The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-09-07
TRIED TO BULLY GLEASON.
,.OIuER MAYORS CHARGE AGAINST
A JAMAICA POLICEMAN.

The Affair an Incident of the Democratic
warfare in Queens Borouah-1Iadden,s
Committee Scheme In Court-Glsaaon
and Cassidy Each to Havo q Ticket.
Former Mayor Patrick J. Gleason OF Long
rsland City appeared before Magistrate Ed
mupd J. Healey In Long Island City yesterday
afternoon. and swore out warrant for the ar
y.,t OF Policeman James Cummings Of the
jamaica precinct on q charge OF assault
Cummings 10 attached TO the Assistant
Corporation Counsels once In Jamaica,
and the alleged assault OF which Mr.
Gleason com plains was committed on Tuesday
when he was In Jamaica consulting his lawyer
in relation to the mandamus proceedings he
has begun against the General Democratic
Committee OF the Borough OF Queens. Accord
ing to Mr. Gleason. he was accosted by the po-
licsman. then In citizens dress, who warned
him against lighting tho Democratic machine
now in power. Mr.. Gleason replied that he in
tended continuing the fight to the best Of his
ability. Then. Mr.. Gleason asserts. the police.
man said to him:
well. II you keep MP this tight you will stop
coming to Jamaica sooner than you think for"
To this implied threat Mr.. Gleason says he
retorted that he had been going to jamaica
before the policeman wore q shield and would
continue to 20 there. On his way back to the
railroad station from the lawyers ONCE, Mr.
Gleason says. he was hailed o second
time by the policeman. who this time tried
to detain him. caught him by the lapel OF
his coat and finally tore his waistcoat open,
Mr. Gleason says he was hurrying to catch a
train. but that his assailant chung to him.
threatened him and called him vile names.
Mr.. Gleason is not in the best OF health. and
the excitement OF the encounter made him so
short OF breath that he was com PEELED to lean
rail NJ fhn at Tkan h~ ia
formed the policeman that he knew the time
when no one would have dared to hold him up
on the street or abuse him. Between his gasps
for breath he said:
There was a time when / would have
thrown loafer like you over that locomotive"
pointing to an engine In the railroad yard.
Several persons witnessed the Occurrences
and it was from one OF the m that Mr.. Gleason
learned tho policeman's name. He went to
Jamaica Yesterday for the purpose OF pre-
ferrinR charges against the officer before Capt
Wohlfarth. but the captain was not at the sta
ton. Mr.. Gleason returned to Long Island
City. where the warrant for Cummings was is
sued. In addition to having his assailant ar
rested. Mr.. Gleason says he will prefer charges
against him before the Police Board.
County Judge Moore yesterday granted an
order directing the Democratic Committee Of
Queens county to appear before him through
hounsel and show cause why it should not
change the plan for eectng new County Com
mittee. The order was granted upon the APP
plication OF Francis Fl. Van Vechten. repre-
sentinR former Mayor Gleason. The committee
recently decided to elect new m m bers byvoting
for them throughout the county instead OF by
wards. as formerly. Such action. II carried
out would. It 10 believed. kill of all opposition
to the present leader. John P. Madden. Mr..
Van vechtsn contends that the law Is such that
the new plan Of electing the committee would
be illegal. as 1t would permit the election OF a
committee entirely from one section OF the
county. while 1t Is the intention OF tho law that
such body should be representative Of all the
county The argument will take place satur-
day morning before Judge Moore In Long
Island City.
The Democratic fight at the coming primal ies
in Queens will be a three-cornered one. This
fact was settled at a conference held yesterday
In Long Island City between the friends OF
Councilman Joseph Cassidy and Mr.. Gleason.
These men are opposed to the leadership OF
John p, Madden. 1t was expected that q COM
bination would be formed between them.
The conference which had this purpose in Wow
proved failure. owing to the inability or Glea-
son and Cassidy to come to terms. Neither was
willing to play second fiddle. After the confer
ence each announced his intention OF putting
. ticket in the field