New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-05-24
MANY HURT In AUTOS.
MADOO TO TELL ROUTES.
Police TO Stop Stone Thro1cing on
Wan to Ferries.

tn. sayage attack made by East Side hood
lurns on the automobile OF William c. Gotshall.
president OF the Port Chester Railroad Com
psny, On Sunday afternoon N East One-hun-
Observation-Disclosures. has resulted in arousing the
police TO the necessity OF efforaing better pro-
lection for automobilists IN the crowded dis
tr.cts about the various ferries. Police Commits
sioner McAdoo announced yesterday that after
conference with his inspectors and the automo-
bile club men he viii lay out routes by which
machines can reach the ferries with fair guar
antee OF police protection.
AS a result Of the attack on the Gotshan au-
tomobIe Mrs. GOtshall is at her home. No. 40
West Seventy-second-st.. IN a dangerous condi-
ton. She was struck on the head with heavy
stone. thrown with great force. DR.. William
N. Polk, who has charge OF the case. fears
serious brain injury. but win not be able 70
decide definitely until to-day. Last night Mr..
Gotshan said his wife suffering greatly. but
the doctors held out hope Of Improvement
to-day.
A score OF automobilists, who have suffered
from similar attacks recently, sent TO Mr.. Got
shall yesterday letters OF sympathy and offered
20 Join with him in any move he might make
20 punish the offenders and get better police
protection Among others who were injured on
Sunday was Mrs. T. J. SpragDe, OF Riverside
Drive and Eighty-second-st Like Mrs. Gotsha4l,
she YVES struck in the head with stone while
the machine YVES running through an uptown
street returning from a trip TO Greenwich
Conn Mrs. Sprague's Injuries were not serious
La Dunneben. an automobilist OF Rockaway
Beach, wrote that he had e list OF more thah
twenty persons who had been injured by stones
ana sticks thrown by street roweies. He offered
70 place the list at Mr.. Gotshals disposal X any
purpose could be served
L hall ~zThn rims 20
West Forty-hrth-st-. tells OF experience with
hoodlums on the upper West Side which nearly
cost him his life. His machine had broken down
and the usual crowd gathered
Get q horsel Get q horse"' was the chorus
n which about twenty young rowdies Joined
The annoyance became great that Arbell
advised his passengers 10 take surface car
downtown Then he set about fixing his
machine II was necessary 10 Jack II up on one
side that he might get under it. He finally
succeeded in raising the machine. He had no
sooner crawled under, however, than several
OF tbs rowdies threw their weight on the sup
port. and the machine fell back with crash
pinning Arbeu under it Fortunately his posi-
ton was such that he was not crushed. He
finally got from under the machine with the
assistance Of policeman and another driver.
mADoo EXPLAINS SITUATION.
For several weeks complaints have been pour
ing into police stations from streets which lead
10 the ferries ne-hundred-and-fourth TO One
Observation-Disclosures and Thirty-Tourth-st. on
the East Side, have been the seat OF most Of the
trouble. In no case were the police t5le 10
make srrests. Commissioner McAdoo is some-
thing OF an automobiles himself although he
does not run machine and the subject has had
his personal attention. He said yesterday to a
Tribune reporter:
1 getting great many complaints Of this
riotous work There seems TO be a determined
attempt to drive the automobile from the East
Side, both upper and lower. The trouble
appears TO arise from the crowded condition or
the streets. In these congested districts the
children are compelled 10 play in the street,
where they are 10 be found in great numbers,
especially on Saturdays and Sundays. The
parents resent the operation Of the machines
through these streets as dangerous TO their
out IN greatest numbers the or ,ers hnd the
streets fairly damned with small children, while
the sidewalk are hundreds of older boys and
even women, hooting and throwing missiles.
The worst districts, according 10 the COM
plants received. are those between One-hun-
dred-and-fourth and ne-hundred-and-tenth
SITS. and Thirty fourth-st- on the East Side.
FOurth-ave., between Thirty-siXth and Thirty
seventh SITS, Brooklyn, and some parts of Long
Island City are also complained of. Here are
e lot Of tacks picked up in Brooklyn yesterday
by q well known New Yorker. who found them
carefully placed, points up. so as TO puncture
tires
This disorder and missile throwing are dan
gerous. Not only is such a mishap as that of Mrs.
Grotshalls yesterday possible at any time, but
the children in the streets really the great
est risk. for q small stone thrown at a driver
might cause him TO lose control temporarily.
Then turn Of the wrist would send the ma
chine crashing into the crowd. and loss of life
doubtless would result.
l am going 10 talk TO the police heads to-day
concerning the laying out of regular routes for
the Long Island ferries. so that automobile
owners may be asked to keep certain lines
or travel; then We can police the route 10
guarantee protection. You must remember that
the East Side is not chosen for pleasure by the
drivers; they go there because they want the
best route 10 Long Island. OF course I can only
suggest such routes, but ! think automobile
owners viii be glad TO use them. 1t would not
be necessary 10 provide extra police every day,
FOR Saturday and Sunday are the days when
most OF the automobiles go 10 Long Island
1t is high time some action was taken by
the police" said Mr.. Gotshan last night The
saving Of one Insignificant life would more than
repay the city for any expenditure in extra DO
lice service for the protection Of Automobiles
] believe Commissioner McAdoos plan Of lay
ing out certain routes is a good one but he
should arrange 10 police them every day in the
week. not on Sundays and holidays alone If
the protection is only provided for special days
the rioters VIII take advants sc Of the fact and
attack us week daVs"