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 Gorfllawise -POlice Clubs Win
However and Bellevue Gets Him.

Fights G0rillawtse-POlice Clubs Win
However and Bellevue Gets Him.
Word Of strange doings In the back yards
near Forty-second street and Eleventh
avenue got about soon after midnight
yesterday. Some said that 1t was man,
and some called 1t a monkey, and some
OF the excited neighbors made 1t out to be
a whole troop Of apes The thing was
skipping from fence to fence, the neigh
bors said; 1t was climbing clothespoles,
running out on clotheslines, hurting 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 fence
rolled a big black figure. Without break
1t Skinned UP a clothespole 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 1t
was negro, big as house and coal black.
1t was either a climbing drunk or plain
lunacy. Allen called for reserves. Three
men waited on Eleventh avenue while
three charged. The negro took fight.
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-seventh street station
1t was a question whether he was insane or
drunk. He had come to by that time and
was muttering and singing In a 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. and, proceeding on
the drunk theory the police heaved him
into a 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 drunks.
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 negro's 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 whimpering, aching
babies by court time.
Dorsch peered through the cell door
There was no one in sight. He. cal led
No one answered. He unlocked the door
and stepped inside, The place seemed to
be empty. Dorsch went cold all over.
There had been an escape and he was re-
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 a
whale Of a man, with barrel chest and
he Just stood Watching the doorman as
cat watches a mouse. Dorsch started to
sidle toward the door. The negro made
lust 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 q thumb and finger on his
throat and pressed tight
Dorsch thinks that they. lay that way
for full minute. Three times he started
to fight. Each time the negro put another
pound into that grip. and Dorsch. up against
a man of three times his own strength, re-
Suddenly the maniac began talking to
himself in Spanish He loose ed his grip
on the doorInans throat and dumped him
like a wheat sack on the cell bench. Dorsch
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! drunk
in the next cell was bowling at the top OF
his voice for help. and a dozen reserves were
loaflng about the station outside. But the
drunks In police station are always yaP-
ping and the reserves, chatting over their
morning cigars, only remarked that they
were keeping it up rat her 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 his
big hands into his uniform c at and pulled
The whole front of the coat came away.
Laughing to himself, the negro ripped off
a sleeve and threw. 1t into the corner.
trouser leg fpoTed S he to Oh wool tear
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.
ping the cloth to pieces. His eyes turned
away from Dorsch for 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 t, tear his shirt up, ribbon by
ribbon.
Out by the sergeants desk Patroman
Goetzger was getting impatient They
were already late to court.
George is an alfred long time getting
those drunks out, he said to the sergeant
So he sauntered back into the jail
A dozen DRINKS were bowling for help
Goetzger ran down the corridor until he
came TO an open cell 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 Dorsch, 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,
lust as the reserves, who had been called
out by the d lapidated Dorsch, ran in.
Reid was dubbed into quieecence and re-
covered in a stratjacket. with a 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 sore windpipe.
And what were you thinking about all
that timer" they asked when they patched
him UP. :,
Il was thinking like this, and it's Gods
truth" said the doorman: IF / ever get
out it'll be a long time before l miss mass
again to go fishing
PAINE ADMIRERS BALKED.