine. No sooner
had he reached the holdover than he
chucl<led to the other victims and said:
II suttinly did spread de cream dis
mawnin'."
Two police officers who had become
inoculated with the slang, were talking
few nights ago, when one of them
voiced this expression: Whenever
you see him reach up and get his lid
you may know that he has joined the
rabbits. He's done wrote to you and
run out from under his hat The only
thing to- do then is to smoke 'em. Flat
ten the lead"
In everyday English the policeman
sought to advise his brother officer that
in the event of a negro reaching for his
hat when he was fleeing from arrest,
the best plan to pursue would be to
abandon the pursuit by foot, and after
drawing his revolver send a bullet
after him, as the piece of lead would
travel much faster than his own pedal
extremities.
There are two ways for the man who
is known in police parlance as the
hobo" to get into the city and like
wise two ways for him to get out.
Upon his arrival he either flights" OF
elbows in" In order to get out he
must either Fly the coop" or throw
his feet" While in transit he either
rides the blind" or hits the rods"
The former is accomplished by taking
passage on the front end or platform
of a baggage car, which has no front
uOOig anu nClIF - bllHus nC AdllcE
consists in stealing a ride by sitting
on the rods under a passenger coach
and thus avoiding the eagle eye of the
ever present fagman or brakeman.
Nearly every class of prisoners who
climb the stairs at central police sta
ton and advance to the sergeants
desk have a name that is peculiar only
to the station itself. A crazy man Is
called sack" a drunk, "a sleeper;''
a person well dressed a silk stock
ing" man wearing a long-tailed coat
can ankle beaten
Between the police officers and the
detectives there is a bitter rivalry and
one class is continually nagging the
other. The man who is neither but
who is known as plain clothes
man." doing the work of a detective
and drawing the pay of a patrolman,
is the target for no little repartee. "A
fly cop is his usual appellation, but
when the patrolman wishes to make
him real mad he points him out ana
says in derision "a detective" Moth
ing will irritate the Fly cop" so much
as that one expression, which Is al
ways said with a peculiar twang OF
sarcasm and derision known only to
the patrolman. The detectives are
called "sleuths," brain workers, -
men of clews." The policemen are
called "coppers. bulls" "flatties" and
a lot of other like names.