The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-07-06
Brave Policeman Closter-
man Steps a Runaway
Team at the Risk
of His Life.
WOMEN AND CHILDREN SAVED
officers Uniform Ruined and His
Body Badly Bruised-Acci-
dents Of the Fourth.

When traffic was heaviest at the juno
tion yesterday afternoon a runaway horse
dragging a heavy grocery wagon came
dashing down Grand street. Patrolman
Closterman who has been assigned to
duty at this point because of his reputa-
ton for fearlessness, changed the course
of the frightened animal just in time to
prevent it from running down a number
of women and children. Those who wit
messed the scene commend Closterman and
say that it was brave and daring act.
1t was at one o'clock that the accident
occurred. A Bayonne car bound for the
ferry had just stopped opposite the
Junction. A west bound car coming up
Grand street had stopped at the switch
in the centre of Coffin House Square. A
number of women and children were get
ting off the east bound car. The street
between the car and the sidewalk was
crowded with little tots and women with
babies in their arms. Closterman was
assisting them to alight from the car.
Suddenly there was wild shout from
the crowd on the sidewalk and turning
Closterman saw a rearing, plunging horse
dashing down Grand street. 1t was at
Arlington avenue and was heading
straight for the crowd of women and
children. There was wild excitement; |;
men seized Children and dragged them to
the sidewalk; children fell over each
other in their efforts to escape; women
held their babies tighter. Many of them
stood still from fright, directly in the
path of the maddened animal. Closter-
man alone kept his nerve. Running from
the women he met the horse about twenty
feet west of the car. Waiting until the
head of the horse was abreast of him he
made a leap and seized the lines. at the
same time throwing himself against the
animal with such force that it was obliged
to change its course. 1t turned across
the tracks with Closterman clinging to
the lines for dear life. The horse passed
to the north of the car with the patrolman
hanging on its right side. The space be-
tween the animal ard the side of the car
was so small that the crowd expected to
see Closterman crushed and his body
thrown under the car.
The west bound car had stopped about
fifty feet below the other. This caused
the horse to change the direction of its
fight again. AS it dashed past the first
car and turned into Communipaw avenue
there was a cry of horror Closterman
was down. He still had hold of the reins,
but he was being dragged on his back
and was beneath the horses hoofs half
of the time. 1t looked several times as
if his skull would be crushed. Men rushed
to his assistance, but 1t was not until the
horse had dragged him nearly a block
that it was finally halted at Randolph
avenue.
Closterman got to his feet without as
while suffering from number of painful
bruises he had sustained no serious in
juries. His uniform, however. gave evil
dence to the fact that his escape had been
a narrow one. 1t was torn in two places
on the right side. where the horses hoof
had landed, and the trousers were ripped
in several places where they had dragged
over the uneven cobbles The back of
the coat was covered with grease, which
had been wiped up from the car tracks.
The uniform is a complete wreck and will
have to be replaced at the patrolmans
expense, unless the owner Of the horse re-
imburses him for his loss.
The horse and wagon belonged to Ter
ence Collins. a grocer, of Monmouth and
Bright streets. 1t was driven by Samuel
Herman a boy, who was in the wagon
when the runaway occurred.
Patrolman Closterman when seen by a
News reporter said This is the Sec
ond time I have nearly lost my life be-
cause of the white gloves which the de-
/ seized the harness the gloves slipped on
my hands and caused me to lose my hold.
Before I could recover it was on the
ground beneath the horses hoofs. Once
before in stopping a runaway. the gloves
hindered me and was dragged across the