PRECIOUS PEELERS.

NZ Truth, Issue 122, 19 October 1907, Page 5

PRECIOUS PEELERS.

THREATENING AN EX-BOBBY.

A Word to Two Unwise Men.

Let Them Beware Lest They Fall In.

Policemen, like everybody else, have their .quarrels, just and otherwise. No one with any sense seeks out a policeman to quarrel with, because, being a slop he always has the upper-hand and can use and abuse his power with impunity. It has, at anyrate, always appeared so ; to "Truth," and it is just as well, perhaps, that a few straight-out remarks ought to be made concerning a couple of cops named Hitchcock and McLeod, who are stationed at Lambton Quay. These two traps seem- to have got a devil of a snout on an ex-member of the "foorce," and the purpose of these observations are m the interests of peace and for the special behoof of the said two traps, who, if they pursue their policy of goading another man into biffing them, it •might lead to a lot of trouble and to the exposure of the little plots and schemes that are invariably hatched m a police barracks, and possibly to the dismissal of the aforesaid policemen. Now, it is just as well that policemen, like . ordinary individuals, should know that if men have quarrels, there is a right and proper way of adjusting them, and a policeman, who from personal motives threatens to abuse the power vested m him to fix. his enemy, then that policeman is

A DISGRACE TO MANHOOD, and should, without much ado, be kicked out of the force and told to apply somewhere else for a job. If policemen have quarrels m their quarters they should settle them theye and not ventilate their grievances m the manner atoout to be related. The other night at Fuller's an ex-con-stable, a young man, now employed on the tramways, was with a party of young ladies seated m the dress circle. Hitchcock, without rhyme or reason, advanced to the back of the young man, and m a whisper loud and hoarse enough to be heard by everybody, imparted the following advice, "You be careful, or you will be doing another stretch on the hill." As this ex-policeman never did a stretch on any hill, though he might have helped others to get there, he promptly resented Hitchcock's insolence and demanded to know the reason of this insult. He foliowed Hitchcock downstairs, when Constable McLedd came on the scene, and his advice was that the young man was not to interfere with Hitchcock ; that he was looking for trouble, and further gave the astonishing admonition to be careful. Now. this appears to "Truth" to be a little conspiracy between Hitchcock and McLeod to goad the other man into striking one of them, and then, of course, the rest Would be easy. They could arrest the " enemy" for assault, and thus get even for THEIR BARRAOK-ROOM QUARREL. _ That cock did not fight, and Hitchcock next" carried his spleen further by assuring the ex-policeman's fellow employees on the tramways that the first opportunity he was given, when the "enemy" had a few drinks m, he would lock him up. Now, whatever quarrel has taken place, this paper does not know, but it looks very much as if Hitchcock aud McLeod have laid themselves out to get even on their ex-comrade, and are using their power as policemen to work their ends. If policemen turn on an ex-bohfjy like that, what sort of a chance would any ordinary individual have if he fell foul of this peculiar pair of peelers. If Hitchcock and , McLeod think that because they are dressed m blue and have numbers on their collars or their caps or wherever they keep them, and that this is a license

TO TELL WICKED LIES about men, and that they can issue threats to do this and that, well, they are making the mistake of their lives. If this pair are not more cautious they will find themselves m the soup ; the sort of soup that policemen fall m occasionally and which is generally scalding hot.