New-York tribune., 1905-01-08
THIS POLICE OFFICER NEEDS PATIENCE.
FOOLISH REQUESTS MADE BY CITIZENS TO THE
SERGEANT BEHIND THE STATION HOUSE DESK

house. and that the sums set down al stolen wsrs
really the amounts due her for board. Needless
20 say the police did not collect the indsbtsdnesa
one OF the strangest complaints on record cans
the other day when little shaver. with hair tas
color OF California sunset. went into the station
and sobbed out his woes TO the sergeant
II want you 10 make 'em stop calm mo Red
TOP was his demand
..'Ern'' was the gang 70 which the boy belonged.
and they had been teasing him about the color of
hfs hair. The sergeant. IL happened. has
tInee OF red In his own hair. and hts mind went
back to short trousers days when II was decidedly
red He had his own troubles with bis own gangs
In those days and the troubled youth had his sym-
pathy.
never mind. sonny" he said encouragngiyy
"it1 fade out in time Why don't you pretend you
don't care IL II Is red? Then they'll stop teasing
you"
The little shaver said he'd try #. but thAs he
didn't think il would work, cause 90 care.
These are only samples selected az random RON
the unwritten history OF the station house Any
police sergeant tell one scores or others and
in never ending variety. The eccentrlciues and
haliucinations' OF those who have taken 700 many
cheering cups would furnish huge crop al by
themselves The matrimonial difficulties wnica tas
sergeant is expected TO untangle are or wonderful
variety There have been women who thought thar
the sergeant could grant divorces onnand. ard
who have applied for their freedom IN AZ nn-
certy.
1rbs assl, sargeant At the Arsenal n Central
Park has a line OF troubles peculiar 70 that pre-
cnct. Hardly a day passes thar soma angry
mother or fntEer does not rush IN ana 'Gezaand
the instant execution OF some one OF the antlnala
In the ZOO Their children reach inside the railing.
and because Brufn objects 10 being poked with
stick or a monkey protests against having his
tail pulled the child Is scratched ard frightened
half to death.
The real and never ending trouble OF the Arsenal
desk sergeant Is with the poor mothers OF tbs
East Side or rather. with their children who
Just big enough TO be charged carfare. Ths
mother walks 70 the Park with her whole brood
and spends the day there. When 1t time
to go home she takes the youngest OF them and
boards q street car. The others remain In ths
mark and presently begin TO cry. The policeman
comes up and wants to know what Is the matter.
They declare they are lost They are taken to
the Arsenal and the sergeant questions them Sell
dom Is he able to get any definite idea where they
live or what their names are.
When the father comes home from work and has
had his supper he strolls around TO the nearest
police station and reports his youngsters as miss
ing Presently they are located by the police and
sent home In a patrol wagon. This outcome has
been anticipated from the beginning by both
mother and children. and it is most satisfactory to
all concerned except the hardworAing police
variation of the same device is often prac-
tised on Sundays. when parents want TO go 70
Coney Island or some other place Of amusement
and do not care 70 be bothered with their young
sters. They told TO go and lose themselves and
then hunt Policeman he taxes Iheln 70 tno
station house. where the matrOn and the sergeant
take turns amusing them until their parents call
for them. No way has ever been found OF putting
stop TO this practice. IL is almost impossible TO
get evidence that parents really deserted their
children for the day, and, OF course. the children
cannot be punished, 1t is not their fault.
The police stations 10 which the fewest com
plants come thOss in the italian quarters OF
the city. The Italians have way OF settling their
own troubles and administering their own punish
ments. The Hebrews. the contrary, will rush
off to the police station the slightest pretext.
and police sergeant on the East Side has hard
time OF It. They are much more artful than the
TenderIoin negroes about wording their complaints.
and the police are often sent out cases which
should have been taken to the civil courts Or
dropped altogether.
One good mark must be put down for the New
York desk sergeants. Nearly all OF them are con-
sIderate Of the children brought before them Be-
fore the days OF the Children's Court many Of
the sergeants virtually took the law IN thstr own
hands IN order that the youth OF tender years
might not have TO be brought up in the general
court with prisoners OF all stages OF depravtty.
II didn't have the heart to send them up" de-
clared one OF the Oldest desk sergeants in the city,
speaking of the children's cases. "A good searng'
a short sharp lecture. did them a lot more good
I've taken the law in my own hands and ad-
minstered a fatherly spanking for second oSences
the ChiIdrens Court the situation has changed
and the judges are better fitted to handle the
naughty youngsters"
The public can well believe that the desk SER
geant is not utterly without heart. feeling con-
sideration. Remember that he is tried sorely and
often. and the wonder is that he has as much
patience as he often shows