The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-09-19
SOCIALISTS MOB GRIpMAN.
THEIR PARADE WAS PASSING AS
HIS CAR KILLED 4 CHILD.

A,nid Cries or Lynch Him ~ They Leaped Upon
the Platrorm-poiics with Drawn Pistols
Drive tho Crowd Back-The Prisoner Fol-
lowed to the Very Door or tho LocL-Up.
Third avenue and Twelfth street was the
scene OF u riot last night, during which n mad
dened crowd Of Socialists tried to lynch the
gripman Of a cablo car which had run down
and killed q little girl. Only tho prompt and
courageous action OF q number Of policemen
saved the man from his Infatuated assaila Is.
When the cry Lynch the eripmuni" went
up q hundred men rushed forward TO exc
cute the threat. The police beat them back
with their clubs and drawn rcvolyerA,
but they were 30 i~nsistent that before he was
lodged In a police station the reserves from the
Fifth street station had to be called out to beat
back the mob.
Tho victim OF the cable car was Frieda Steffen.
the 4.year-old child Of John steffcn, who lives
at 1O1 Third avenue. The man whose blood the
mob wanted Ia Michael keegan OF 2l2s Le1ing-
ton avenue. Frieda was standing on tho
porch Of her homo at about 10 O'Clock
watching the moving spectacle on the street.
Down Third avenue about this time came
q parade OF Socialists. A drum corps was at
their head. and the noise Of the music and the
glittering lights the paradcrs bore greatly OK.
cited the little girl.
She ran down the steps and started to cross
the street. A cable car was going uptown, and
the child saw II. She waited for 1t to pass and
then she darted forward.
Standing on the corner was Policeman Brick
wedell of the Fifth street stallion. He had seen
the child waiting for the uptown car and no had
seen her start again on her way. but he had also
heard q warning clang from tho bell Of q down.
town car.
In an instant no realized the little ones peril.
He sprang into the street aud ran as fast as he
could after the girl. When he was within two
feet OF her she was already on the track in front
Of the approaching car.
Reaching far over he caught her by the skirt
and tried TO pull her back. Frieda gave a panic
stricken tug to escape from the hand that would
have saved her. The petticoat tore, she fell for
ward. and the car wheels crushed her life out.
cutting her In two.
Brickwedell was DO close that the car struck
him and knocked him backward to the ground.
He was stunned for the moment. but what was
happening soon brought him to his feet: ma,
II, The e Socialists sasL +, IL the p Pc a.. had seen the little
dozens Of men seized 1t and lifted the wheels
f MSpa i her o tSSy crowd a prisss ct, sSs,s sp ssrvi tos
were as useless as those OF the ambulance sur.
Geon who arrived a few minutes later from
the Socialists saw this their anger turned upon
Lynch himl' "lynch the r1pmanI some
one cried. and Il seemed as though the whole
car. FIVE big fellows sought the front end
They grabbed him by the shoulders. He
offered NO resistance except to cling to his brake
Throw him oni' the men on the ground-k kept
men Who held the Rripman. and It looked mighty
Bat by this time Brickwederl was on his feet.
ne beard the angry eries Of the mob and he
Ave- Ave- men me- On Tie irons platform. They S'S Sesits seS
ad;t o. e.. shouted the policeman. "or I'll
no said. But there were others who were
p1ssGes x,, br tSs sfs.r held 81 n bis DaIsS}O u in On Sao hand hand
board With his night stick. Kcesan covered
| Won shisten TO BrickwedelI's assistance. A mo.
ment later Policeman BIumel and Detective
Sssss ssRsr n tso. and for %hS 3 t asPsf sSs5 S sxd ,a'p sss
Keegan was ordered to run the car down to
Fifth street The policemen wanted to arrest
him, but they did not dare try to take him TO
the station house on foot. The gripmen gladly
Third avenue. with a thousand people in front
and behind and around It, q yelling, and ours.
demonstration had been Joined by hundreds Of
others. who were just as eager as the to wreak
vengeance on h0eRAn.
At Fifth street the policemen stopped the car
and took their priso er on. Surrounding him
and with drawn revolvers they marched along
Fifth street to First avenue. where the station
house Is All this time tho mob was growing
larger and larger.
It was growing ~angrier.. too. for tho nearer
they ceme to the lookup the, more threatening
were their cries. As the little marty Of police
men reached the corner OF First avenue, and
was Just turning 10 go up the steps of the station
house, some one called out:
Take him away from them. Como on. Let's
take him awayt"
There was q rush from behind. and the mon in
front were fairly hurled upon the prisoner and
his defenders.
Inside the station Sergeant Place. who was at
the desk. had hoard tho roar Of the mob as they
came down the street He rang up the reserves.
They tumbled downstairs and spranR into tho
street with uplifted clubs.
The crowd fell back and tho prisoner was
hustled up the steps and the doors Of the station
closed. The crowd hung around for time. but
the superior force awed them. and they finally
melted away.
The body Of the little girl was carried by tho
father to his house, where 1t now Is.
COL. JOHN d. FINLAY KILL ED.