Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1908-01-16
Three Prisoners Turn on WatChmen
MCDermott and Mansfield and
Succeed in Escaping.
MURDEROUS ASSAULT WITH AXE
Running Fire From Revo|vers Caus-
eS WatChman Mansfield to
Have a Narrow Escape.

That Special. Policeman James Nc
Dermott, of the Lehigh Valley rail-
road was not killed last night, when
he was struck on the head with a
hatchet by one of the three men
whom he and Watchman James Mans
, field had arrested in the Lehigh Val
ley upper yards, was DE only to the
fact that he was wearing a heavy stiff
hat.
McDermott was hit on top of the
head and the blow was so hard that
the hat was crushed as If 1t was made
of paper and the officer was rendered
unconscious.
Because of the strike of the freight
handlers and stevedores on the docks,
the watchmen have been doing extra
duty at night under command of Nc
Dermott, and last night about IL
o'clock, as the special policeman and
Watchman Mansfield went up to the
main office from the freight docks,
they were notified from the office that
the brakemen would not work be-
cause the strikers had gathered in
groups around the yard and were
shooting revolvers and throwing
heavy stones at them every time q
car passed.
Early in the evening the strikers
gathered in the yard and a number
of them were armed with revolvers,
while others had pi res of coal or
stones. Whenever ./'coal car went
by, the shots and stones would be
sent flying after the railroad men,
and the trouble finally reached such
point that the brakemen quit work
and refused to handle any more cars,
for fear that they would be killed or
badly injured.
McDermott and Mansfield started
through the upper yard to see II they
could get any of the trouble makers.
They found groups of men at differ
ent places but they scattered as soon
as the officers appeared. The officers
came to group of three, and one of
them, according to the officers, was
armed with revolver, while another
had hatchet and club, and the third
was throwing stones.
The three men were arrested, and,
as they were being taken to police
headquarters, they showed fight
The man with the gun pulled it and
fired at Mansfield, and the watchman
returned the fire. For few seconds
shots rang out fast, but no one was
hit. The man with the club made a
rush for McDermott, while the third
man ran away. McDermott finally
got the club away from the fellow
and was using 1t to good effect on
the striker, when the prisoner pulled
hit the special policeman q stunning
blow on the head.
In the meantime Mansfield had
Ufu oh of NIB IN
had escaped from him, and shots
were fred by the fleeing man, and the
watchman, but the fellow managed
to get over the high board fence. The
man with whom McDermott had the
fight sneaked off in the darkness, leav-
ing the officer sense1ess. Early this
morning while McDermott was MAX
ing a. trip to the deport in New Bruins
wick avenue, he found out that the
three men who had escaped from
them had gone into house on Stock
ton street, and that they might be
caught If someone went after them
One Prisoner Under Bonds.
Although suffering from the blow
on the head, McDermott decided to
try to recapture the men, and he call
up police headquarters and Sergeant
Mulligan detailed Patrolmen Kozus-
ko, Tonneson and Andrew Jensen to
assist the watchman The policemen,
some watchmen, and force of rail
road brakemen went to the Stockton
street house and, after a thorough
search, Patrolman Jensen arrested a
man whom McDermott thought have
been one Of the three. He was taken
to police headquarters and searched.
A loaded revolver was found on him,
and he was locked up for the night.
This morning the man gave his
name as Joseph Kuplenzt, of q
: Stockton street, and said he was an
Insurance agent In the employ of the
Colonial Life Insurance Company. He
denied knowing anything about the
trouble, but 1t is thought that he
knows more than he will admit.
His face was cut, as If he had been
struck. He said he did not know
how he was hurt. Recorder Pickers-
gill held him in $1,000 bail for the
grand Jury, on charge of carrying
a loaded revolver.
The men who went out on strike