Sometimes the best way to understand a historical period is to take a close look at its challenges and how they were addressed. Fighting crime may be the biggest challenge of all.
As those of you who regularly follow my site already know, my favorite historical period is the 19th century. And because I’m a mystery writer, I want to understand what it was like to be a policeman in the 19th century, when your best weapons were your fists and your wits. So here are some interesting discoveries I made along the way, specifically regarding the police force of Hartford, CT and the situations in which the men found themselves. Snippets of the original accounts are presented here in order to convey the ethics, priorities, and humor of the time. Enjoy!
(Originally published in 2011)
Source information: Historical Sketch of the Police Service of Hartford, 1636-1901
Captain Cornelius Ryan
A tough and resourceful policeman, Capt. Ryan found himself in a few tight spots:
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| Cornelius Ryan, Captain |
(Gotta love the dry humor of the above passage).
Then there was the time Capt. Ryan was accidentally locked in with the prisoners overnight (the door only opened from the outside, and he was on duty alone). According to reports, he went into the lock-up room to break up a fight. Captain Ryan:
And, oh, those pesky females!
I always love learning those interesting things about different periods of time, Kathy. It makes the time period more real, if that makes any sense.
That makes all the sense in the world, Margot. It’s the small, personal stories that catch hold of our imaginations and engage us. Thanks so much for stopping by and commenting!
Such interesting stuff you find. I love the research.
Do you watch the show The Alienist? It’s a new show this season with Luke Evans and Dakota Fanning set around the turn of the century in New York City. It’s fascinating. I always think of you when I watch. Look it up on Netflix if you’re not aware of it. I think you’d really like it.
Another great post.
Patricia Rickrode
w/a Jansen Schmidt
I’ve seen the trailers and it looks really cool! Someone had recommended the book to me ages ago, but I never ended up reading it. We have Netflix…I’ll have to check it out. Thanks so much for thinking of me, Patricia!
The show reminds me of you because of the cool costumes and the methods they use for travel and how they live and such. I think of Concordia and the world she’d be living in.
The show is good, but it’s not the writing so much that makes me think of you, just the setting and time period and all. It can be a little graphic and creepy at times, but certainly a cool concept for a show. Like a very early NCIS or similar show.
Check it out.
Patricia