Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-09-07
B0WERY NO AUTO SPEEDWAY
POLICE GATHER IN SPEEDERS TO
CHEERS OF CROWDS.
Machines, Big and Little, To and From
Race Tracks and Coney Island,
Chased and Caught

NEW YORK, September THE Bowery
was the scene last night of several
exciting automobile chases which rs-
suited In fifteen arrests before midnight
deputy Commissioner Bugher has been re-
ceiVing letters of late protesting that the
Bowery Is being used as a speedway for
automobiles and also saying that no at
tempt Is made to stop the nuisance even
In the hours when the Bowery is crowded
Commissioner Bugher decided to investi-
gate last night and picked Sergt. Casey to
do the work. Casey was ordered to pick
three Of the fastest bicycle men on the
force and take them TO the Bowery. Casey
took Policemen Pierce. Cunningham and
Gibson at o'clock and distributed them
from the Williamsburg bridge to Cooper
Square
Hold Up Expresses"
There has been keen competition of late
between the various sightseeing auto COM
panies to get their machines to Coney Is
land and to and from the race tracks in
the best time, and the consequence is that
all of the companies of late have been ad-
vertising express cars to the beaches and
the tracks.
Policeman Pierce had just taken his
stand last night when one of these so-called
expresses for Coney Island came whizzing
five miles an hour. Pierce arrested the
chauffeur, Otto Capen, and ordered him to
drive to the Mercer street police station.
There were about twenty-five persons on
the wagon at the time, and there being no
choice in the matter they also went along.
1t was nearly half hour before a bonds
man came to bail the chauffeur out and
meanwhile the sightseerS sat on top OF the
machine in front OF the station house and
tried to look unconcerned at the shouts
of the small boys
nt.ay hA D.,rx h, a
quickly that the raid was on. and a large
crowd lined the route to watch the fun and
cheer on the police with the cd Vanderbilt
cup race cry of car coming
Tom Johnson's Son Caught.
The second capture was big Panhard
car containing besides the chauffeur Mayor
Tom L. Johnson's son. who said that he
was here from Cleveland TO look at auto
mobiles. and was out for a demonstration
This car was picked up near the Williams
burg bridge and was speeding along at the
rate OF forty miles an hour. which gave
the police some hard work. the chase last
ing for eight blocks. Young johnson gave
500 cash bail for the chauffeur at the Mer-
street police station.
Bernard Goldstein, owner OF the palm
garden at $50 East jSth street In a
hurry TO get home from the race track and
his chauffeur was hitting 1t up the Bowery
at the rate of forty miles an hour when
the geeful spectators spotted another vic
tim and raised a cry to warn the police
The chauffeur OF the car looked puzzled
when he heard the cry, but remembered
that he was on the Bowery. and failed to
connect the cries with his own quick finish
Sergt Casey put an end to the chase In
short order and took this offender to the
station house, where another 500 was
added to the temporary bank account OF
the Mercer street station house
The spectators along the .Bowery didn't
have to wait long for arrests. as one car
followed another. Six arrests were made
in the first hour alone.
One big sightseeing car of a rival com
pany to that of the first car came into the
Bowery going at full speed.
This is the Bowery and" began the
barker
You are under arrest" finished Sergt.
Casey.