NEW YORK POLICE.

Grey River Argus, Volume XV, Issue 1851, 11 July 1874, Page 4

NEW YORK POLICE.

The police in New York seem to have no great respect for the sovereign citizen. That town, says the Pall Mall Gazette, " is at present much agitated by differences between ' the police and the public.' The police, it is urged by the public, are far too ready with their clubs and revolvers,' and the other day went ao far as to break into a house where it was thought that'a notorious criminal was concealed, and to shoot an innocent .man who did not open the door of his room quick enough to please them. With the view of ascertaining the opinion of the police authorities on the subject in dispute a New York Serald reporterinterviewed Commissioner Gardner, president of the Board of Police. It cannot be said that the interview was altogether comfortable. In the first place, Mr Gardner ( spoke in such a ' loud tone of voice during the interview that not only did those present hear his remarkable arguments, but also a crowd' 1 of people who were attracted by the allporvading echo of his stentorian voice' ; .and there was, moreover, an asperity in ■ his observations which showed that he by no means sympathised with the public in their alleged grievances. After admitting to the rep >rter that some of the policesmen, although of good character when they enter the force, turn out. ■ -.. ;f demons after appointment,' Mr Gardner,, on being asked whether he, considered it safe to entrust such officers with revolvers and clubs indiscriminately,' thus enabling them to kill innocent citi- • zeri's at any moment, replied, ' All that sort of argument is very good on paper, but it won't work J in practice. Now, the . other day a citizen brought a complaint ...against a policeman. It appears he wasr 'walking round a corner and stepped ' ; npon a policeman's foot. : : The ; policemau kicked ' him: You (addressing -the ■;' reporter) wouW be very apt, wouldn't . you, to -hit a man in the nose who trod on your favorite corn? I dismissed the case. Mr Gardner went : on to' say : / ••'There are many.biutes among police,..men, r and we want brutes in.. the force. Thpse who stand quietly by while they are ; being blackguarded we don't want. They ' don't make good policemen. As a general- ' - r rule you- : may, take it for granted: that a policeman who clubs a. citizen is right in , bo, doing.' As there was little more to be got out of Gardner, the reporter shortly afterwards took his leave ; and in the ,; meantime, to judge by the accounts given . /.oftheNew York policemen, if the, object , ;■ of i the • authorities ; is to have 'brutes in . ?the;force,' the less they alter its present constitution the better." ..' - <;