New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-05-20
RUFFIANS RIGHTLY SEhVED
THEY ATTACK ATHLETIC RACING MEN AND
ARE ROUGHLY HANDLED.
DANIEL BIDDLE. OF PHILADELPHIA SURPRISES
SOME 'THIMBLERIGGERS"-F GEB.
HARD J. J. tOLLANSBEE, AND DE
COuRCEY FORBES HAVE A LIVELY
TINE on A FERRYBOAT.


CouRcEY FORBES HAVE LIVELY
TINE on A FERRYBOAT
On Long Island Railroad ferryboat crossing
the East River to Thirty -iourthst last evening
was party Of four men who Were laughing and
chatting. They were well dressed and seemed to
be in good humor. They had been to the races
at Grdvescnd All Of them are well known to race
gocrs and to men about town. They were De
Courcey Forbes, president OF the Ncw-fOrk Jockey
Club; j. j. Follansbee, who il a frequenter OF the
race-track and who owns several horses, the best
known OF which is Cleaning: Frederic Gebhar,
who has owned various rdcers of note, and whose
Canvass. for which he paid S2l 900, was not one
Of his recent successful ventures, and Daniel Bid
die, of the well-known Bildle family Of Phil
adcpha.
Several times on the trip across the river the
party interrupted In it's conversation by men
who belong to what is known az tho class of
thimble-riggers. people who catch the stray
dollars Of innocent men with swndng trick.
Mr.. Bddle acting spokesman for his group in
formed them once or twice that he did not wish
to try any Of the games. Hut the men were per-
sistent in their efforts to get in and to mingc with
the party. and finally became free in their use Of
insulting language. One of these men had
threatened to do up tie dudes" as he and his
companions called Mr. Bddle and his friends but
Mr. Biddlc who il an athlete powerfully built and
we'll trained in the art ofsselfdeience. only smiled
AT these threats
When the ooat was nearing the slip at Thirty
fourth-st one OF the thimbc-riggcIs" made
swift movement toward Mr. BIdlc striking at
him az he advanced. Mr. Biddle wardcd oil the
blow, and, stepping back, waited for his assaant's
ham, fh.. uffu IL
Eddie struck the msn heavy blow in the face.
The fellow th-rcupon drew blackja jack from
his pocket. and again rushed at the Philadelphia
athlete Mr. Biddc caught him by the throat,
wrcnchcd the weapon from his hand, and struck
upon joined in the attack. but armed with the
blackjack Mr. BIdlc took l..ss time TO whip him
than il takes to tell it, Still Il third a-sailant.
how .vcr, now caught Mr.. Bddlc around the
waist, and crow1ng him mp to the rail Of the
boat att"uI ted 10 throw him into the river.
AT this juncturc Mr. Follanslec took hand IN
tn. affair Iii, opponent, however. adopted new
tactics. lie gave Mr.. Follan-hs, terrific kick,
but the latter was abl" To hold his own with this
man. Meanwhile Mr. Bddlc had freed hinIrlf
from the grasp Of his opponent. and getting his
arm clear. he got the blackjack into play again.
With "A blow Of this he Knocked his man sens''c,-
and was just in time to save Mr. Follansbcr from
"a flank movement:
This put an end - active hostilities. for Mr..
Hiddlc was not the kind of "a dude the thimble-
rigccr~ were looking for and his great strength
and his active war-wcapon had completely routed
the asslulting force When the boat ran into her
sin the man whom Mr. Bddlr had knocked sense
le-s sill lIy o,l the deck. ,r Gcbhard and Mr..
Forbes had taken no part in the fight save that
yfr Gcblard had facctousy announced TO the cx-
cited crowd which had gathered around the com
batant-. that as soon a. the thmble-rggcrs' had
whippd one dude Mr.. Biddlc another dude
would IL. ready for whipping.
At the pier however. the racing men were
somewhat istoni~hrd 10 find that policeman
wanted to arrest them for having IA " free fight
Oh board f,rry boat. Mr. G"bhard, Mr. FOL
lanshcc and Mr.. Forbes succeeded in convincing
the POLICEMAN that they had no part III the tight
but Mr. Bid,lc was arrested lie was taken
to the Twenty-irs, precinct station III East Thirty
Hfth-st. charged by the policeman with assault
ing tlimbl-iige.rs Sergeant Thomas, how
ever, refused to entertain complaint when he
heard the story Of th" prisoner, and he discharged
him. Policeman Slcrian's excuse for making the
arrest WAS that H. had seen Mr. Biddlc struggling
and victorious. ard supposed he was the ag-
grcSsor
4 few days ago, when some OF the members
OF the party returning from the races. this
same crowd Of swindlcrs approached them, evil
IDENTIFY taking them for guil"less young men, IN
nocent Of the wcs of the "bunco man" and
and other wickedncss The thimblc-riggcrs" at
that time were 40 vigorously and uncercmoniously
rcpused that they went off vowug that there
wohld I've "troublc for somebody.
Iaat evennr There were eight of them the
boat which carried Mr. lddlc's party, and the
evidently saw their chance to get even IL il
un old trick Of rufians to MAKE Il sudden and nn-
expected assault upon peopl" just as a boat Is en-
tering her slip and then 10 escape in the crowd, as
soon rs the ferry gates are thrown open. Some
murders in Ncw-York have been committed in this
way Last evening Mr.. Iiddlc. Mr. Fol'ansbce,
Mr. Forbes and Mr. Gcbhard were inclined to
think that the trouble which had been promised
for somebody" had come, though perhaps to
those who had not expected it. MIR. Biddlr was
not injured though his well-litting clothes looked
the worse for his struggle. Mr. Follansbcc'S in
Jury from the savage kick, while causing him much
pain, did not alarm him.