The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-07-05
THE HUMAN ROOSTER
GLOSS NEARLY DROWNED
HIMSELF IN FEATHERS.
Almost, Dies from Fright After Acct
dentally Pulling an Alarm of Fire.
Humor in Court.

The usual ira ic and judicial air of
a police court was relieved this MORN
ing by a touch of humor when the case
Of William Gloss, of So High street,
charged with sending in a false alarm
of fire yesterday was brought up in the
Third Precinct before Judge Howell.
When the case was explained, the
to keep from Laughing. Judge Howell
discharged the man, who seemed near
~ dead from fright.
1t was curiosity that caused Lots
wife to ru~bberneck to see how the fire
department was handling the blaze in
the municipalities of Sodom and Co.
morrah many years ago, with the re-
suit that'her husband made a corner in
salt, and 1t was the same human fail
ing that caused William Gloss to mon
key with private box No. 319 in the
feather factory of Robinson & Roeder,
at the corner of East Mechanic street
and New Jersey Railroad avenue at
2:20 p. m. yesterday, with the result
that he nearly converted himself into
a bunch of feathers. The man Is em-
ployed at the plant, and was left there
yesterday TO patrol the building and
watch out for fires. Becoming lone
some, he looked for amusement, and
opened the bright red box to see 'if 1t
was loaded and he told the judge,
through the court interpreter this
morning, that he found 1t was.
An alarm from a private box calls
for more engines and more speed than
-. ~ Ardff,aV-r -aon and ar6ota thu man
saw the engines dashing madly down
the street. and booted. h~uge-natted,
fierce looking men pounding at the door
he became paralized with fright for the
moment. Thinking that he was still in
Russia and that the firemen were the
cossacks, come to battle in his gore, he
scurried like a rabbit to the first floor
and love into a huge DOB twenty feet
deep, filled with feathers, and a
through the feathers to the bottom.
Finding an opening in the bottom of
the box. Gloss crawled into a wheel
used for shaking up he feathers, and
was found there two hours later by De-
tective Mcconnell, of the Third Precinct,
nearly s~uffocated, dripping with sweat
ana covered with feathers until he
looked like a huge rooster.
Observation-Disclosures exclaimed Nc
Connel as he dragged the object out of
the wheel. but refused to respond to
his pleasantly. Maybe you're not an
Irish or American chicken pursued
the detective. and the fuzzy figure,
staggering with weakness and fright,
fell on its knees and exclaimed "Shari-
vitisch ~hunosligli brakaikinisai full
scharivisch."
McConnel's hair stood on end, but he
was game and exclaimed as he pulled
the trembling object to Its feet, Il don't
know what you are saying, but it is a
lie if it is anything like 1t sounds"
and, followed by an admiring throng
of patriotic youths firing a fusilade of
shots, he led the imitation rooster to
the Third Precinct, where, after the
coating of feathers was removed, a.
small and extremely frightened man,
unable to say a word. was revealed. A
friend of The prisoner arrived at the
station soon after and deposited 500
for his appearance In court this morn
ing, and he left the station house with
a gang of youngsters following him
offering him corn and calling Here
chick, chick. chick"
Battalion Chief Morgan.was on hand
this morning, and after hearing the
case thought that it was a mistake,
and did not prefer a charge against
Gloss. The chief stated that when the
bremen got in the building yesterday
they searched it from top to bottom
without finding either a fire or an oc-
cupant, and c~omplimented Mcconnell
on his ability in discovering the man
in time to save him from smothering
himself TO death.