AN AGGRIEVED CONSTABLE.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1028, 9 November 1882, Page 3

AN AGGRIEVED CONSTABLE.

It is hut seldom that the Executive, in its humbler rants, is equal to drawing so fine yet accurate a distinction between wiaat 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 by Police Constable O’Elaherty in a New York .Magistrate’s Court. A robust, good-looking female, who had been taken into custody by the constable in question was placed behind the bar. ‘What is the charge,’ asked his Worship. ‘ 1 charge this woman with having boxed a policeman’s cars soundly, sir.’ ‘ Where is the policeman whoso ears were boxed ?’ ‘ I am the man, your Worship.’ Turning towards the prisoner, the magistrate then inquired, ‘Did you strike this constable?’ ‘I did, your Honor’. ‘ What for ?’ ‘Well, your Honor, he was mailing free, and wanted to kiss mo. I might have allowed him to do so, but he didn’t seem quite tobrr.’ Frowning severely, the Magistrate a (dressed some very scathing remarks to O’Flahcity upon the atrocity of drunkenness and the reprehensible nature of the other impropriety attributed to him. As aom as his Worship paused to take breath. O’Flaherty interposed : ‘ As for being drunk, your Honor, it was little enough liquor that was in mo, for I’d only been celebrating the opening of the new Police Office. And your Honor won’t think too harMy of the kissing part of it, neither, when 1 tell you that the prisoner is my own lawful wife.’ ‘Your own wife!’ exclaimed the magistrate in utter amazement. ‘Do you mean to say that you took your own wife into custody because she boxed your ear*.’ ‘ Yes 1 did. You see, sir that isn’t it. She has often given me a good slap when I was in plain clothes, and 1 made no fuss about it, because, alter 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 T any woman to strike a constable, for that would be a breach of the respect due to the representative of the law.’ After the charge had been dismissed, it came out that O’Flaherty had only been a week in the force.