Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-08-18
GLIMpsEs OF MARTY KEEsE.
New York City Halls Famous Janisor
Who Arrested Boss Tweed.

view YORK lily r1aiiS Famous vauttor
Who Arrested Boss Tweed.
Martin j. Reese. who recently died
In Long Island City ut the age of sew
enty-two, was janitor and custodian
of the city hall ut New York for TWEEN.
ty-eight years.
Marty Reese MS the aged janttor
of the city hall has beer known to
mayors, aldermen, politicians and
newspaper men who have come and
gone there for more than quarter Of
century had most interesting his
tory.
For nearly ten years he ran with the
old volunteer fircmcn. fought through
tho civil war with the Ellsworth fire
zouaves and saw the gallant colonel
of that organization shot He was
himself wounded at the battle of Bull
Run. AS deputy sheriff he arrested
Connolly and guarded the latter in his
incarceration In Ludlow street jail. lie
enlisted in the famous Walker fllibus.
tering expedition. was one OF the first
three men to walk over the Brooklyn
bridge and stood guard before the
stand on which General Butler md
Horace Greeley spoke In City Hall
park.
The old jnnitor always took great
delight in telling of his Joining the
Walker expedition. He and several
of his friends attended n meeting in
the Bowcry thcntcr one night. at
which General Walker spoke. They
became SO enthused with his account
of the possibilities of his venture that
they enlisted on the spot. On the
w6y down the bay when the expedi-
ton started Marty and his compan-
ions bubbled over with the fun of the
thing and made so much disturbance
and played SO many tricks on the boat
that they We're put ashore at Sandy
Hook. ut was in January, and 1t took
us three days to get home. but never
have been sorry that they put us off
the boat" he would say. He also al
ways congratulated himself, with good
faring experience. He was engaged to
fill vacancy on the steamship Pacific
| and had gone on board when the man
whose place he was to fill turned up.
Reese was told that he would not be
wanted He went ashore much disap-
pointed The boat sailed and was new
err heard of again.
The pension question was always a
! sore spot to Reese. A man who knew
of his having been wounded in the
war asked him with surprise once why
he had never applied for pension.
'fWhy should II" the old man replied
| II have always been Disguised with
the number Of undeserving people who
receive pensions. Do you realize that
the amount of money already spent by
the country in pensions exceeds the
cost Of the WARP"
One day Reese was asked what was
the most exciting scene he ever saw in
City Hall park. "The Greeley Butler
meeting" he replied promptly. III
was Just after the war. and the people
were very excitable. There was big
crowd, and the police and we deputies
were out in full force. The people
heard Greeley through all right, but
when Butler got up he was Kissed and
hooted, and we looked for serious trou
BILE. Several missiles were thrown or
| to the platform, and one Of them, y
sound apple. struck on the table be
side which the general was standing
He Instantly picked it up, took out his
knife and peeled, halved, quarteret
and ate 1t, coolly waiting for the dis
turbance9to die down. have Away,
thought that act saved his life. wal
told later that there were several mer
IN the crowd with revolvers who hat
come to the meeting to kill the gen
eral. His GOODNESS completely VOL
over the crowd, however"