New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-10-19
THE DUKE WAS A PRISONER
MARLBOROUGH ARRESTED FOR CoAsTlNG
ON WHEEL IN THE PARK.
TAKEN TO A STATION by A POLICEMAN NAMED
swEENY AND DISCHARGED WHEN HE T"''p
WHO HE wAs-DrDN'T KNOW HE WAS

swEENY AND DISCHARGED wHEN HE TOLD
WHO HE wAs-DIDNT KNOW HE WAS
BREAKING THE REGULATIONS
The Duke Of Marlborough had rather annoying
experience In Central Park yesterday ar'er"oo"
which involved his being conducted before the paI
in a police station under arrest upon charge OF
dsregardng the rules governing cyclists In the
Park II IL not altogether improbable that II ne had
been anybody else there would have been no arrest
but a policeman. IT is said seeing chance 10 gam
some little notorety upon hmsy pretext. took the
Duke into custody.
some tine ago. while the Duke Was at Newport
he caught the cycling fever. About everybody down
there rode a wheel and he was one oil the
mos; ardent wheemen OF that group. When neIr
turned from the coaching trip with Mrs w n
Vanderbilt Miss Consue,o Vanderbilt. o. II. T. Bel
mont and Colonel jay. the Duke took apartments
at the Plaza Hotel and Almost every nice day since
his return he has been out on his wheel
Shortly after noon yesterday. he started out on
the Inflated excursion which ended IN his arrest
He rode slowly across the open plaza, ana soon was
lost In the :hlftirg crowd in the Park
Soon before . o'clock in the afternoon the Duke
was seen coming slowly around the bend at Nc
Gowan's Pass tavern He started down the incline
and suddenly began tc coast. This IS in violation OF
the rules Of the Park \ mounted policeman saw
him and gave pursuit blowing his whistle Inc
Duke did not realize that he fugitive, ana
kept on coasiing Suddenly the officer gaioped
alongside and ordered the Duke 10 stop. The sur
prised nobcman obeyed and wonderngly asked
what was the matter The policeman. who bears
the good Irish name OF Sweeny. told him tina, t was
against the rules to coast. The Duke replied that
he did not know It, and that he was sorry II ne had
broken any RUE regulation.
BY this time a CLEAN OF recognition had crept into
the eve OF the officer. and he said brusquey
Il don't know what you knew. You must come
with me"
The Duke expostulated and sad that he had
transgressed out Of pure ignorance and asked to De
let off. He said:
You don't know who l am. but vii give you
nv name and
The policeman replied tersely:
II don't care who you You will have to come
along to the station house and fix 1t with the Ser
geant"
Without word OF expostu.ation the Duke
mounted his wheel and rode slowly along by the
policeman. When he gained the sub-police station
at McGowans Pass Inn, Roundsman Ryan was on
duty. Policeman Sweeny said that he had found
the prisoner coasting and had taken him into
custody Roundsman Ryan looked at the prisoner
and asked who he The Duke gave his name
and the roundsman started He. however. hsd a
duty to perform. and ne went through 1t manfu!ly
He told the Duke that he had been guilty OF break
ing park regulation and that he must never coast
discharged. Policeman sweeny tried to explain
the matter to the Duke but the h,, young ,n nooeman
The news OF his arrest became generally known
ard a number OF friends called at the hotel TO see
the Duke. He begged be excused to all and sent
his secretary. Mr. Morris, to see the visitors MT
Morris said, In speaking Of the arrest:
''The Duke OF Marlborough. who is not expert
rider or racer. riding through the park at an
average rate OF speed when a Policeman came riding
fu1iousy after him. blowing a whistle. He dld not
know what the whistle meant but Kept on
When the policeman hna..y did get up to MIN he
called out: You violating the rules. You are
not allowed to ride than eight miles an hour.
You are under arrest The Duke tried 10 explain,
but il was useless. and ne had to 20 the station
where. upon learning his IDENTITY, ne was released
II was entirely unca.ed for. and an abuse or au-
thoriy
The Duke himself could not be seen last night
He dined with Mrs. william X Vanderbilt at her
new home. Fifth-aVe. and Seventy-second-st While
he said through his secretary that he had no inten-
ton of taking any action. IL IL known that he was
murh annoyed by the experience. The secretary
said good humoredly that he did not think that the
incident would lead t. International complications
or that the Duke would resent the insult by working
up a hatred for al Americans.
Nothing could be learned at the police station
evening about the arrest Some OF the of'icerr on
duty Inclined to think that other motives than
a stern adherence to duty led Sweeny TO take the
Duke in custody They say that II is a common
thing for cycers In the Park to violate inc rules
and unless IL is some fragrant and repeated case
the culprit "a let off with sharp warning. In the
Duke'a case. however, he was carried on TO answer
In a police station