The evening world., 1903-06-27
Bicycle Officer Debes Is the
Terror Of the Motor corch-
ers Along the Fifth Avenue
Speedway" ,4B.r
MEDALS FOR CYCLE RACING.
Man Who Likes His Work Has Ar
rested More Men Of Wealth Than
Any Other Policeman -"They
Wake with q Jar"

Don't think you can get away from
him. Mr.. Chauffeur. Don't turn on your
extra power and make yourself liable
to further prosecution. for II w. H.
Deoes, the star OF Commissioner
Greene's bicycle squad. gets his eye on
YOU there In no recourse but the police
court.
Policeman Debes las made Q unique
record In his short term OF duty on the
poltco force. No man on the force will
dispute the claim that he has arrested
moro mi~llionaires than n Of his
brother officers. He IL proud of this
record. but moro boastful of nis Prov
ess to compete with the big machines
and overtake them.
Residents of the avenue from Four
tenth street to Forty-second have
learned to look for him. Every after
noon at 8 o'clock he rides from the
Thirtaeth Street Station. his uniform
being SO modest that he Il not noticed
nile tho second look 10 taken.
Good Judge of Speed.
lie wheels into Fifth avenue and joins
the never-ceasing procession of every
sort OF vehicle. loafs along block after
block or chats with the friendly hack
men. But his eye 10 keen and ne is eve
on the alert. Thu snort of an auto calls
his attention in an instant. and In two
months he a learned to tell pretty
we'll without timing whether ehe speed
law Is being observed.
II there Is any doubt in the polioeman's
mind he quickens his pace and pulls his
s%topwatch. The auto 10 given two
blocks. and another block gives Debes
time enough to do a little mental arith-
metic. Then. Mr.. Chauffeur. beware
Hi. there !" calls Debes.
II the chauffeur stops there "a nothing
but the ordinary run to the station
house. where the millionaire gives ball
for his driver or for himself. IL Der.
chance he has been holding the lever.
But II the notion lodges in the autolst's
brain that he can outdistance the whsol-
man. a pretty race follows.
All Give Up.
With hea bent low Debes makes n
dash at full speed. 1t Is only when he
rides alongside n orders the machine
stopped that drivers realize the useless
ness OF flight Without exception they
turn OF h power.
Debes was appointed to patrol duty
a yea ago. He fulfilled every require
ment for the work in hand. He II
young. OF medium height and perfectly
proportioned-in fact. a handsome speci-
mon Of physical manhood-and In ad-
dition he carries an envtable reputa-
ton as a racing wheelman.
Most Of his racing honors were won
in Long Island road races He has
eight first prize medals in l6o-mile road
acct two in 2Oo-mile races n medals
and cups with hardly any limit for
shorter distances. He has covered q
hundred miles on the road In four hours
and %thirty-one minutes, and on the
Vailsburg track once won a quarter OF
q mile race In 20 80 seconds.
His Work His Sport.
The work Is good sport he said,
and much more pleasant than ordinary
patrol duty. l stuck to my wheel when
the craze was over and was glad when
the Commissioner made me a member
OF the squad in the middle of April.
My work Is also my recreation.
Yes. l suppose l have arrested a good
many millionaires-probably more than
most men on the force. The reason is
plain; subway laborers can't support
$50 O0 autos with chauffeurs.
Whom have l arrested? Now that's
not a fair question. These men don't
want to see their anne in the court
records. and they would not thank
me for digging UP the past. ! haven't
anything against m~illionaires. It's just
q matter OF duty. and the man who
violates Is the man who suffers.
But It's funny about these million
aires. I had a sort Of stage fright at
Hrst, for I had been used to pulling 4
class OF men who ran, but hung their
heads and doggedly went Off to tho
staton-house when arrested. It's diff
ferent with these auto people.
Like the once Boy.
Were you ever an ONCE boy7 I was
once. and when I used to break in on
the quiet of the boss ofice I got a look
that almost made my blood run cold.
That's just the look these m~illlonaires
throw out when I stop their autos. The
fact Is, they get 30 used TO ordering
other folks about hat they wake up
with a jar when they ind any n dar-
ing to cross them.
THAT doesn't go with me, though.
IT'S all the same whether a man owns
a skyscraper or a Harlem fiat. Nv go:
my orders and my sob depends on obey
ing shem."
There are ave other bicycle cops
whose business II Is to watch for speed
ing autos. but their stations are in
parts OF the city where there are fewer
machines than in Fifth venue.
pebes's busy night came on Thursday.
spencer Trask. the banker. was his hrst
victim. The ~inancier went to the sta
like any ordinary man and
insisted tina N give N.000.000 bail for
his chauffeur, The sergeant at Thir-
tieth street is willing II a man wants to
N fancIful taste