Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1909-12-08
Number
Forty.
|By PRISCILLA LEONARD.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.

3$&&sxBtE4tx*,x$,x3' ~ ~ 43G]s4A
Policeman Number Forty stood at
the conner and looked down. the
swarming street. 1t was one of the
dirtiest streets of the city, in the dis
triet of the aliens. The smell OF fry
ing polenta and of decayed bananas.
mingled with acrid odors OF rags and
junk, hung thick in the air. The
darl-eyed, un,washed children of Italy
played in multitudes on sidewalk and
street as Number Forty gazed one
way. When he turned and looked to
the other side, vista of signs in
Yiddlsh met his eye, and more street
children. this time Enthusiastically
Israelitish. Number Forty, whose
name was Mat Sheehan, who was but
twenty-one, and who had been on the
force for only week, sighed heavily.
Sure, don't know what to be
doin' or .sayin'. don't know their
ways or their manners, or even when
policeman is needed, SEEM l can't
tell from their lingo whether they're
quarrelin' or maxim up. And the
next street is Chinks, and the other
way Poles, and they're worse yet l
amt one of those that wants to be
ON the force for the graft. I'm after
wishin' to do my duty as well as the
next one, but it's in poor place
am to kape up human feelin's. with
one shpakin' me own tongue, and all
lookin' at me evil-like out of the cor
ner of their eye
Number Forty sighed again; then
he Strengthened his broad young
shoulders, and swung down the block.
the Italian children getting out Of
his way with alacrity The, last man
on the beat had been used to rapping
the boys with his club on occasion;
and besides, an Off eer of the unknown
law, in this new, unknown land, was
person always to be Stunned as
far as possible. Who knew what he
might do? Not the black-browed
Italian mothers. nor the pale sweat
shop workers of the Ghetto. Barriers
of ignorance and fear, barriers of
language and race, fenced them off
from Number Forty, and Number
Forty from them.
The new policeman had just reach
ed the middle of the block when
from round the corner came girl
CT eight, her black eyes fairly pop
ping out of her head with fright. In
deed, her fright was such that 1t
conquered all lesser fears, and drove
her UP to Number Fortys side.
%Signor Polees, da fire. da fret"
was all she could err, painting, and
grabbing sheelhan by the coat. as If
to pull him along. Number Forty
took her hand instead, and started to
run along back with her, as he
crieri,:
Where? Where?'
Metropolitan - rounda - de
street," gasped the girl, dragging him
along with all her might. i
sits that old fire-trap of Metro
politan-anny one would knew thin
tenements would burn up! Sure, wait
now-wait! Will have to shake
you to make you stop, girl? ! must
turn In the alarm first"
A crowd was following close on
the heels of the two, and swarmed
round Number Forty, as he opened
the box and rang in the alarm.
Poles. Italians, Jews, all surged
ahead. and arrived at the Metropolis
tan tenements before he got there,
with Maria Giulia Crescenza still
clinging to him. 1t was fire, sure
enough. The smoke was rolling out
from the basement in volumes, and
on the fire-escapes, up all the seven
stories. men, women and children
were pouring out, endeavoring to
carry down. their beds, babies and
household goods
Number Forty hesitated not one in.
slant. Dropping the hand of Maria
Giu'ia, who thereupon 'clung to his
coat, he took command of the stu
alton. The engines could not arrive
for some time, and 1t was his bust.
ness to get the people out, and get |
them out safe.
He called out to the crowd:
"If there's amy one can speak
English, let him come here!"
A pale-faced boy pushed through
the crowd.
81 spik de Englis', sare. My name
Joseph Cellano.'
very we'll, Joe. Call with all your
might to the people in Italian to
sthand back from the ratings, kape
quiet, and wait till get them down.
They shall all be safe If they listen
to me. ! am the policeman on this
beat. They're to do what say
tell them that,-and / am coming up
mesilf to help them"
Joseph called Justify, shouting out
his message, while Number Forty,
waving his stick in sign of authority,
watched the effect. Then. jumping
for the fire-escape, he began his
work. At the first landing he mar
shaled the people. made them put all
their lugIage inside the windows. and