[Editor: This article was published in The Star (Ballarat, Vic.), 9 March 1859.]
A polite policeman.
— The real or imaginary privileges and rights of that oft invisible body yclept the “Police,” — or rather, their own notion of their own importance, entertained by some of the force was coolly illustrated the other day by a member of the body who hailed from the Emerald Isle.
A lady, the wife of a leading barrister, having hired for the day, in accordance with the licence, one of the street cars for her private use, was proceeding over Prince’s bridge, when the driver was ordered to stop “immediately,” — and a sturdy bhoy of the polace jumped up beside her.
He was told by the driver and the lady that she had hired the car, and that for the time it was her private conveyance. Pat in uniform replied that it did not matter. His honor the magistrate had sent him (Pat) on an errand, and he had a roight to saze upon the first car he could.
In vain the lady remonstrated — Pat stuck to his seat, replying to his fair remonstrant, “I defoy you to turn me out.”
Not wishing to “foight,” the lady had to put up with the nuisance as far as this gallant and civil conservator of the peace wished to travel.
— Melbourne Herald.
Source:
The Star (Ballarat, Vic.), 9 March 1859, p. 3
Also published in:
The Yass Courier (Yass, NSW), 26 March 1859, p. 4 (article entitled: “Policeman have their rights as well as their duties.”)
The Goulburn Herald and County of Argyle Advertiser (Goulburn, NSW), 2 April 1859, p. 2 of the Supplement to The Goulburn Herald (article entitled: The police)
Editor’s notes:
The original copy of this article was published in The Herald (Melbourne, Vic.); however, at the time of this post, the Trove collection of online historical newspapers only included scans of that newspaper from 1 January 1861.
bhoy = (Irish vernacular) boy
conservator = a custodian, guardian, or protector; someone who conserves or keeps safe; someone who maintains, preserves, repairs, and restores artistic or historical objects (such as books, paintings, or sculptures); a conservation worker
defoy = (Irish vernacular) defy
Emerald Isle = a nickname or poetic name for Ireland
foight = (Irish vernacular) fight
Pat = (an abbreviation of “Patrick”) a reference to an Irishman, due to Patrick being a common first name for an Irish male (upon the same basis, “Paddy” being used in a similar fashion)
polace = (Irish vernacular) police
roight = (Irish vernacular) right
saze = (Irish vernacular) seize
street car = (also spelt: streetcar) a tram, also known as a “tramcar”, i.e. a vehicle, usually used for public transport (carrying passengers), which travels on streets along metal rails or tracks (which are embedded or laid in the surface of the street), and which is usually powered by electricity from wires positioned above the tracks
yclept = (archaic) being named, called, having the name of, known as, known by the name of, named
[Editor: Changed “conservor” to “conservator”.]
[Editor: The original text has been separated into paragraphs.]
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