The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-10-30
Spelling THE BIKE SQUAD.
EkNI1EANT LOADING 1T UP WITH MEN
WHO CAN'T RIDE

IT'S the Tammany District Leaders Who
Pick Out tho Policemen Now and All
Sorts Of G~rsenhorns Are Buletsd for the
Coveted Planes-A Few sample Cases.
Considering the specific charter provisions on
the subject. there seems to have been an aston
ishingly large amount OF politics In the police
bicycle squad during the present city admins
%tration. and more especially since the forma-
ton OF the present Police Board. To be sure.
the old bicycle squad was q legitimate Held OF
attack for Tammany In the present campaign,
for IL was recognized throughout the city as
we'll as in the Police Department that the
members Of the squad were about as unani-
nous for Col. Roosevelt as any other body OF
equal voting strength that one might ind.
This was go. Notwithstanding the fact that
the existence OF the squad was due solely aud
entirely TO q Democratic Police Commissioner.
Avery d. Andrews. 1t was soon after Col.
Roosevelt became President OF the Police
Board that COMMISSIONS Andrews suggested
the formation of o bicycle squad In the depart
ment. President Roosevelt smiled at the idea.
as did the other Commissioners. but told Mr..
Andrews to go ahead and get his idea into prac-
tical shape. As q result, four policemen Of the
West Sixty-eiRhth street station were detailed
for bicycle duty on Dec, /. 1896. Two beats
were made for them. one on Eighth avenue
from HOuTIeCnLnS JTo6L 70 EuJy-uiubn. anu LILO
other on the Boulevard from Fifty-nin tn street
to l04th. Two men went on duty at 3 A. NJ. and
were relieved at 8 P. II. and the tour ended at
10 I. NJ.
By the following summer there were ten po-
licemen on bicycle duty, and there was q watt
ing list Of over 200. All applicants for transfer
TO bicycle duty were sent first to COMMISSIONS
Andrews. who asked them no questions re-
gardinR their politics. but examined their rec
ords and inquired particularly into their
knowledge Of bicycles and bicycling. especially
their ability to ride fast. Then a day was APP
pointed when about twenty selected appli-
cants reported at the Olympic Academy
grounds. at 136th street and Lenox avenue.
There they rode for competent bicycle ex-
perts who watched their style and timed them.
There was only a small dirt track, but every
one finally selected had to ride a half mile on It
way some twenty men were chosen, several Of
them professional riders or teachers: Nearly
all, were young and active. and many had been
S shis It r rssuItsd fRSfl they w We snS largely rHeYy' Rap1b.
licans in politics. Those thirty men formed
early In the following spring. which now num-
bers ninety men.
paratively inirequent until this year. Since
January. however. there have Peen many. ana
ths S %e a f RSpu RSs1Sed w }bnsf fei T' sna q 1b5 smocpat
who took HIS place. One Of the first to, go. to
mention q single was an athlete or
he had taken a kkrst in the last Herald tourna.
ment. His transfar was recommended because
2 4 TSqaqSm man. Jr!Rsd s9te ssm for on tho heS s RGss;
thing. was also recommended for transfer. but
t ee Sas 9G' w 1rsn = stanch R sns %Sa waG va
great hand for an arRument"-an the other
was a Tammany man.
several transfers Just to find out what backing
the men transferred really had. There are
again that seem to point to the correctness OF
PsSPt s sWG months g Rss feG iat snd t h the then H Ssme
time one Of them had rejoined-or, as po-
lieemeno H sa.Pp1n99t bib, 6s Lon Q ttH political daSt,D clubs u,,S;
iapsed. and the other moved back into an east
a short time before, Another man, who had
taken up with reform to some extent. when he
home IN Harlem and reported to his old district
leader. and was transferred back to the squad.
se 1s s99 fG be- as at te sSe n 4eot S sP sSe trt ths iae an t Re-
publican Gs6IE n,S CAMPAIGN p absIr 9 p1t T sS dlsSDPeTS 9e w sud-
house have all been DISCONTINUED for lack of
men Are re s yo1 R6esl ing y HsRaSmS !" a Ildsa whois be-
hind you :" have become very pertinent ques:
t GRes IN q the nan sa mo1e snd . tRsS are IS t SlTnSs c asee 81
you ~ Is asked OF a nan who has been expected
In the insistence on the political qualilca-
lions now apparently necessary for member
ride q wheel has taken second place. Several
Of the newcomers are, decidedly ~inexpert. and
a good many Of them have been taking private
lessons In riding on. their days of. One man
reported sick his first three or four days ON
the squad and spent most Msliv OF the time In a
to learn and was transferred out OF the
squad again on. a hint from the Sergeant.
though some Of them have had a hard novitiate.
One man fell and broke his kneecqp on his
eight weeks. The first day OF his return to
duty he fell once more and broke the same bone
squad was stopped by the Sergeant because he
had never ridden bought himself q bicycle and
learned. and was then sent to the squad.
These few examples Of changes that are be-
ing made in the squad are all actual cases and
have been duplicated many line over.