Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-01-05
ENGLISH POLICE FORCE
AGAIN IN LlMELIGHT
Special corresrondence Of The Star.

AS England an incorruptoie police
n force? The question has been
raised by the recent experience oil
Nelson Darborough, the American VINO
was fined 500 at the GuilGford assizes
the other day for offering bride to an
English cop. who refused it.
Readers will remember that Darbo-
rough was stopped in his automobile on
a country road near London by the
bobby who declared the limit OF
twenty miles had been exceeded. The
motorist gave his name and address, but
said the matter was trifiing one and
suggested that the policeman forget it.
He also showed little gold 81 - piece
but the policeman's eyes didn't twinkle
worth cent So the American dropped
the coin in the roadway, .ointed to IL
and drove on.
The lawyer who defended him made
matters worse by telling the court that
Mr. DarburuugIl did not realize that Brit
ish policemen were more virtuous than
the American variety. and that he acted
as he did under o oardonable misanpre-
hension. There Is nothing British jury
and British judge like better than prov
ing that all English institutions
perior to all other institutions, and they
promptly proceeded TO prove this to Mr..
adding insult to injury by ordering that
he be locked w until the fine was paid.
Regarding the matter seriously, th0ugh.
Mr.. Marlborough did make n mistake and
perhaps the mistake was a natural one.
The British police man will always take a
tip. and he does not disdain a tip of d few
cents for a service rendered. If you ask
MN TO direct you to the next street. he
would not be averse to accepting 10 cents
TOR the service. but as rule he is hon
est and unbribable where his duty is
cerned. OF course. there are exceptions,
but they really are few and far between.
::
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The London colice have Just, been
through severe investigation by a royal
commission. which is a sort of slorified
legislative committee. All sorts of peo-
pie came forward with charges against
the police, but only two or three alleged
that they had bribed policemen. and in
every case the charges We're lacking in
proof and were regarded as merely spite
1ul by the members of the comm ssion
Nearly every police magistrate in London
gave evidence, and they all agreed that
lhe police were incorruotible.
Sir Edward Henry. the chief commits
sionef OF metropolitan police-the COM
lndndinS officer of the great force which
GUARDS London and the surrounding dis
tncts-is probably one of the greatest au-
lhorities ON the work of the English no.
nee. and when he was asked what he
.housht OF the honesty of the English po-
lice he said:
From what ] know of the tone of the
men. l am satisfied that if any Individual
We're to take money for neglecting his
uuty. or FOR protecting lawbreakers. it
would certainly come to the knowledge of
his comrades, and that his comrades
would look on him as an unmitigated
blackguard. and that he could not remain
on the force for long
Capt. Mott Bower. chief commissioner
OF police for the old city of London WAS
equally emphatic in defending the honor
of the British bobby
am quite sure he said, that no
discriminating exists in my force. and that
any man who was caught accepting a
bride would be driven out of it by his
comrades. The men themselves would be
Inc hTst to report an offender to me-
They are very Jealous of the honor of
the force.
Sir Albert de Rutzen, who has lust re-
tired from the post of chief police mag
lstrate In the London district and who
has sat in every police court in Lon
don. has had unequaled opportunities OF
observing the police and their work, and
he declares that he can recolect no case
or blackmailing or the acceptance of
brides by a policeman, although he re-
members several cases where policemen
charged persons with attempting to bride
them. He believes that dishonest po-
Iceman. as far as the performance of his
duty was concerned, is a very extraordi-
nary and isolated case
Il have heard of lots of cases. ne sGid
IN which men representing themselves
to be policemen have levied blackfnail, but
i haye always notified that the police were
YeH jealous of their good name and did
alf'NnIheir powert to put stop to such
p pr; l havf never had the slight
We're Citing in ANY way in collision with
Even higher Tribute to the British meth
ok US paid 4 few months ago by Po-
rce MaGistratel Morgan of New York who
sPeht few weeks in London studying
the police court methods here.
Il thought We were smart at home"
he said. PIT you beat us. There is no
knonssnst>over mere no bail bond scandal.
pc Influential friends trying to pull the
WOOL over the magistrates eyes and no
trty favoritism
sEEverybody is treated alike and like
/. dQDt seem to be too friendly with the
Prisoners. and they don't seem to forget
lhihgs overnight, as many members of
1 the New York force often seem to do. /
'ssbould say that the London policeman is
Kemarkably honest and far too good for
C job, considering the pay he gets At
home find it difficult TO believe "a po-
uce&#Q, NJ all. Here L should say that 1T
IS the exception when a policeman does
not give his evidence fairly and hon
estly"
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The magistrate whom the cops consider
their worst enemy in the London police
courts Is Mr.. Plowden. the man now con-
Quoting the preliminary hearing in the
remarkable and celebrated bruce case.
Mr.. Plowden's treatment of policemen,
prosecuting in the Witness box, is one of
the sights of the town.
But even he does not believe that the
English policeman would accept d bribe
not to do his duty.
The saloon law is very strict in Eng
land, and the opportunity is large for
the species of graft said to be plentiful
In many American cities
The English policeman. it is true. ac-
cepts a tankard of ale, tot of whisky
or good cigar at the saloons side door,
yet ten minutes later, when closing time
comes, he will pull that house If it be
but bare minute late in diSgorging its
~rowd and locking up.
And SO II is with other small graft"
1t is accepted in friendly spirit. but
leads to no deviation from the path of
duty. In each police district annually
there Is held police ball or show at a
theater. The business men and saloon
keepers of the district buy tickets plen-
tifully on the personal call of policemen
y 10. AaC1 raA -aln l,,,-