The evening world., 1894-07-28
FOUGHT s POLICEMEN.
John Otto, a Supposed Luratic
Gave Them a Hard Tussle.
Finally Overpowered and Taken to
Bellevue in an Ambulance.
He Had Knocked Down an Unknown
Woman on the Street.

|
| Six policemen had a pitched battle
this morning with a man. thought to
be maniac. 1t took place at Fifteenth
street and Second avenue. and lasted
over half an hour.
| The man is veritable giant in
strength and stature. Before he was
subdued two of the policemen had
their clothes torn from their backs,
one had a badly cut lip and all bore
marks of the combat in the shape of
bruised faces and bloody clothes.
The man gives the name of John
Otto, says he Is twenty-six years old
| and porter.
| 1t was just after o'clock when
Policeman John Magner. of the East
Twenty-second street station, reached
the southeast corner of Twenty-second
street and Second avenue. A woman
came suddenly up to him, out Of the
darkness, and clutching him by the
arm said:
Sir, 1 have been assaulted; a man
knocked me down"
| Where is he now?'
II don't know; he went away"
| Questioned further, the woman said
she had left her house TO go for a
physician, when she met the man, whom
she did not know, and he struck her.
The policeman noticed that she was
Understanding. pretty woman. and was
| greatly excited.
| Suddenly as she talked, she turned
around and uttered a shrek.
"There he Is now" she cried.
MaEner turned, and there alongside dec, OF
stood a tall man; his arms were folded.
and he looked intently at the policeman
and the woman. Wagner went up to
him.
WHO are your" he said grufTly.
In another instant the policeman was
lying on his back on the pavement and
the big man was on top OF him him; That
and over the two rolled. but the police
man soon saw he was no match for the
man. Time and time again the officer
was struck in the face and choked. He
called loudly for help, but the street was
deserted. and there was no response to
his cries.
on his back, exhausted. with the man
sitting on top Of him, his fingers chok-
ing Magner so he could no longer shout.
man said: They were fingers of living
steel, that every second frightened about
Wagner would undoubtedly have been
Eaton and Wren come running up the
street, Then the battle was renewed;
But the man proved match for all
four of the policemen
They were soon forced to defend them
selves against the attacks Of the ma
MAC. for It was Impossible to subdue
head with one Of the poicemen's short
clubs. but he fought on, the blood
streaming down his face. covering the
kept up a continual outcry. but the ma
MAC did not utter a sound.
All the time the struggle was going on
. the young woman stood near by and
Policemen Murphy and Boyle, who
we're in the adjoining precinct; further
but for a time hesitated to leave theiI
: precinct. When the cries continued
! however, they deserted their posts and
ran to the assistance of their brother
Now there were six against one. 1t
: was terrific odds, and the man. weak
I from the loss of blood, was finally over.
: Then five Of the policemen held him
: down, while Magner telephoned for an
ambulance. 1t was feared the man beer
were.
The man lay quietly enough until the
ambulance came. Then he was man.
acled. He was considered safe enough
= then, for a big leather belt was strapped
about his waist, to which the manacles
were attached by chains, The surgeon
. examined thu, mans head, and said he
. had only scalp wounds, but had lost a
: great deal of blood. When he was lifted
= into the ambulance, his eyes were CLOSED
| and he seemed unconscious.
Can you take him alone?" asked a
e policeman.
t "oh, he's all right now" answered the
a sTsa Uttered d cry f and d disap
!, peared from his seat. He was in the
bottom Of the, vehicle, with the mani,
r ac's terrible fingers about his throat
n The man had broken the chains that
J, held him.
: Immediately, the almost exhausted pc.
$ licemen were in the ambulance; holding
! the man. His wrists had the stee
!, bands on them now and he could no,
struggle as he did before, but he was
e not easy to conquer:
d should attend him to Bellevue Hospi.
tai. All the way the man fought, and
at the hospital he was put in a straight
;. jacket.
The policemen had their injuries LOOKED
after. Magner's hip was cut and his
) face swelled. The others were scratched
y and bruised.
d One OF the sleeves had beer. torn from
: three men were sad wrecks.
When the man had been taken to tn
Of the policemen thought he had seel
the man before. but he was not sure
out success. 1t Is believed that sh
} knows who the mar Is. He would sa.
! nothing at the hospital after giving hi
! name.
Otto was seen in the prison ward a
Bellevue Hospital this morning. Hi
head was swathed in bandages and h
appeared to be dazed.
He admitted to an Evening World
reporter that he had some trouble witt
an unknown woman in saloon in Sec
e ond avenue. with whom he passed
Joke" She struck him, he said, ant
ne pushed her down.
II tried to escape from the police" h
= said, but did not knock any OF then
down. I had been drinking"
Otto said that he had been up to
, week ago porter in a saloon at 502 SiXtl
y avenue. Physically he resembles San
|. dow. He VIII not be able to go to cour
for several days. the doctors think.