Rensselaer Republican, Volume 27, Number 35, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 May 1896 — Taught Him a Lesson. [ARTICLE]

Taught Him a Lesson.

We may sometimes learnrnore from our failures than from our successes, a truth well illustrated*in the case of a policeman of a Western city, as the story Is told by the Cincinnati Times. It was one of the rainiest night of the season. The chief of police, driving homeward In his buggy, passed an officer who was leaning against the Ipe side of a patrol-box. The chief spoke to him, aud finally invited him to ride. The policeman readily accepted the invitation, climbed into the buggy, and the following dialogue ensued; —“How -long have you been on thia beat, Mr. Officer?” “Only a couple of days. I’m sub, and don’t know much about the business yet.” “How far does your beat extend?” 'To Mohawk Bridge, I think.” “Who is your superintendent of police now?” “Oh, some old German that lives up here on Hamilton Pike. Deit.sell is his name, but I have never seen him.” “What kind of a fellow is this Deitsch? Do you know?” “No, I don’t. I hear a good deal about him from the other policemen, though. Some say he is a strict disciplinarian, some say he is a good fellow, and others say that he is a son-of-a-gun; but I don’t know anything about him. I suppose lie is all three.” Just theu the buggy passed Mohawk Bridge, and the colonel said; “What bridge is this?” “Mohawk Bridge l , 1 think they call it.” “Is it the end of your beat?” “Oh, I guess It is; but that doesn’t make much difference It’s a bad night and nothing’s going on,” chatted the new cop. “Well, aren’t you afraid some of your superiors will find you off your beat?” “Not likely to. The lieutenant won’t go out far to-night, apd the old stiff up the pike has been snoozing for six hours, I guess. He wouldn’t be around In this weather.” Here the buggy pulled up in front of the colonel’s home, and turning to the man, he said: ‘This Is where I live, and I may as well say that I am Colonel Deitsch.” The officer’s eyes bulged out and bis hair stood on end as he gasped, “Then I’m done for!” “Never mind,” said the chief. “Just let this be a lesson to you. Never get in aduuggy With any one, never leave your beat, never go on the beat until you are famlliar»wlth its boundaries, and don’t hulk too Now get back to your post." ™ “And that man,” says Chief Deitsch, “is to-day the besf officer on the force.”