THE MARRIED POLICEMAN.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume X, Issue 1206, 20 November 1882, Page 2

THE MARRIED POLICEMAN.

It is but seldom that the Executive, in its i humble ranks, is equal to drawing so fine ■ yet accurate a distinction between what is ; due in the way of respect to a man as a mere human being on the one hand and as a police . officer on the other, as that propounded the other day by police-constable O'Flaherty in a New York Magistrate’s Court. A robust, good-looking female, who had been taken into cnstody by the policeman in question, was placed behind the bar. “ What is the i charge officer?’’ asked his Worship. “I ! charge this woman with having boxed a i policeman's ears soundly, sir. ' “ Where is I the policeman whose ears Mere boxed ?” “I | am the man, your Worship, “Turning to- j wards the prisoner, the magistrate then in- i quired, “Did you strike this constable?” “ I did your Honor." “What for?” “Well, I , your Honor, he wanted to kiss inc. I might I have allowed him to do so, but he didn’t I seem quite sober. Frowning severely, the I Magistrate addressed some very scathing ! remarks to O’Flaherty upon the atrocities i of drunkenness. As soon as his Worship ' paused to take breath, “ O’Flaherty inter- i posed : “As for being drunk, your Honor, | it was little enough liquor that v>as in me, I for I'd only been celebrating the opening of i the new Police Office. And your Honor . won't think too hardly of the kissing part , of it, neither, when I tell you that the pri- i soner is my own lawful wife.” “ Your own 1 wife !” exclaimed the magistrate, in utter * amazement. “Do you mean to say that , you took your own wife into custody because I she boxed your ears?” “Yes, I did. You | see, sir, that isn't it. She had often given ! me a good slap when I was in plain clothes, . and I made no fuss about it, because after all, she was only thumping her own husband. But when I've got my uniform on I’m a police officer, and must not allow any woman to strike a constable, for that would be a breach of the respect due to ' the representatives of the law.” After the 1

charge had been dismissed, it came out that ■ O’Flaherty had only been a week in the '■ force. J