The Portland daily press., 1897-07-12
FOUGHT IN THE DARK.
now a Boston Policeman Narrowly
Escaped Death.

/
| Escaped Death.
Boston, July 10.-A lighted cigarette
betrayed two men to q Station II police
man early this morning that turned on
10 be desperate burglars. The police
man was Reserve Officer J. J. Gallagher
ana he was patrolling Dorchester avenue
and Glover square, Dorchester at o'clock
when he saw the little spark of light
IN wagon that stood in the shed attach
ed to N. P. Robinson's grain store at No.
1889.
Gallagher had been looking for sus-
picious characters. When he saw the
light, he drew his club, and with a citi-
I zen named Mcpherson he walked boldly
into the shed and up to the wagon. He
saw that the light came from cigarette
and that behind the cigarette was man.
| Come out Of the wagon" commanded
Gallagher.
What forP Can't you let us alone?"
came back in response.
| Come out of that wagon" repeated
Gallagher. II want to see you
Out of the wagon scrambled the man
that held the cigarette and another man.
They were both tough looking charac-
tiers. They jumped down and stood be-
fore Gallagher, who said:
| II guess Ill have to lock you up"
what for?'' demanded the men.
CAN'T you let a Teller without home
take snooze in wagon?"
| Whi1a tho 1iccr1 ccion vuac ooipo IN
Patrolman VIM. J. Doherty happened
along and stepped up. Gallagher turned
the shorter of the two men over to him.
Doherty seized the fellow by the collar.
Immediately the man began to struggle.
Out into the street they reeled, and then
Doherty flung the man to the ground.
He fell with his knees on the prisoner
body.
"Now keep STILL" he said, while he
reached for his twisters.
The twisters somehow got caught in
his clothing, and while he was endeavor-
ing to jerk them clear, the prisoner drew
a revolver and pressed it against the po-
liceman's stomach. Quick as a flash
Doherty d seized the pistol with his left
hand near the hammer, and thus saved
his life. The prisoner pulled the trigger,
but the feshy part of Doherty's hand was
between the hammer and the cartridge.
| The hammer tore through the flesh, cut
ting a cash two inches long When it
fell on the cartridge there was not suffice
lent force to discharge it. Doherty twist
ed the pistol away and put the twisters
on his prisoner and took him to Station
II. Gallagher followed with his man
Both men protested that they did not
know what they were arrested for, and
gave their names. The one that tried to
shoot Doherty said that he was Frank
Murphy. 26 years old of 1913 G street, South
Boston, and the other claimed to be
George Williams, 20, of Al Bromley park,
Roxbury.
After they had been locked up, the
officers went back to the place where the
arrest was made, and found kit of
burglar tools, which they carried to the
station. There was no doubt in the mind
of the police that the men were desperate
terminals, and the idea was confirmed
when the men were taken to police head
quarters this morning and identified,
the shorter one as Thomas McCloskey,
who has been twice in prison, once having
been found with a fine set of burglars
tools in mis-, possession, and the other as
Charles Bowen DeGroot, alias "Dutchy''
DeGroot, who has served two terms of
five years each in state prison.
| The pictures of both men are in the
rogues gallery. DeGroot is No. 1898,
he was arrested charged with highway
robbery. NlcCloskey's was added to the
gallery in 1898 when he was arrested by
Capt. VIM. B. Watts, now chief inspec-
tor, and Officers Abbott and Wyman of
Station 3, charged with larceny. A fine
kit of burglars tools, more complete
than that captured this morning, was
found with McCloskey at that time.
The kit, which the Station II officers
found this morning, was done up in a
paper and lay in the rear of the grain
store about so feet where the men were
arrested. There was brand new brace
and five or six bits OF late design. There
cartridges made of dynamite, forced in to
the fingers of a glove. A fuse ran
through the cartridges. There were also
| in the kit a loaded revolver and tool,
which Capt. Hunt of Station II says was
probably intended to smash the combina
| ton of the safe. When the prisoners were
searched at Station II a glove, from
which two fingers had been cut, was
found in MclCoskey's pocket. A derby
hat, left in the wagon from which the
two men were taken by the officers, in
Dictated that third man was in the
party and escaped.