New-York tribune., 1907-08-05
NEARLY TORN TO PIECES
MOB TRIES TO KILL NAN.
Police Battle to SAFE Russian .Sus-
pected of 4ttem pied assault.

pectcd OF AUem pt6G Assault.
Thirty policemen fought a mob Of five hum
cred persons who tried to tear from their
clutches man suspected OF trying TO assault an
eight -year-od girl In the tenement house at No.
SH3 East 95th street early last evening Many
of them were fathers and mothers who have
been in constant fear since the recent outrages
IN the city began. When the police rescued the
man. battered and bleeding. every stitch of his
clothing. except his shoes and stockings. had
been torn from his body He taken TO the
station house covered with a blanket from the
patrol wagon.
The man who aroused the mob was George
Kestner, a. Russian. employed as bookbinder.
lie SAYS he is married and lives at No. PA East
-tith street Tenants of the house say. however.
that he has been seen lurking about the bioca
Tor several days, and that parents of children in
tl1e tenement house had been suspicious and
fearful of him He was taken to the Presby-
terrain Hospital after the mob,s attack. with
several scalp wounds and half dead from fright
and shock.
Sadie Hamberser, eight years old. who lives
the fifth floor OF the tenement house. the
girl whom kestner approached Her sister An
lie. year younger. was playing with her. and
gave the alarm.
Joseph Coniey. a laborer. OF No S57 East 95th
street: Henry Heideman. of No 1867 Second
avenue. and Charles Sors. of No 1923 First
avenue were arrested after kestner was rescued
cn charges Of interfering with an officer in try
ins 70 prevent the arrest Of kestner They re-
ceiyed scalp wounds. and after they had been
dressed were locked up in the East sSth street
station.
The outbreak highly excited the neighborhood
and =hoWed. the police agreed. that the nerves
cf Parents in the vicinity edge since the
death Of Viola Boylan further uptown and many
like ouJrages in the city and that the attempt
10 lynch kestner was only a logical outcome of
this state OF feeling under the circumstances
Sadie and Annie playing in the hall on
the fifth floor, just outside the door, which was
closed. The father. Harry Hamberger pow
erfuI man, who works in lumber Hafo' was
inside with his wife
Then Kestner. the little girls say. came stink
ing up the stairs He grabbed Sadie's arm. and
said SO she told sfterward:
come here little girl; come with me
Sadie screan med and tried 10 free herself from
.be mans crasp She saws she had seen him
before. Annie, who was nearer the door
screamed. too. and ran into the fat 70 her
father.
There's a bad man outside who's grabbed
Sadie" she said
Hamburger. followed by his frightened wife
rushed TO the door. Kestner let go Of Sadie ana
started hack downstairs Hamburger jumped
after him and caught him by the neck at the
top landing. Shouting curses at him Ae started
70 drag nestner who was wriggiing about ana
screaming for mercy. doHn the stairs Al every
step Hamterger struck the man in the face
The fathers cries aroused the whole house
Fror7, every fat on its six floors poured out
fathers and mothers and older brothers. all OF
whom had been worried over the recent out
rases against children the East Side Nheh
-her learned why Hamburger was beating
kestrer there a rush for him. Al every
landing men and women sought to get at MN
an6 add their blows 10 those which the 1alher
wHs landing on him. in moment his clothes
mad been off
% ~E |,
10 take him 10 Second avenue and throw him
under cer. 4Iamberger kept on dragging MN
70 the door and the steps, kestner, with A
sonvuIsive effort. managed to squirm free
Nothing was left on his body except his SHOES
and d few rags Of his underclothi2g He ran
AWAY from the door and the crowd in the street
and the nearby avenue Joined the mob from
the house.
Patroln7an william Walsh, Of the East ssth
street station. Kestner run out Of the door
wav He grabbed him, while Hamberger ana
his fellow tenants we're showering blows on the
stasse-ing bleeding and half dead Russian
Then Conley. Heidenan and Sorg took hand
IN the proceedings, for IL is general principle
in this district 10 Try To prevent policeman
IRON taking a prisoner TO the station
Walsh managed rap for assistance Three
o. four policemen soon Joined walsh. The
crowd still tore at Kestner to get him away
rom Walsh. and Coney, Heideman and Sorg.
who had before sought to get kestner away
ron Walsh just because Walsh was a police
man ioined the others in trying 10 make mnce-
meat q him. Some found rope, and the
crowd shouted that Kestner ought to be hanged.
But Walsh and his companions stood around
kestner and held him.
Word then reached the SSth street station.
The fourth rlatoon thirty strong. the
floor before the lieutenant's desk, ready TO q"
duty. Sergeants McAvoy and McCrohan
rushed them 10 the scene. in patrol wagons ana
IA foot. They broke up the mob. ana rescued
kestner from probable death
ConIey. HeideTnan and Sorg denied any sym
pafflv for Kestuer. and the crowd seemed 10 be
heye them Kestner was nearly senseless and
heeding from the cuts on his head