The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-02-04

so the sellers of coke" wax rich. And
so hold-ups are as common as they ever
were in the Black Hills.
The plucky policemen as fine lot OF
men as ever were gathered into rorce'
take their lives in their hands when they
start on patrol after there has been a
descent of cooke sellers and female
harples on the camp.
I'D in the neighborhood of the Cats
Kill aoueduct there are three leading
camus-High Falls. Stone Ridge and
Browns Station. High Falls Is the big
gest and the toughest. 1t has quoted
down somewhat for the winter season
but in the spring, with the large IN
crease in the force that will take place
then. things will take on the INVERNESS
of last year.
Camp Crazy With Cocaine.
When the camp runs crazy with CO.
eaine the police force has Its work cut
out for It, ThereAare ID policemen at the
High Falls barrack A cocaine riot start
ed a while back. and it was up to three
policemen to face $50 half-crazy men.
One policeman was shot In recent eIort
to bring In some cocaine rioters. Inls
sale of locke" is the hardest problem the
police have to face.
At present the workers are mostly ne
groes In the summer time the swelling
of the army brings In a good many SiaVs
and Italians Even now there are few
there. but they are greatly outnumbered
by the negroes
On one day of his visit the reporter
was journeying along Pistol Row with
Sergeant Hanlon, who is in charge. The
sergeant was discussing the weather
when the door of one of the shacks
opened and several big bucks came out.
When they saw the sergeant several or
them quietly disappeared. one OF the
others were passing nonchalantly by when
Hanlon said:
Just minute, Bill Step over here
with me. The rest of you can CO.
what do you want, boss?" asked the
negro, as the others hurriedly accepted
the sergeant's invitation to depart.
I'm going to go through you, Bill
responded the sergeant in the hearty
tone of one who was proposing dinner
dance
Deed I amt got mothin' on me, boss. "
returned the big fellow, and he leaned
nonchalanty agains ia tree and watched
the sergeant dispassionately. The pro-
duction from his pocket of 30-caliber
Colts did not disturb him in the least.
Indeed, he laughed.
Nothing on you, ell, Bll?' asked the
sergeant, transferring the gun to his own
pocket.
Deed you got somethin' on me dat
time, boss" returned Bill, and submitted
to arrest laughing.
A Strange Police Force.
The board of water supply has about
1875 policemen In it's employ. the chief
being Captain McKaw, West Pointer.
His deputy Is Burke. who was the right
hand man of the late Captain Goddard
when he was conducting his famous anti
policy crusade. At that time Burke s
daily routine consisted in having things
thrown 1t hinl--anything heavy, from a
lamp to a chair. He got so Injured to
narrow escapes that life has palled on
him snce-or did until the board of wa
ter supply engaged him. Now he gets
plenty Of joy out of life.
There isn't a police force like II any
where. The Texas Rangers were like 1t
and the Canadian mounted police are
somewhat like 1t now. Even Uncle Sam g
postoffice inspectors are not quite in the
same class with these men. Not only
are they men of the type that Kipling
used to write poetry about, but they are
entirely different from the policemen In
the average big city. II New York
policeman got on a Yale or Harvard foot
ball team you would know in a minute
that he didn't belong there. but II one of
these fellows did you wouldn't know the
difference from the side lines.
They patrol their beats on horseback,
and are as good horsemen as Buffalo
Bill could wish to see.
The people they have to take care
Of are a crowd that has to be ruled with
an iron hand. Hanlon has more power
with them than anybody else, because
they fear him; and fear In such a case
means what respect would mean in a
different walk OF life No thug or tough
in the camp believes that Hanlon values
his life more than a pinch of SNUFF and
when once such q belief has taken pos
session Of a turbulent, reckless and fear
less class of people 1t Is life insurance
to the man who has inspired 1t in them.