Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-02-03
BY JOSEPH GOLLOMB,

WlGfnIl nun anu StElIlkS WIIkIOut, puPpc
to his own strength and weakneSs-hoV
often they are one!
Whalley Range outside of Manchester
England. was more of country distric
than the suburb it is today. But herr
and there some well-to-do country low
ing citizen of Manchester had his man
sion and grounds in the Whalley RanG'
neighborhood and led the hybrid exist
ence of the suburbanite. Otherwise the
neighborhood was made up OF farms ant
inns and other purveyorS to q fast'
growing community.
Employed by a prosperous farmel
named Deakin was William Habron, MI
robust 22-year-old man of all work
Habron was tall, d-shouldered
large-flsted. rudy of face and strong
When he vas at work his strength was
a blessing to him and to others. al
other times it became problem as
bodily strength is to those who lack the
wisdom and skill to govern it, 1t was
easier for William to use his body than
his mind. and easier to drink than tc
think. On the farm William knew how
to meet his problems, for they were III
the main physical. But in AN inn Wnen
the liquor began to flow and William
had to deal not with labor but with men
William was not Success-except with
his fists.
His younger brothers, John and Frank
cook after him both in nature and iml-
fation. With him they worked for
Deakin and with him they drank at the
Roval Oak. When William got into an
argument at the inn his brothers Joined
in, But that was only when the fighting
became general, which 1t often did.
on such occasions the innkeepeT
would 20 outside and blow whistle
Sooner or later Policeman z. Z. COCK
would come on the run, and If the free-
for,all fight was too much for MN 10
handle he would send word for nelp
In which case his superior, Supt. Bent'
would come with reinforcements:
but if the fight was between Wlllla!ll
and another, Policeman Cock Wouio
thrust his burly self between the fight
ore and stop the argument, usually by
attending to William. For the ponce
man knew his beat and its problems,
and chief among the latter was VIII
liam Habron.
ORDINARILY Policeman Cock and
Othe landlord of the inn would be
satisfied when, on being separated. the
fighters cooled off and were willing tc
tolerate peace for the rest OF the eve
ming. This could not go on indefinitely
however, and one night when Wlillanl
Habron gave the policeman more trou-
BILE than usual in restoring order, COCK
said:
Look here. Habron, I'm tired OF this!
The next time you raise disorder mere
I'll have you up before the magistrate!
The inn room was crowded as the
policeman said this, and big red-faced
william Habron, with his blood stlll
sirnmering from the fight which COCK
had stopped, had a quandary on ms
hands. If he took the policeman's
threat quietly the farm hands who were
looking on would think him afraid;
thinking so. they would say so to others;
the whole neighborhood would soon
hear of it and behave accordingly.
I said he had quandary on his
hands, and for some moments it looked
as if with his hands he meant to settle
it. His fists clenched and his jaws
squared, he faced the policeman and
growled:
ut will be. sorry day for you the
day you arrest mel"
Then Policeman Cock found he had
his problem, too. He had his own need,
perhaps greater than Habron's, OF nav
ing his power respected in the neigh
borhood. If his threat OF arrest should
prove nothing but buster, it would In
deed be a sad day in the policeman's
life
AS he saw it, there would be little
choice for him the next time he was
called in to stop a fight with William
Habron. He would have to arrest him
or have the neighborhood think him
afraid to do so.
r TNEASuY the constable patrolled
~ his beat near the Royal Oak the
following Saturday night, the night OF
heavy drinking at the inn. It was not
Habron or his brothers that made the
policeman feel uneasy, so much as the
situation into which his threat had be-
trayed him.
Sure enough, toward 10 o'clock, as
Cock was nearing the inn there came
familiar sounds of tumult from the tap
room. Angry voices, William Habron' S
high among them; the scrape of stools
a table overturned and the cries that
meant fight was on.
Cock ran into the taproom and found
as he expected, William Habron having
it out with a laborer burly enough tc
take care of himself. AS no one else
interfered, however, Habron's brothers
also kept out of the fight. Compared
to other occasions, this one was an al
NOSE peaceful episode. and the land
lord, hoping 1t would soon be over. had
not called for the constable. It did
not do his inn much good TO have toe
many calls for the police.
Nevertheless, in the eyes of the Law
the fight was disorder, which it was
a policeman's duty to stop. He called
the fighters to order, but they were
too engrossed to obey. Cock thereupor
spoiled the fight by dragging william
Habron out of it. Cock was match
physically for William, and in addition
he was armed with authority, and the
British are enough instilled with self
government to give authority its due.
You come along with me, William
Habronl" Cock said
What for?"
"Under arrest for disturbing tn.
peace!'
Here was a bit of drama for thos'
looking on. Cock had made his threa
good. Would William do as we'll b,
his threat2
Habrons face grew red and pale BY
turns, but it was an angry pallor He
too, had been uneasy that Saturda,
night, sensing that this situation nigh
come up. He had been drinking les,
than usual and making an effort t.
avoid fighting. Seeing this; burly farm
hand deep in liquor followed drunk.
ards logic and concluded that Bill
Habron was now a safe man with
whom to pick fight. The whole I'M
saw that for once William was in III,
right, even if Policeman Cock did no
know 1t. The constable took it 70
granted that viii Habron was repeat
ing past performances at the inn ant
that an arrest was justified.
Habron had just enough wits abou
him not to resist the arrest. White
Tipped and smoldering, he left thu
inn with the policeman.
Honors thus far were with Police
man Cock. He had made his threa
good. What would Bill Habron d.
about It?