第29章

Theofficerhadofcoursekickedawayhiswheelatthebeginning，andafterbeingdraggedalongforsomedistanceheletgothebeastandmadeagrabatthewagon。Thedriverhithimwithhiswhip，buthemanagedtogetin，andafteravigoroustussleovercamehisman，anddisposedofhimbygettinghimdownandsittingonhim。Thislefthishandsfreeforthereins。Bydegreeshegotthehorseundercontrol，anddrovethewagonroundtothestation-house，stillsittingonhisvictim。“Ijouncedupanddownonhimtokeephimquietwhenheturnedugly。”heremarkedtomeparenthetically。Havingdisposedofthewagon，hetookthemanroundtothecourt，andonthewaytheprisonersuddenlysprangonhimandtriedtothrottlehim。Convincedatlastthatpatiencehadceasedtobeavirtue，hequietedhisassailantwithasmashontheheadthattookallthefightoutofhimuntilhewasbroughtbeforethejudgeandfined。Liketheother“bicyclecops。”

thisofficermadeanumberofarrestsofcriminals，suchasthieves，highwaymen，andthelike，inadditiontohisnaturalprey——scorchers，runaways，andrecklessdrivers。

Thethirdmemberofthetrio，atall，sinewymanwithflamingredhair，whichratheraddedtotheterrorheinspiredinevil-doers，wasusuallystationedinatoughpartofthecity，wheretherewasatendencytocrimesofviolence，andincidentallyanoccasionaldesiretoharasswheelmen。Theofficerwasasgoodoffhiswheelasonit，andhespeedilyestablishedperfectorderonhisbeat，beingalwayswillingto“takechances“ingettinghisman。Hewasnorespecterofpersons，andwhenitbecamehisdutytoarrestawealthymanforpersistentlyrefusingtohavehiscarriagelampslightedafternightfall，hebroughthiminwiththesameindifferencethathedisplayedinarrestingastreet-cornertoughwhohadthrownabrickatawheelman。

Occasionallyapolicemanwouldperformworkwhichordinarilycomeswithinthedomainofthefireman。InNovember，1896，anofficerwhohadpreviouslysavedamanfromdeathbydrowningaddedtohisrecordbysavingfivepersonsfromburning。Hewasatthetimeasleep，whenhewasarousedbyafireinahouseafewdoorsaway。Runningovertheroofsoftheadjoininghousesuntilhereachedtheburningbuilding，hefoundthatonthefourthfloortheflameshadcutoffallexitfromanapartmentinwhichtherewerefourwomen，twoofthemoverfifty，andoneoftheotherswithasix-months-oldbaby。Theofficerrandowntotheadjoininghouse，brokeopenthedooroftheapartmentonthesamefloor——thefourth——andcreptoutonthecoping，lessthanthreeincheswide，thatranfromonehousetotheother。Beingalargeandverypowerfulandactiveman，hemanagedtokeepholdofthecasingofthewindowwithonehand，andwiththeothertoreachtothewindowoftheapartmentwherethewomenandchildwere。Thefiremenappeared，andstretchedanetunderneath。Thecrowdthatwaslookingonsuddenlybecamemotionlessandsilent。Then，onebyone，hedrewthewomenoutoftheirwindow，and，holdingthemtightagainstthewall，passedthemintotheotherwindow。Theexertioninsuchanattitudewasgreat，andhestrainedhimselfbadly；buthepossessedapracticalmind，andassoonasthewomenweresavedhebeganapromptinvestigationofthecauseofthefire，andarrestedtwomenwhosecarelessness，aswasafterwardproved，causedit。

Nowandthenaman，thoughabraveman，provedtobeslackorstupidorvicious，andwecouldmakenothingoutofhim；buthardihoodandcouragewerequalitiesuponwhichweinsistedandwhichwerewarded。

WheneverIseethepoliceforceattackedandvilified，Ialwaysremembermyassociationwithit。ThecasesIhavegivenabovearemerelyinstanceschosenalmostatrandomamonghundredsofothers。MensuchasthoseIhavementionedhavetherightstuffinthem！Iftheygowrong，thetroubleiswiththesystem，andthereforewithus，thecitizens，forpermittingthesystemtogounchanged。TheconditionsofNewYorklifearesuchastomakethepoliceproblemthereinmoredifficultthaninanyotheroftheworld’sgreatcapitals。Iamoftenaskedifpolicemenarehonest。Ibelievethatthegreatmajorityofthemwanttobehonestandwillbehonestwhenevertheyaregiventhechance。TheNewYorkpoliceforceisabodythoroughlyrepresentativeofthegreatcityitself。AsIhavesaidabove，thepre