New-York tribune., 1901-08-03
A MOSS DETECTIVE BEATEN
, MEN IN ALLEGED BROADWAY POOL
ROOM HIS ASSAILANTS
POLICE COME TO HIS AID. BUT REFUSE TO
HELP IN SEEING PARAPHERNALIA.

POLICE COME TO HIS AID. BUT REFUSE TO
! HELP IN SEEING PARAPHERNALIA.
Robert s. Mcclellan, one of the most successful
detectives in the employ of the Society for the
Prevention of Crime. assaulted yesterday
afternoon in alleged poolroom at No. 724
Broadway. An ambulance surgeon from St
Vincents Hospital found that Mcclellan had six
scalp wounds. In his efforts TO protect himself
Mcclellan drew his revolver and fired. The bullet
went into the ceiling.
1T outrageous. the way they set upon
our man McLellan.' said Frank Moss. He is a
small man, but very pucky and conscientious.
When 1 asked him why he did not shoot one of
his assailants instead of firing in the air. he re-
piled that he did not feel justified in sending
any of them to Greenwood. l sorry that he
did not shoot one OF them
Another detective of the society who was with
Mcclellan was thrown through a narrow door
into hall.
There were many persons in the room at the
time. and the action of some of the employees
discovering the detectives caused the ma
jority Of the supposed patrons to rush to escape
from the ROOM The door leading into the room
swung inward In their eagerness to get to the
street and out OF the way of the police no one
thought Of first pulling the door open. and in a
moment there were q hundred more persons
trying TO push the 1oor outward. The noise
could be heard in the street. and ii caused
large crowd to collect in front of the building.
A friend of Mr.. Moss while riding a
Broadway car aIighted to learn what was the
trouble. He learned that some of the society de-
tectives were being roughly handled In the al
legged poolroom, and he sent telephone mes
sage 10 the Mercer-st police station. to the
headquarters of the Society for the Prevention
OF Crime and to Mr.. Moss's office
When Mr. Moss and the police arrived Nc
Lellan pointed out three persons in the room as
being his assailants They were taken to the
station house They said they were William
Murray. twenty-eight years old. no occupation
OF No. 341 West Twenty-fourth-s William c.
Smith. forty-sx years old, truckman. of No
626 Hudson-st. and NJ. Levien, who said he
was engaged in legitimate business. Leyien
was we'll dressed and appeared to be g man of
culture. He said he knew nothing of the as
sault and that he had not entered the place
until after people in the rooms had rushed out.
He was not held. as Mcclellan could not posi-
lively identify him. He declared that he would
seek redress in the courts for false arrest Muir
ray and Smith were charged with assault and
were locked up.
BY direction of NJ. Moss eight small black
boards. half a dozen telegraph instruments. a
number OF sheets on which records of the trans
actions were kept. and huge megaphone at
a
wagon and taken 10 the station house. The
police did practically nothing to collect evidence.
They were asked by Mr.. Moss TO help break
down a partition in the place to get at the tele
grarh Instruments They said they did not
wish tu be held accountable for battering down
the partition without a warrant and added that
they would prefer TO have Mr.. Moss's men do
such work.
six men are alleged TO have assaulted Nc
IelIan lie and the other detective OF the society
yvhD was thrown out Went TO the place together
late in the afternoon. On recognizing them
sore employees formed flying wedge ana
rIshei at them. In jihy the detectives were
separated from each other and while Mcclellan
being forced through q doUr in the partition
the other detective being forced into t1s
ball When his assaiIants got him in the space
behind the partition. four Of them held Mcclellan
and two beat him Mr.. Moss thinks that Nc
Lellan was struck with blackjack" When
they he able 20 use his revolver they
let go. He was the only person found behind
the partition by Mr.. Moss and the police. His
head covered with blood. An open window
tho partition showed that many had es-
CapeS through 1t. Detectives Shcehan. Bennings
and Wrern. Of CAPTAIN Thomass precinct. were
among the policemen who we're sent In response
TO the telephone message
The front part OF the ground floor Of the build
ing is occupied by the Waverly Cafe and Lunch
the prisoners and M. Moss and his detectives
appeared. Captain Thomas asked II he
would detail a policeman to guard the alleged
pOolrcom, AMI he answered: mo, sir Let them
guard II themselves II there Is any such place
there"
Tho prisoners VIII bc arraIGned in the Ieffcr-
Market court this morning.
Mcclellan was assaulted last April by crowd
Of poclrOou. 'u"n at Nnth-avr. and Twentieth
81 He badly beaten. When the police Of
the West TweIltieth-st station arrived on that
occasion McT-ellans assailants had fed In
sPi-e Of hjG assertion that he was the victim OF
the assault Mcclellan VAS arrested. His assaN-
ants were not arrested at that time. or at any
time since.