New Britain herald., 1928-10-20
pD(lCEnEV OFTEN
 GOOD SAMARITANS
Raial1 Ac6 Of @lrity With
 oat Batting BaS Drum

When tho air is nlled with the stench that rises from messy dis closures of malfeasance and mis- feasance. graft and other forms of dishonesty. on tho part of men in authority and those in the ranks of police departments in various parts of the country, such as has been re- vealed in the investigation in Phila- delphia. there is reflection cast on the minions of the law everywhere. according to common belief. It is then that testimonials and compli- ments tending to disprove the theory and suspicion that all "coppers" are susceptible to improper overtures seem to count more heavily than at other times.
 Many New Britain men and wo- men could testify to acts of kind ness performed by local policemen. Some, indeed, are never happier than when they are able to relate instances in which nothing but the will to be charitable on the part of wearers of the brass buttons stood between them and downright need. Many boys and girls have policemen to thank for their transfer from situations of great embarrassment to temporary comfort at least, and the friendships eat have sprung up from such foundations are known to be among the warmest and most highly valued of all possessed by the principals
 Boy Gets New Suit
 Not many months ago, boy of approximately 12 years Of age fell into the clutches of policeman; that is, he was caught and pulled in'' after . chase. He had done nothing serious, but he was not on the right road as roads are judged by the law, and the police wanted him and got him. During an examination at headquarters for the purpose of determining the ex- tent of his misbehavior, it became known that the lad was without stitch of clothing other than the scauty bit he was wearing. His feet were almost out through his shoes, his stockings were unfit for further use and great blisters att tested to the suffering he was ex- perimenting with every step. A blouse and a pair of trousers, both dirty and torn. completed his outfit.
 The policeman who had him in charge was not obliged to do any thing for the lad beyond learning all he could from him regarding his unlawful activities Brought to the attention of certain organiza- tions, the circumstances in which tho laA found himself would prob- ably have been speedily corrected, but the policeman did not wait for anyone else to act: he did what his heart directed him to do, and within a short time the youngster was dressed in . better outfit than he had ever hoped to possess, the transformation had been preceded by . warm bath at police headquar- ters, and in the vernacular of his gang. he was "all jake.
 Spends 93S on Truant
 Caught for truancy. a youngster who did not appear to be bad but who was plainly in need of cor rection, made his way through the gru4 exterior of . number of po- licemen who came to know him through his misdemeanors and he found in them the most practical complication of the principles of brotherhood he had ever hoped to disoover. Upwards of S25 was ex- pended by one officer to clothe the lad when 1t became apparent that lack of adequate wearing apparel was the principal reason for his de- linquency at school. In addition, words of advice which, if needed. could not be matched in value by many times more than the cost of the clothing. were given him, but all was in vain from the standpoint of material results. for it was only a short time later that he went down the path that leads to the re- formatory.
 Friends Of Down and Outers'
 The cost of the meals, the cups of coffee and the cigarettes given by policemen to "down-and-outer would make . surprising total. Whether 1t is because fellows who lack the boldness or have too much pride to do what is comm only known as panhandling, regard the dunning of a policeman as proper act. not to be confused with beg ging. or whether they naturally lean towards the bluecoats when they feel their grip on the necessities of life slipping away. at any rate a number of their kind have develop ed . high sense of confidence in their. ability to get what they want. within reason. from the man on the beat or the detective passing by, and more frequently than not, they succeed. Many meals of strength- giving quality have been handed to prisoners in their cells. and the money that paid for the menu was earned by making arrests of law vfolators.
 Policemen, by the very nature of their work, are considered excellent judges of human nature. and in dealing with boys and men whose circumstances call for special con- sideration. some insight is obtained into character which might never be possible in any other field of en- deavor. It is know that policemen have befriended strangers who have shown their gratitude in many ways, while other officers have known the disappointment that is never more bitter than when it re- suits from the discovery that a confidence was misplaced. One off cer in particular. in the local de- partment, befriended a man to the extent of giving him s for his car