The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-08-24

/ The birth statistics generally, how
ever, indicate that In Manhattan there is
no reason to deplore race suicide"
Police OutraRes In England.
There Is some satisfaction In knowing
that stupid and wanton arrests are
made by the police elsewhere than in
American cities. But even this consola-
ton Is discounted by their results to the
offending officers In less free and easy
lands than ours.
In London Truth Of August 8 a couple
Of paragraphs are devoted TO q case In
point It came TO light through an ao-
ton for damages brought In q county
court at Birkenhead. and tho offenders
were the New Brighton police. These
are the facts a. Truth tells them:
Tho action was brought By two young ladies
against constable And inspector Of the county
oonssabulAry stationed ~ wAliassy for damages
for false Imprisonment. The Two lAdiea II ap.
pssred. wore member OF party which had pio.
nicked on the sandhls. Another member Of the
party was arrested for trespasslng on adjoining
BVk uukb anu INV tbQlee ocUOmpoul00 MIN " we
police station In order 70 protest against the action
Of the constable. On arrival al the poles station
they wore a. nst kept outtde. but were ultimately
admitted and told thsy must consider themselves
under arrest. They were searched and placed In
tho oels, whore they were detained for the night.
although their friends offered ball. and wore taken
next morning 70 the police oourt In custody Of .
policeman. The charge against them wss for re-
sisting . constable In the execution OF his duty.
and u was at once dismisssd. Tho result OF tho
County Cour action was that tho police Withdrew
all imputations upon the plaintiffs and agreed 70
verdict against them for ten guineas and costs 10
each case.-
Truth goes on to say that the police
were lucky In getting of 90 cheaply.
Il fancy II the matter had been left to .
jury it remarks, they would have had
to pay much moro dearly for such out
rageous Interference with the liberty Of
the subject 1t hopes that the matter
will not be allowed to drop with such
petty compensation to the injured per-
sons, and actually takes the ground
that, together with ono or two other
aggressions on the self-respect OF mere
private individuals, the incident warrants
a general overhauling Of the New Brigh-
ton force.
One can imagine tho astonishment
Of New York policeman II he found
himself compelled to pay damages
even trivial damages-for unwar-
ranted interference with the liberty OF a
citizen. So callous are We on this sub
ject that it Is only rarely that police
man is even transferred for insulting
conduct toward citizens or for unjusti-
fiabe arrests. Even cases OF brutal
clubbing attract hardly moro than pass
ing notice. Once or twice recently
when City Magistrates forced such
matters upon the public attention they
found at least some Of the superiors OF
the accused officers occupying the dis
tinct position that the policeman could
do no wrong and that the dubbed man
had either deserved what he got or had
wilfully dubbed himself to get tho po-
liceman into trouble.
There are two reasons why police out
RACES can never become customary in
England. One is that the combative
Briton cannot bs made patient victim.
He cannot Be made 80 or think that the
easiest way Is the best. II weakllng
in England should take tho position
frankly stated by a young man in the
Tombs police court, this city, q few
weeks ago, that he would not prosecute
an alleged clubber because If no did he'd
be driven out Of the city, he would find
scores of sturdier characters ready to
make his grievance their personal affair.
They xould de. 40 from aelash motives, II
no other; they might b the next victims
IL abuses went unpunished. Letters
would be written to the Ti,nes, questions
would be asked Of the Homo Secretary
on the floor Of the House Of Commons,
LABBY' would write biting paragraphs
about the case in Truth, and the oondi-
tons would not down until the police
were scared into wholesome sense Of
the rights Of "subtects' and tho limita-
lions OF their own powers.
The second reason, which after all
is perhaps only variation Of the first
one, why police abuses cannot flourish
in England il that there juries and courts
Are always on the side OF those whose
personal liberty is infringed
In matters affecting personal liberty
and dignity does the American public
ack solidarity?
Mayor Dunno's Ordeal.
Mayor EDWARD F. dunno Of Chicago
vas called before gathering OF embat-
led municipal oWnership advocataa