Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-12-13
A TRAMP AND BICYCLE.
Both Got Very Much Mixed Up and the
Tramp Came to Grief.

4
Tramp Came Ca Grief.
A tramp in New York was discussed in bicycle
circles not long ago because Of his peculiar ex-
perience during his first attempt to ride BIZ
| cycle. The bicycle was the property Of a citi-
zen of New York city, and the tramp had at
tempted 10 ride on il with permission Of the
York san follows:
People who were walking on sth avenue
near 44th street early on Tuesday evening ca
a most extraordinary exhibition Of trick and
fancy bicycle riding on the asphalt pavement
The performer was a dilapidated- looking
tramp. The machine WIS = safety bicycle The
tramp furnished the motive power and the
machine did the rest. When that machine FIRST
hove in sight near the corner OF 4ithl street u
was running course OF corkscrew windinSs.
Presently il Strengthened up. and. with swift
swoop, bore down on a group of ragged chill
dren who were building a small bonfire in the
gutter. The children scattered. the bicycle
bucked, and the tramp was precipitated into
the flames.
Phoenix rising from the ashes wouldn't have
been in il in a time contest with that tramp.
With q yell he leaped into the air. brushed await
a few sparks that adhered TO his trousers seat
and mounted the machine. Onward be dashed.
making wild curves 10 the right aud left lie
frightened cab horse into a momentary burst
OF speed. chased an old woman with spectacles
until she climbed lamp post and wildly yelled
Police, ran down q fruit stand and landed mp
against a tree. BY this time he was at s6th
street, and a coatless. hatless man was rushing
up the avenue yelling: stop thief Stop that
bicycler Head him Off Trim him upr'
stop him; he's running away with the ma
chiner
This statement was a surprise to the crowd,
who had, up TO this time. supposed that the
| ma rh r.an Il.
pursuer boarded n street car. The pursued re-
mounted the bicycle and resumed his irrespon-
sible and uncertain attitude toward the world
In general and the attraction of grayitatien in
particular. A policeman Joined in the chase.
The hunt might have continued TO the park il
1t hadn t been for portly and near-sighted old
gentleman who appeared on the scene where
18th street crosses sth avenue. He heard the
shouts of the crowd, he saw dimly a shape APP
preaching him in twists and curves. and he
stopped short in the middle of the road
:" Here. herei What's this?' he demanded
What does this mean? Why does the crowd
run this way shouting? Wow Oh-h-h,
Put-f-ff-ff, OUCH Wow-w-w-w-wi Br-r-r-r,
Mhe-e-ew You internal (puff-puff) rascal
Whe-e-e-e-w Get out of my puff puff puff a
stomach. sir. Help, MURDER ow-w-w-w.
puf-puff- puff-whe-e-e-e-w Pull off the tpuff-
puf-puf) dog Orch. Help, whe-e-e-e-e-w-
ut had only taken a second. With a final
swoop the bicycle had landed its rider square in
the waistcoat of the portly and near-sighted
old gentleman, knocking his breath out. The
old gentleman sat down. the tramp landed on
| top of him and the bicycle squirmed and
wriggled all over both of them. In the mean
time the man in shirt sleeves jumped from his
car into the apex of the heap. and the police
man arriving a moment later precipitated him
self into the mass. When the heap finally dis
lntegrated itself the policeman had the tramp.
the shirt-sleeved man had the bicycle and the
| old man had cramps. The policeman had To
! reason with him for ten minutes to persuade
him tina. he hadn't been waylaid by a highway
man and a bulldog and robbed Of his purse
I've got the marks of the brute's teeth in
my neck, SIR he exclaimed showing two
places where bit of flesh had been neatly
scooped out. The policeman removed two bits
OF skin from the points of two broken spokes of
the machine and politely returned them 10 the
old gentleman, VINO then went off in a huff
He was the only participant in the affair who
didn't appear in Jefferson Market court yester-
day morning. The prisoner gave his name as
Hugh Tierney and said he lived in Bowery
lodging house. The man in the shirt sleeves
was Richard Copeland. who lives at 692 sth
avenue. He had charge of the bicycle, which
belongs to Clarence Gaylor, a school bow. at $50
West 4fth street. Copeland the bicycle
and hernev coming up from the cellarway
and pursued them up to the final catastrophe.
1ierney was held for trial. He explained to
Justice Ryan that he only wanted the machine
to practice on.
'''I wud go t'th' island fer tin years before I'd
monkey wild dat divil's mashun agin.' he said.
shaking his fist at the bicycle he went to his
cell