The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-02-27
GIANTS OF THE POLICE.
GRAHAM AND TAGGART OF THR
BROADWAY SQUAD.

Country, and 10th Get Their Rouuas-
nhn's shields for Good scrvtce-Their
work on Busy BrondwSy CresstnEs.
Tho reorganization Of the famous Broad way
Squad" has restored one Of tho spectacles OF
New Sork's chief thoroughfarc. In truth. the
sight afforded by tho ninety blue-coated giants
who guard the Broadway crossings, from the
Battery to Forty.flfth street, ia worth looking
at by those who talk about the physical degen.
cracy OF the modern man. Tho shortest man In
the lot stands @ feet 2 inches in his stockings,
and the heavy police shoes and helmets add .
few inches to this generous natural endowment.
They tower above the cddying throng that fills
the street all day long like so many blue boa
cons above a stormy sea. Women, children
and the physically infrm mako for them from
blocks around, certain that they will DO safely
piloted through the wilderness Of trucks. cabs
and cable cars that turns tho street into a very
Charybdis during business hours.
Tho we roundsmon in charge Of the two 800
lions OF the squad are probably the biggest POI
licemon In the world. Their names are Archi-
bald Taggart and Harry Graham, and they are
perhaps the best known men in tho city because
of their towering stature.
Graham was for u long time the patrolman
in charge Of the Twenty-third street crossing,
one OF the busiest corners In the city, where he
became q familiar figure to thousands who
pdboCu lis pObJ uuHS. luRRhTJ nus IkoWIh0
done a long service on Broadway. For six
years he robbed the cable system of its victims
at the Vesey street crossing in tho downtown
district.
Graham Is the talicst man In the Metropou-
tan police force, standing O feet CT inchee. He
Is 30 years old, and when he Joined the force, in
1885. he was called the lightning rod cop" bc-
cause he was then 80 very tall and thin. He Il
enc OF tho athletes of the department, and by
constant exercise has kept his waist line down,
instead of succumbing to the policeman's usual
tendency to wear larger and larger belts. At
present he weighs 245 pounds, which is no
more than is proper for a man Of 30 largo .
frame. His chest measurement is 42h inches,
while his waist measures 37lf. The inner seam
of his trouser leg is 3916 In hes Ions and the
outside measurement, from hip TO heel, Ia 50N
inches. His arm measures 27N inches.
Except in the matter of height. Taggart 10 in
every way n larger man than Graham. He 10
80 years old, nm in every measurement OK
cept height, which is & feet 81 inches, has de-
volcped considerably since he became o police
MAJ ton years ago.. His stripped weight has in
creased from "45 to 27S pounds, and his d.
mansions show a corresponding change, 10
takes Al inches Of tape to reach around his
chest, a good record even for a big man. His
waist measures Al inches, and his arm 80 inches,
His hip.to.hecl measurement is only half an
inch loss than Graham's, but the inside Of his
leg Is an inch and n half shorter. He wears q
1Oh shoe and "A 94 glove, but in comparison
with his other dimensions his hands and feet
are not large.
Although both of these men are magnificent
specimens of physical development, neither of
them conforms exactly to tho proportions laid
down for the physically perfect man. Graham
is long-wa!stod, and his arms are rather short
for his height, while his inches would Justify Q
somewhat greater amount Of avoirdupois. Tag
CART. though. more nearly a~pproximating the
figures quoted by the experts as ideal, has an
inch or two 10 spare about the waist Hc also
has an unusually long arm and hand. so that
when he stands. with outstretchcd arms he
than the reach allowed TO the model man. 1t
may be said in passing that perfect men, accord
In 20 is, perhaps. ' one in 100000. ( n0' though the
records OF the New York Police Department
s sSs ae RaGk over sEa a So os1 ,a %sny 81 fe1 ,boa Sna Ssvs or
applicants. there is but one man in all
the list whose, measurements correspond in
every point 10 The proportions laid down by the
rhvSiano. He PRESENTED himself Tor exsmins
the force. though IL is likely that he will DO
taken ON before long.
Works chief pride among the members Of the
police force are not absolutely perfect In their
s5ep rt nino their anv % msn Mon;a LP s y;aa e o are
1t has often been said that the police depart
meDt makes II mistake i'll trying TO secure
giants for its service, and that smaller men
would be livelier and moro effective In tfief TAX
ing and the general work that falls to a police
man. The records Of these two men do not
bear out this assertion. however. Graham 10
one of the aii-around athletes Of the depart.
mCut. He can sprint a hundred ycards in IL
seconds and finds no difficulty in clearing Q
four-foot wall at a hop. Taggart. being q heav-
or man. is not so lively on his feet. but he has
an arm and fist like the business end of a pile
driver. and IL IS said that he can put up q pugi-
listic argument which few mon would care to
face. During their long terms Of service as pa.
trolmcn neither Taggart nor Graham ever had
to report II serious. accident at their crossings,
which were two of the most crowded In the
city. They We're promoted. not tor their size.
but on account OF their efficient records.
ltoundsi. IN Taggart comes of a family whose
members are all remarkable fer their height
II is doubtful If there is another household in
the country that can equal them in this respect.
Taggart was born In Newburg, n. Y. where his
seven brothers and three sisters still reside. OF
these eleven brothers and sisters the shortest
one OF the gir's-mcasurcs 8 feet . inches. while
tho tallcst. who is nlso the youngest, towers q
feet ll% inches; Their aggregate height is 90
feet; SO that. standing on one anothor's Shout
ders, they would make a very imposing liberty
pole. The eight boys of the family weigh some
thing over II ton. Here is the family roll call:
Height.