The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-08-31
THE BICYCLE POLICE.
Theodore Roosevelt's Words Of Praise FL
tho Nau Vorlr Snuod

paper in The Century on "Ihe Roll
of Honor Of the New York Police. ("
Mr.. Roosevelt says:
The members of the bicycle squad,
which was established soon after we
took Office, soon grew to show not
only extraordinary proficiency on
the wheel, but extraordinary dar-
ing. They frequently stopped run
aways, wheeling alongside of them,
grasping the horses while going at
full speed, and, what was even more
remarkable, they managed not only
to overtake, but to jump into the
vehicle and capture, on two or three
different occasions, men who we're
guilty of reckless driving and who
fought violently in resisting arrest.
They were picked men, being young
and active, and any feat of daring
which could be accomplished on the
wheel they were certain to accom-
plish.
Three of the best riders of the bi-
cycle squad, whose names and rec
ords happen to occur to me, were
men of the three ethnic strains most
strongly represented in the New
York police force, being respectively
of native American, German and
Irish, or, more accurately, in this
particular case Of mixed Scotch and
Irish parentage.
The German was man of enor-
nous power, and he was able to stop
each of the many runaways he tao
kled without losing his wheel.
Choosing his time, he would get
alongside the horse and seize the bit
in his left hand, keeping his right
on the crossbar of the wheel. By
degrees he then got the animal un-
der control. He never failed to stop
it and never lost his wheel. He also
never failed to overtake any
"scorcher," although manyo Of these
were professional riders who delib-
erately violated the law to see if
they could not get away from him,
for the wheelmen soon get to know
the officers whose beats they cross.
The Yankee, though tall, power
full man and very good rider,
scarcely came up to the German in
either respect. He possessed excep-
tional ability, however, as well as
exceptional nerve and coolness, and
he won his promotion first. He
stopped about as many runaways,
but where the horse was really panic
stricken he usually had to turn his
wheel loose, getting firm grip on
the horses reins and then kicking
his wheel SO that it would fall out
of the way of injury from the wag-
on. On one occasion he had fight
with drunken and reckless driver
who was urging to top speed very
spirited horse. He first got hold of
the horse, whereupon the driver
lashed both him and the beast, and
the animal, already mad with ter
TOR, could not be stopped. The Off
Ger had, of course, kicked away his
wheel at the beginning and after
being dragged along for some dis
tance he let go the beast and made a
grab at the wagon. The driver hit
him with his whip, but he managed
to get in, and after a vigorous tussle
overcame his man and disposed OF
him by getting him down and sitting
on him. This left his hands free for
the reins. By degrees he got the
horse under control and drove the
wagon round to the station house,
still sitting on his victim. "Ijounced
up and down on him to keep him
quiet when he turned ugly" he re-
marked to me parenthetically. Hav-
ing disposed Of the wagon, he took
the man round to the court, and on
the way the latter suddenly sprang
on him and tried to throttle him.
Convinced at last that patience had
ceased to be virtue, he quieted his
assailant with q smash on the head
that took all the fight out of him
until he was brought before the
Judge and fined. Like the other "bi-
cycle cops, this officer made num-
Der Of arrests Of criminals, such as
thieves, highwaymen and the like,
in addition to his natural prey
scorchers, runaways and that sort.
The third member Of the trio, a
tall, sinewy man with flaming red
hair, which rather added to the ter
TOR he inspired in svildoers, was usu-
ally stationed in a rather tough part
of the city, whore there was tend
ency to crimes Of violence and Incl
dentally an occasional desire to har-
ass wheelmen. The officer was as
good off his wheel as on it, and he
speedily established perfect order on
his beat, being always willing to
"take chances" in getting his man.
He was no respecter of persons, and
when it became his duty to arrest a
wealthy man for persistently refus-
ing to have his carriage lamps light
ed after nightfall he brought him