The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-10-04
TANGLE OF COPS AND BOYS.
LIVELY OPENING or THE NEW
HAMILTON FISH PARK.
Playground and Outdoor Gymnasium Added
Air 10 Full Of Small Boys That
the Court Policemen ON Duty Could
Not Begin 10 Keep Out Of Their Way.

The formal opening Of the new play
ground and outdoor gymnasium in Hamil-
ton Fish Park was celebrated yester-
day afternoon by many hundred young
athletes of tho East Side and by few
cops from the Municipal Courts.
The cops when they went to the Park
didn't intend to participate actively in the
performances. Their part in the cele-
bration was thrust upon them, and it hit
some of them SO hard that their hats were
smashed and their muscles stiffened.
There were several thousand boys banked
around the sides Of the quadrangle which
encloses the gymnastic outfit when the
exhibition began.
There was friction between the runners.
the basketball players and the gymnasts
as to who should have the honor Of doing
the first stunts The question was not
settled until Policeman Bradley from the
Third Municipal Court, who thinks he Is
well informed on athletics advanced the
professional opinion that the thing was
properly, and in every sense Of the word,
a gymnastic meeting, and as such should
be opened with the "doings Of the men
on the bars"
Thereupon somebody asked Bradley most
disrespectfully if he was sure he hadn't
mistaken this for bartenders convention.
His suggestion, however, settled the matter,
and the gvmnasts took the floor.
There was one team from the Seward
Park gymnasium, one from Tompkins
Square Park, and one representing the
Hamilton Fish Park. The boys ranged in
age from 10 to IS years. They turned flip
tiops, both on and off the ground; they
hung like monkeys on the rings; they
tumbled all over the parallel bars and hung
suspended by their chins toes and heels.
One even hooked his occirtal process,
which appeared to be abnormally de-
veoEed. over the bar and hung with his
arms and legs extended.
Only one accident occurred to mar the
gyrnnastic programme. That happened
10 little Sol Silversten. He YVES dong the
split upside down on the parallel bars.
The muscles of his arms were tense with
the weight Of his body; his face was crimson,
and his little legs were etched out until
,, they we're almost at right angles TO his
body II was a proud moment for Sol. He
smiled as the ople cheered, and then
Then there wac a rip and tear and little
Soils blue black trousers split, He left
| the ring with tears in his eyes under the
cover OF big cop 8 coat
| As the exhibition was concluded, the
| thousands Of watching youngsters, who
had yelled themselves hoarse, made rush
| for the rings and the bars and the punching
bags.
| Rings, with boys clinging to them some
! with one hand, some with two, ard some
| holding on by their feet, kwunG Iast tie
COPS promis cuoMl y.
They lodged to the right ard the left.
"Bin!" went their white hats. Ard if they
did succeed in ducking out OF the .. way OF
the rings the chances were that they ran
| plumb into the feet Of the youngsters
who were whirling over the bars, or got
a lab from those who were pounding away
at the punching bags.
! The baskc ball match he tween u e Sew
ard Park and the Hamilton Fish Park
| followed the gymnastic exercises. The
COPS came up TO Il g basks tbs Il fed putting
They were painting VIXEN they got the field
cleared for action
| what sort of a game is this?" asked
' John Donovan of the Fourth municipal
court between breatts,
THAT'S basketball" volunteered Brad
! ley, the sporting cop.
Sure; but where's the basket'' asked
| Bradley told Donovan that the iron
rings fastened to the posts at each end
| OF the field were the baskets, ara donovan
said, "G'wan." About that time the two
teams came together in mixup at the
place where the cops were talking, and
| when the cir cleared bit. and every one
was on his feet again. it was discovered
that somebody had stuck his finger IN
Bradley's eye.
| Az soon as the game was over the cops
left, and they all said they'd much rather
| 20 to the race track on their afternoon
on than to an East Side Rymnastic meet;
| Hamilton Fish Park has been rem delTd
and many improvements made this sum
mer. The eastern end, which contains
the playground and athletic, field, has
been entirely made over, and " IL now
| one of the best equipped parks OF its KIND