New-York tribune., 1908-04-04
TWO POLICEMEN FIGHT
ONE DYING FRON POUND.
Other Locked Up-Tragic Mistake
an Street Brd1cl.

A desperate fight between two members of the
Police Department at 50th street and Ninth ave-
nue. late yesterday afternoon caused much ex-
citement in the neighborhood and ended with
one man being taken to Roosevelt Hospital in "a
dying condition with a bullet in his abdomen
and the other being locked up in the West 4Ith
street station charge of assault.
Many conflicting stories told in reference
to the case and a searching investigation is
being made by Inspector Walsh, in command of
the district The men who engaged in the fight
were Patrolnan James Bresnahan tWentysix
wears old of No $40 West 49th street attached
TO the West 18th street station, and Sergeant
James c. Nerney. thirty-three years old, OF No
216 West 1O5th street. attached TO the bicycle
squad Of the 7th Inspection District. Bresna
han is the one in the hospital
Six witnesses of the shooting were found by
the police and taken to the West 41th street
station. There they were examined by Inspector
Walsh and Deputy Assistant District Attorney
Svmonds In the test lony of one Of them, an
eighteen-year-old boy. William Nestor, was
found the innocent cause of the shooting of
Rresnahan.
Nestor. who was cIoseted for four hours with
Inspector Walsh and Mr.. Symonds. said that
with q number of other boys he was standing in
front of No :}-4 West 10Th street, when Bres-
nahan came along in plain clothes and ordered
him away. Nestor said he argued with Bres-
nahan, who drew his blackjack and beat him
with it. Nestor showed marks of some blunt in
strunent on the head and cheek
Nestor said Bresnahan started to walk away
when the hov called after him. This ansered
Rresnaban who gave chase. following the lad to
10Th street and Eighth avenue. 1t was there
that Nerney, who was also in plain clothes, got
off mis- wheel and asked Henry Yacht, a. boy liv-
ing at No $40 Eighth avenue what the trouble
was
Nerney said he told Bresnahan. who was -four
ishine a blackjack. that he was policeman.
He said that Rresna han hit him the left side
of the face with his blackjack. knocking him to
the street Then Nerney said he drew his re-
yoIver and fired one shot at the ground. Bres-
nahan he said, stopped over him and hit him
again Then he fired at Bresnahan.
Pa.-Olnan Hayes, of the West 18th street
station in plain clothes also came up on the
RIM He recognized Bresnahan brother
officer. and started for Nerney
lam police officer" said Nerney, and here
is my shield"
well, this man is a policeman too said
Hayes.
This is a terrible thing said Nerney. L
didn't know that he was an officer"
Az the crowd closed in and grew threatening
>-arne,, nointed his revolver it. and with
14aves kent il back until Patrolman Wander
nool in uniform and on duty at that post came
along
An ambulance hurriedly summoned from
THbseyelt Hospital and the injured man taken
there where it was said that he would probably
die Nerney was taken to the station house
and locked up on the charge of felonious assault.
Rresnahan, in the hospital, was also booked as a
nrisoner under the same charge.
# was thought at first that the shooting might
of an old feIld bet tween the
~ men lint witnesses of the affair bear out
Nerney's story that It was case of each think
inc, the other was trying to assault him. Ner-
nev was appointed to the force in 1876, while
t,reenahan has been patrolman only few
p,ontbs having been appointed on February 4.
1ooS The latter is big fellow. standing over
civ fee, while Nerney is much smaller