The Portland daily press., 1894-03-07
ONE AGAINST THIRTY.
ONE AGHINoT HtR 7.
A New York Officer's Fight With Whalen
and "De Gang"

New York, March 6.-Detective Joseph
Bush of the East Fifth Street Station
had a fierce fight yesterday afuern oon
with a gang of thirty East side thugs in
Lewis I. Lesser's saloon, 526 East
Fourteenth street. The detective had
arrested Lewis Becht nineteen years old,
a typical tough of the East side, who
lives at SIC East Fourteenth street, and
the gang, led by Patrick Whalen OF 552
East Fourteenth street, determined to
rescue the prisoner.
In the struggle in the small and din gy
barroom Whalen was thrashed by the
detective, and is now a prisoner in
Bellevue hospital. The detective,
bruised and battered. with his clothes
hanging in shreds, was rescued from the
fury Of the mob. when exhaustion was
a bout to force him to give up his strug-
gle against great odds.
Many of the gang were sent to the floor
by blows from the detectives short club
his only weapon, and few OF them
escaped without cuts and bruises, SO
fiercely did Bush fight for life.
Bush was eating dinner in his home,
only few doors east ofssthe saloon, when
Lewis Lesser rushed in and told him
that Becht had deliberately broken a
plaue glass window in mis- saloon with a
paving stone. Without waiting to put
on his coat, Detective Bush went to the
saloon. Becht had fed, but was soon
found and arrested in the Barracks" a
seven story rookery opposite Lesser s
place.
The young tough was taken to the
saloon and identified by Lesser as the
stone thrower. :,
The detective locked Becht in small
compartment in the saloon and started
for his coat, while Lesser and his bar
tender stood guard over the prisoner.
Bush met WhaIen and warned him not
to interfere. Then he got his coat and
returned to the saloon.
Scarcely had he entered when the
double doors of the place were thrown
open and a mob OF thirty young
desperadoes, headed by Whalen, rushed
into the room.
Now, I'll do ye!n shouted Whalen, as
he made rush at Bush. The detective
was taken completely by surprise, and in
second was Knocked fiat by blow
from Whalen's fist. Whalen quickly fol-
lowed up his advantage, but the detec-
tive, rising on his elbow, drew his short
club and struck Bush.
The mob, that had fallen back a little
when Bush fell, quickly closed in when
it's leader was struck, and Lesser, think
ing Bush was about to be killed, drew
his revolver.
No one noticed this action however,
as the attention of the mob was centered
on Bush who had regained his feet and
was welding his club right and left.
The saloon keeper was too frightened to
use his revolver, but the bartender,
August Meyer, who had his wits about
him, ran out of a side door and sum-
| moned Policemen Reed and Simth.
When they arrived. Detective Bush was
still fighting, but he would soon have
been vanquished. The mob surrounded
| the fighting detective. Whalen lay on
the floor, groaning, with blood flowing
from two scalp wounds Half dozen
| others had great Jumps. and ridges on
their heads. At the sight OF the other
policemen, the crowd rushed from the
saloon and scattered.
Bush came out of the battle with
hardly whole stitch to his back. His
shirt was torn to tatters and his coat
was in rags.