The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-12-09

The Noises OF the Machine Made COmlsk
Weary OF Life and He sought COmpan
for the Dark Journey -sWeatsbOp Vie
tim IL Clubbed and sent TO Bellevue
John Comisky the stitcher heard agar
on Friday night the voices of the machine
the big purring rumble Of the wheel thai
goes around and around seemingly forever,
the Iisping whisper Of the shuttle and the
suffering whimper Of the bObbin. John
Comisky knew that when the voices Of the
machine would not leave him alone he go,
bad, so he went out onto the streets and
walked shivering through all the hours oi
the night.
Still the humming Of the voice followed
him. He got bad, as he knew he would,
40 when he met Policeman Alfred Seelick
OF the Mercer street station standing in
front of a store at o. West Thirteenth street
the stitcher drew a revolver from under his
coat and began shooting at the policeman.
The stitcher trembled from the cold as
he Ievelled his pistol and the voices roaring
in his ears caused his whole body to shake.
He sauatted down on the pavement and
rested his pistol hand on the crook of his
supported elbow.
His first shot sped over the head Of the
policeman. The second struck him just
above the kidney as he was whirling around.
but the heavy overcoat and the thickness
OF clothing underneath softened the force
OF the bullet. A third bullet raked the
flesh along the p~oliceman's left side.
Big Al Seelick did not stop when he was
hit. but drew his revolver in turn and fired
two shots over the head of the squatting
figure on the sidewalk as he ran toward it.
Then Comiskv Jumped up and aimed at
Seelick's heart. He fired. but SeeIick's
| suspender buckle stopped the bullet.
Comisky stood trembling.
The policeman swung his club and
stretched the little man out on the side
walk. Then he raped with his night
stick. Anothel policeman ran up and
| the two Of them half carried, half dragged
! the limp form Of the stitcher 10 the corner,
where Policeman Rainey rang for the New
York Hospital ambulance.
When they took their prisoner to the
station house he had recovered partly
from the blow OF Big AIS nightstick.
st was the voices" said Comisky when
the serReant asked him why he had fired.
ALWAYS hear the voices talking to me
and telling me 10 get away from life. ]
wanted 10 get away from life when ] heant
the voices talking 10 me all the time. /
thought the policeman wanted 20 do so
too. so 1 thought ] would kill him and take
him along with me
Hes nuts said Sergeant Ereen, Ring
ND Bellevue and take him along"
So they took John Comisky the stitcher
TO the p~sychopathic ward. where he now is,
awaiting examination "A TO his sanity,
Before removing their prisoner TO Bellevue
the police looked through his pockets. They
found a number Of pay envelopes with
the figures Representing the hard price u
labor az the stitching machine marked
on the outside. here were bits Of paper
with the addresses Of sweatshop bosses
scrawled on them in Yiddish. A clipping
from n newspaper containing "A poem en-
titled The Question" written by "A news
pager poet, was folded awny in a pocket
book.
There are three sweatshops on Hester
street az viii Oh John Comisky IL known.
He has worked in all three places and been
discharged from each because he was
wrong" in the head and often heard things
when he should be turning the hem Of
n~eckbands.
One OF the losses slouched out into the
light yesterday and told what he knew of
this John Comisky who heard voices. 500?
He had shot a policeman? Well, the boss
vas not surprised; he knew that Comisky