The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-07-05
BIG AFRICAN IN JUNGLE MOOD.
DOES TREE TRICKS on CLOTHES
POLES, MUTTERS SPANISH.
Captures Policeman and Tears His Clothes
to Ribbons, Strips Himself Naked and
Fights GOrillawise Police Clubs Win
However and Bellevue Gets Him.


avenue got about soon after midnight
yesterday. Some said that 1t was a man,
and some called 1t monkey. and some
Of the excited neighbors made 1t out to be
whole troop of apes. The thing was
skipping from fence to fence, the neigh
bors said; 1t was climbing clothespoles,
running out on clothesines, hurling itself
against windows and breaking the peace
and dignity Of Forty-second street.
Policeman Allen got position In back
window on Forty-second street and watched.
Presently there was a sound OF chattering
in a strange language, and over a fence
rolled big black figure. Without break
1t Skinned up cothespole and sat at
the top singing. 1t poised itself for a
moment and swung eight feet through
the air to another pole. This brought the
figure into the light, and Allen saw that it
was a negro, big as house and coal black.
1t was either climbing drunk or plain
lunaoy Allen called for reserves. Three
men waited on Eleventh avenue while
three charged. The negro took flight.
Swinging from pole to pole, he escaped
into Eleventh avenue and bumped into
the waiting squad OF three. The fight
which followed was lively but short-two
black fists against three clubs, They put
him down and out. got the handouts on
him and heaved him into the wagon.
At the West Forty street station
1t was question whether he was insane or
drunk. He had come to by that time and
was muttering and singing In tongue
which the police managed to classify as
Spanish. The sergeant booked him as
Anthony Reid because that did Just as
we'll as any other name, md. proceeding on
the drunk theory, the police heaved him
into cell and locked him up. For time
he shook the bars and sang at the top OF his
voice. Gradually he Gained down. They
thought that he had gone to sleep with the
rest OF the DRINKS.
At o'clock yesterday morning PATROL
man Goetzger prepared to take the over
night arrests to court. He called the name
Of Anthony Reid, and Doorman. Dorsch
started for the negroes cell to call him out.
No one seemed to remember that the negro
had been violent the night before Any
way. these crazy DRINKS Of the midnight
hours are usually whmpering. aching
babies by court time.
Dorsch peered through the cell door.
There was no one in sight; He called,
No one answered. He unlocked the door
and stepped inside. The place seemed to
be empty porsch went sna ia all &c. over ea
sponsible And just then he heard. hard
breathing behind him. He wheeled, and
went cold again.
Tight in the corner. his shape hardly
distinguishable against the black bars, was
the negro prisoner, stark naked, He was
whale Of a man, with barrel chest and
arms like an apes. He made no move;
he Just stood watching the doorman as
cat watches a mouse, Dorsch started TO
sidle toward the door. The negro made
just one jump Of it and was on the police
man. Dorsch let out a yell as he went
down. 1t came near being his last noise,
for the negro got thumb and finger on his
throat and pressed tight
Dorsch thinks that they lay that way
for full minute Three times he started
pound into that grip, and Dorseh up against
q man of three times his own strength, re-
laxed and lay quiet waiting for an opening
Suddenly the maniac began talking to
himself in Spanish. He looeened his, grip
on the sdoorman' 8 throat and dumped MN
did not make the mistake Of shouting
this time. All his attention was on the cell
door, which swung ajar, If some one
would only come in by accident! A drunk
in the next cell was bowling at the top OF
his voice for help. and dozen reserves we're
loafins about the station outside, But the
drunks in police station are always zap
ping, and the reserves, chatting over their
morning cigars, only remarked that they
were keeping II up rather late. Dorsch
knew that; he knew also that his only chance
lay in keeping still, playing for time and
waiting for chance help
Deliberately the negro planted his knee
on the doorman's chest, hooked one OF l. Ia
big hands into his uniform C at and pulled,
The whole front Of the coat came away.
Ii ~ inn NfT
a sleeve and threw 1t into the corner, A
trouser leg followed, the oJgh wool tear
ing as though it had been cambria. After
that he seemed to take some new notion
into his crazy head, for he jumped back
into the corner Of the cell and began rip,
away from Dorsch for a minute; the door
man gathered himself and jumped at the
door
1t was a game Of cat and mouse. The
black held the door with one big arm, swept
Dorsch back with the other and fell on him.
Dorsch yelled and had his wind shut
off again. The negro sat down on his chest
and began to tear his shirt up ribbon by
ribbon.
Out by the sergeants desk Patrolman
Goetzger was getting impatient lhey
were already late to court.
George is an alfred long time getting
those DRINKS out, he said to the sergeant.
So he sauntered back into the Jail
A dozen drunks were bowling for help.
Goetzger ran down the corridor until he
came to an open coll door. He stepped in
and was hit amidships by 200 pounds of
black. Goetzger reeled back, smashed out
with his club and stopped the charge. And
out Of the door shot Dorsoh, bloody, stag
gering and draped in the tatters of what
had been clothes.
The negro jumped back TO the end Of the
corridor and snatched up a fire shovel,
Just as the reserves, who had been called
out by the d lapidated Dorsch, ran in.
Reid was dubbed into quiescence and re-
covered in straitjacket, with. sheet
thrown in for decency. He was hurried to
Bellevue.
They found his clothes, down to the last
stitch, all neatly folded under the bench.
Dorsch got first aid for Is. 2 sore windpipe ~
And what we're you thinking about al
him up. :.
Il was thinking like this, and it's Gods
truth said che doorman; III | ever get
again TO 90 fishing"