Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-05-16
MET A MADDENED MOB.
Detectives Fitzgerald and Robinson
Attacked by Toughs
WHILE TAKING PHILIP KENNEDY.
Had Desperate Fight on Moving Freight
Train.
A LONG CALENDAR OF POLICE, DOINGs

| Detectives Fitzgerald and Robinson had
lively experience with a gang of switch
men in the Pittsburg, Virginia and Charles
ton yards yesterday afternoon. During
last December Lawrence O'Brien, of Soho,
| had valuable gold watch stolen from him.
He reported the loss to the police
and several men were put to work to find
the thief. O'Brien at the time was ROOM
ing with Philip Kennedy, a switchman on
the Pittsburg, Virginia and Charleston Rail-
road. Kennedy had been about the room
while his companion was absent, and
O'Brien rather suspected that he had taken
the watch Kennedy was watched carefully
by the. police, but no evidence could be
found to fix the guilt on him. A descrip-
tion of the watch was kept on file, and the
reports of pawnbrokers to the Department
of Public Safety were consulted every day.
How One Man Was Located.
On one of the reports of May was a
watch answering to the description and
Philip Kennedy was given as the man who
had pawned it. Detectives Fitzgerald and
Robinson were put on the case. They
located Kennedy on the Southside, and
yesterday secured a warrant for him. In the
afternoon they went over to the Pittsburg,
Virginia and Charleston yards at Thirty
third street accompanied by O'Brien, who
pointed out their man.
When Kennedy saw them he started to
run. They chased him short distance,
when he jumped on train of gondola cars
moving slowly up the yards. Fitz-
gerald was close after him and mounted the
same car. Robinson got on the other end
and ran over to where they were He then
read the warrant and informed Kennedy he
had better come along.
81 guess not, replied the latter, and be-
fore Fitzgerald could dodge Kennedy had
landed blow in his face. The detective
was taken off his guard and fell over the
edge of the car. Robinson caught him by
the arm just in time to save him from fall
ing under the morning train, at the same
time holding Kennedy by the collar.
Fitzgerald recovered himself in an in
stant, and the two had good hold on their
prisoner, when a crowd of Kennedy's
friends mounted the train, each armed with
a coupling pin.
Holding Onto Their Man.
The two detectives were standing on the
narrow platform holding Kennedy, who was
on the inside.
i'Get ready to break, Kennedy" cried one
of the crowd, as he reached down and un-
coupled the car from the remainder of the
train. The engineer, seeing the trouble, had
stopped, but on signal from one of the men
he opened the throttle and started ahead.
"Let her come back now and knock 'em
off," yelled one of the mob.
The engine was reversed and the cars
came back together with q terrible crash.
But they had miscalculated the powers of
the detectives, who held onto the little
platform as well as their prisoners.
The mob then gathered around with
upraised coupling pins and threatened to
kill the officers if they did not release the
man. The latter drew their revolvers. At
this point the yardmaster appeared and
ordered the men away. He then advised
Kennedy to accompany the officers peace
ably, which he finally consented to do. All
went well until South Thirtieth street was
reached. Here Kennedy, who is power
full young fellow, made an effort to break
away. Detective Fitzgerald knocked him
down, by way Of returning former compli-
ments.
Threats of Mobbing the Officers.
A crowd of several hundred of Ken
nedy's sympathizers had followed, and once
more threatened to mob the officers. The
latter were just getting ready to do battle
when No Z patrol wagon, which had been
called from box above, hove in sight.
The crowd then dispersed and Kennedy was
hauled over to Central Station in short Or
der. He was full of fight to the last, and
gave the sergeants tussle in the station
house when they went to search him. He
will have hearing to-day.