New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-01-25

lie was assigned to the Thirteenth Precinct, ana LOT
the greater part Of his career at the Union Ma'Ae'
station served under Captain CNnchy. lie haa oeeh
policeman lust thirteen months when in the darkness
Of a bleak morning, he fought and won his hrst hshe
with fire.
lie had been put the night force ana patroheu
part Of the river front Just one hour ana nan a''er
tb bell, had tollcd the birth Of the last day IN March,
1S-5 German was in Delaney St, when' III INC
distance he heard shrleks and shouts coupled with the
ds,n, rattle and cang Of the engine bells that told OF
A fire raging among the tenementhouSes IN the near
nclchborhood Running into Rvlngon-St, whence Tue
sounds came he saw that Nos. 35l and $685. an Oh
tumble down rOokery once used as factory ana TO"
converted into double tenementhouse had nj last met
~ inevitable doom and was burning merrily The fire
had broken ont on the first floor. and was mounting
with bewildcnng rapidly. The double house. E'eralN
honeycombed with crooked passagewayS. was packer
with poor families of these people had rescheu
Tic street and ran wildly around In their nlghtcIoteS'
bewoiIlng the loss Of their household gods; but the
majority we're still their rooms. TOO pancStrckcn'
too stupid or too sleepy to make their escape while
there was yet time.
with glance German had taken in the whole stu
alton In moment he across the road ana IN the
building: I'm another he had reached the rooms ana iiu
begun his work OF rescue. Twice he bouhuci up "'e
stairs through smoke aud fame To the rooms ABOVE re-
turning 10 the street with children in his arms and
q
third attempt he reached the upper part OF the house
I'm safety and brought back fresh instalmen OF girls
and babies: but when he reached the head OF the
stairway there was wall Of fire before him.
THAT staggered rs for moment said German III
telling the story to The Tribune reporter. lheh wv
turned and made for the roof. Wei speak Of my
comrades rs we'll as myselfgot the rest of them ou'
through the scuttle. 1t was warm work Wmie II
lasted but we saved them all"
uith
four other oiicers-Roundsman (afterward sereealD
GustavuS Dahlgren, PatrOman Abraham Livingstone
p,trolmau Philip Revle and Patrolman J0hh T..
Coombs To the efforts OF these policemen thirty
persons owed their lives. Nine Of those saved were
credited TO Germans account From the Board OF
Police Commissioners these five officers subsequently
received the usual honorable mention.
German had won his spurs in fire. lie was now To
,,o,, his early battles with water. one colo, iossS
richt in the November Of 1876 John william sll"' "
,Iongshoreman Of convval spirit, was on MS WAY o.
from a little party. lie went stumbling alohS u'"i VI
a suhicn he was lighting for hi, HE In the "ier.
bep ne awakened to the fact that he had Nannterea on
bn ed 70 Of pier into the river. His screams ior oP
wore heard by several officers who were ON police u"N
J., .ho ,o,,,hborhood Among them was PatrolIhal
corr,, German rushed to the head of the per anu
through the darkness saw form sfuEshhH III '
wafer without "A moments hesitation no. "''',"e ~
tbrow OF any of his heavy clothing, ne plunseu i''
the wafer and made for the droWhlhs h'a"
no stretched forth his arm seize IT, the bobblns heau
cluded his grasp and sank under the waves ""o" W.
,h ,h,rd time thc figure appeared above the water,
German succeeded I'm obtaining firm h0ld Oh IT, al"
svam toward the shore. The t!de WAS r"'''""7
strangely and German, handicapped by the no" ""'"''
.cious figure I'm his arms, was growing weaker anu
,i,or whom Ia his ioy lie mgboat, boaiueu OS
hr,,hor ,niccr Carney and two civilians, CONNIE
,o,rard hin, \ few more vigorous strokes ana nc Hd'
,o,chcd tho boat's side Then, with the heip Vi
heavy line and the combined strength OF uree nc"'
corn,an and the man he had saved were Hile" VI.
hoard When he reached land he fouhd tha' TIC ""'
boen I'm the water exactly twenty minutes
Ton months pass,d before German had another OPP
,orupitv 70 indulge his favortc pastlme OF sha'c"
ir, fellow creatures from the clutch OF death l"c"
early IN the morning of september T. 1871 ia'e '"v"
80 FINK in his way Fink was one of those dis
contented restless Germans, OF type co"hio" o''"s"
on ,ro Fast side. lie preached anarchy on INC
-, ,rovocatlon or on no provOcation at all. lie
,., or, and hated those that liked It, Finding that
- yorl ,vas a cold spot for gentlemen OF his tastes
10 sled IN 90 out of the city and out OF Ike AT 'he
ana lime When day breaking he walked do"h
IN the Droome-st pier and jumped INTO tie river
,orman who was patrOllng Broome ana r~'sV S's'
coached the river front Just in time TO see FINK tahe
49,, header into the water. German threw OIL his coat
a plunged into the water. In less than moment
n had reached his man. seized him ard tried 10 make
o.. tho shore But Fink had determined 10 dle anu
resented all attempts 10 thwart him IN what was prop
ably the only credable act OF his HE. lie sruch o'
eerccIv at German. and tried drag him under the
water.
- bore that as long as could said German, but
a. last when felt that he was getting the better Of
me. | had to hit him in the face to stop him from