The sun., 1899-04-26
OLD SERGEANT TOOK A DIVE
INTO THE RIVER IN UNIFORM TO
ARREST A WOULD-BE SUICIDE

IT'S Gorman's Specially, and tho Young
Policemen Around Pier A Didn't Got in
His Way as He Ran to the Bulk
head-He Has Saved ~ or Sc Lives.
The Sergeant said he could not recall. def
nitely whether IL was his twenty seventh or his
twenty. eighth rescue but he had a dim in
preston that IL was his twenty eighth. He
wore nothing except:a large horse blanket
while he talked to the reporter. His uniform
was hanging over chairs and steam radiators
to dry. Tho Sergeant Is Michael German. He
Is proud OF being the first Roosevelt Sergeant,
that is. the first roundeman promoted to q
Sergeantny by Gov. Roosevelt when the Gov
ernor was Police Commissioner At that
time Sergt. German had saved. either from
fire or flood. probably twenty-fvs or twenty
six persons. and the Commissioners thought It
was about time that he should get something
else besides medals. among which are a six
barred one from the Police Department and
gold and silver memorial from Con zress
The Sergeant had the desk at Pier A yester-
dav afternoon. He is grizzled. rugged and
pretty close to sixty years old. As he sat be-
hind the desk writing up his blottsr he heard
a shrek outside the door. He got up and.
looking through tho window facing the dock
space between Pier A and Pier l. saw a man in
. blue jumper balancing himself on the bulk:
head and waving his arms. Janitor Bauer Of
the Dock Department. which has its offices In
Pier A, shouted into the door OF the police sta
Several young and vigorous policemen made
way for tho Sergeant as he ran out Of the sta
| superior have a change to exercise his talent
in his specially. Besides. the winter chill was
ntill on the river and it was four fathoms deep
The old Sergeant wore all his uniform ex.
cept his hat He saw the wife Of the man in
running toward the bulkhead. The man on
| the bulkhead muttered something unintelliRi:.
overboard.. When the Woman was within .
almost. hal his hands on him. the man
jumped. Before he came to the surface. shiv-
eriaE and spluttsrlne the Sergeant was in the
~, You ought to have seen him" said the aD,
@ @prsciatiVe roundsman; an. IT . vas the nervisst
ma n with all his clothes on jumping after
drunken a, ongsh!oreman, | tell YOU. he was
Of his, jumper; and shouted. You are under
as a kid Ths Woman stood Oh the bSikhaad
and besought the Sergeant to save her hus-
raft on the south sde of, the dock. He, held
the .ongsn1rsnaa' l, with his right hang, at
vas ten minutes before they got to the raft.
Patrolmen De Forest. Fredenburg and George
ing for the Sergeant. who propelled his prison
ar vigorously upwari when he reached the
| edge. Tully and FredenburG yanksd the long
shoreman up on the raft and then helped the
Sergeant ort. The rorndsman had already
| called an ambulance from Hudson Street Hos
| pital. The surgeon wanted to take the Ser
Geant along with the lonRshoreman. but the
! He stripped. wrapped himself in the horse
blanket and sat by the radiator. into which the
Il am sorry I had to break ono OF the rules
OF the department. but the eurgeon said Il was
necessary. l had to take a drink while on
| duty. DC, you think that was Justlnable?"
| II should say So" said the roundsman.
The lonRshoreman is John Hayden OF %
| Washington street He: had had a quarrel
with his wife and left the house threatening
| to XIII himself.
When German was patrolman twenty
years ago he jumped into the East River to
| save colored girl. Fanny Starkley. who tried
| to drown herself He saved her. but she was
desperate and gave him hard fight. dragging
| him under water several times. He swallowed
much OF the sewage that then emptied into
the East River near Rivington street and was
half frozen. He was sick nearly four years
(lerNaftnr.