Los Angeles herald., 1908-07-19


signed to the West sixty-eighth Street
station His detail took in sxty-hrst and Sixty
Second Streets, between Amsterdam and West End
Avenues. There are worse beats in the city but not
many
Finertv's beat was in the heart of San Juan HILL
that sharp decliv1ty running from Columbus Avenue
IN the Hudson River and extending from Fifty
ninth Street to Sixty-ffth. When the Irish inhab-
tied the district it was called skinnersville but
when the negroes drove the former out in their
march northward the name changed to- Niger
Hill. Then came race riots and its present his
toric title.
It is recognized fact in San Juan Hill that the
negative colors, black and white do not blend well
and never will At all events the district is known
in police circles as dangerous good place for
peaceful citizen to forget.
The police commissioner knew his business and
CAPTAIN Hogan his duty when Finerty was assigned
his beat Finerty was only raw hand, but he was
far from being boy. God has seldom made sucn
man. Six feet four he stood in the bum ana
moved the scales at 22O pounds. You could not
have pinched thumbfu of fat on an ounce OF
those pounds Forty-eight inches would not span
his chest but the official measurer Tapped his mid
die with thirty-inch line. Finerty was built for
trouble.
The first day he stripped to the waist, upstairs
in the domitories to wash, he caused great deal
of discussion and no little bad feeling Plimmer was
sitting on cot, bulls wool sock with the usual
hole in the toe, in his hand. Plimmer was the
minimum height and weight exhibit of the force
a tight-faced, acid-tongued cockney "the top spit
of Whitechapel," he himself said with great vu-
garity and pride. He was former welter-weignt
champion of the Metropolitan police London. De-
spite his birth he good man, and his fellow
patrolmen did not hold his accent against him.
though it was as vlainous his face, for Plim-
rner could hit like the kick of seige gun and run
like Filipino general AS rule he was not en-
tbusiastic but when he saw Finerty's naked should
ers and chest eioquence caught him by the throat
my eye' he exclaimed, exctedIy wiping his
face with the bulls wool SOCK "Blime me- If 9
amt tremendous. e looks like Cleopatra's Nee
die. Wot a bloomn' eavy ed make. Ere, let
me feel O. your arm" He sprang off the cot and
laid experienced fingers on Finerty's huge BIZ
ceps At the command, Finerty grudgingly fexed
his muscles. He did not look gracious.
'"E amt muscle bound" cried Plimmer, as II
his mother-in-law had died unexpectedly "selp
me what show he'll make of the records at Sui
GERS Park next month. Els the very man we
wants"
''Yeh," nodded Craig epprovingly. "At tn ham,
mer an tn hfty-six pound weight He'll fill
long empty hole. We had man good
enough FIR them"
81 threw the weight twenty-nine feet three and
sne-half inches. yes" reminded Handsome
Schmidt from his ut vas last year."
"Ho, yuss, and come in a bloomin third
scoffed Plimmer. I'VE remember But ere" and
ne tapped Finerty's wide chest, 1--WE ave the gen
oone article. If this precinct don't win the cham
pionshp may l die bloom Dutchmani" and he
looked at Schmidt.
F1nerty spoke for the first time. His eyes were
on the floor
I'm goin' in no games," he said doggedly.
Pmmers eyes opened and his mouth shut. The
men stared. mo trainin' an no records FIR mine"
finished Finerty heavily.
Craig the first to recover Eyer TIL fttest
man." he said sourly II thing yer oughter FIR the
honor of tn house. 1t amt fair to have such
build an give us the go-by. On m sacred Sam it
amt
son me bIoomin' sacred Sam it amt" improved
Plimmer. "Wot ave you got against it? That's
no way to do. Amt you got no sportin' blood?
Are you goin' to your precinct licked by lot
of tykes?"
No, rr won't be at no games" said Finerty
sulIenly. His voice was determined
my eye," was all Plimmer could find to say.
The rest of the men disgustedly read the decision
in Finerty's sullen face. Plimmer was piousy
Jhunderstruck. my eye, with all your bloomn'
strength
BLOW m bloomin strength" growled Finnerty
reaching for his coat
my eye." said Plimmer again.