Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 299, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 December 1913 — Why the Policeman Had Real Plain “Grouch” On [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Why the Policeman Had Real Plain “Grouch” On

CLEVELAND, O. —One of the policemen waiting in the locker room of the central station for roll call, plainly had a grouch on. Patrolman Hank Gerow stood and grinned at him. In response be finally elicted a sickly smile

and an explanation. It seemed that the sister of this policeman’s wife, her husband and their two children had descended upon his house the day unexpected and uninvited, and intended to make a visit of two weeks. “Cheer up, old top,” roared Hank genially as he slapped him on the back with a hand as big as a Westphalian ham, “it might be worse. “For instance, one summer, when I took my vacation, I went to Philadelphia. Naturally, I drifted over to' police headquarters to get acqualnted there a little. One mighty fine fellow 1 met and took a liking to, was Patrolman Michael Pugusky. He seemed mightily tickled about something and before long he told me that in a day or two his father and mother, whom he had

not seen since he was a boy, were coming over' from Russia, after much solicitation on his part, to live with him. That man certainly did look forward with much joy to meeting them again. “Well, it happened that I was at the Pennsylvania railroad station, ready to take a train home, when they arrived. As soon as Pugusky saw them he rushed up and embraced them. My, but he was happyj Then his mother asked: “Is there room for all, Mlchaet?” “All?” he echoed. His mother pointed to 12 other people standing modestly at one side. , “Your aunts, your uncles, your cousins,” she announced. “They have come to live vMth you also, having heard how rich and powerful are the police in this country.” , “Pugusky grabbed the back of a seat for support and for a time he looked as though he were trying to swallow something about the size of a dog. But he was game, that man was —I’ll bet he is a good policeman. He tried hard to smile while he shook hands with all of them, then marshaling the 14 new members of his family in procession, he marched them away toward home.”