Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-12-04
Spectacular Rescue of Man
and Child in New York.
POLICEMAN'S DARING FEAT
Held by Legs From High Window,
Saving Man.
NEARLY FALLS TO THE STREET
Old South Street Landmark Blaze
Started by One Victim, Seaman,
Smoking in Bed.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
NEW YORK, December 4.-The sterling
qualities of the New York policeman that
have for generations made him stand out
as an example of courageous manhood to
all of his calling throughout the world
were further exemplified at an early hour
this morning during a blaze In a four
story brick tenement at 50 South street,
in which Mrs. Mary Braun, forty-three
years old: Elizabeth Braun, her daugh-
ter, three years old. and Joseph Ames, a
retired seaman, who boarded with the
Braun family. lost their lives, and Frank
Braun, jr., five years old, and Frank
Braun, fifty years old, were so badly
injured that their removal to the Hud-
son Street Hospital was made necessary.
The policeman who added another
chapter to the municipal history of heroic
deeds is Patrolman Louis Moses of the
John street police station. Moses, by
the most daring kind of feat, saved the
lives of Braun and his f1ve-year-old son,
who faced what seemed certain death.
AS evidence Of the hard work of Po-
liceman Moses in saving Braun and his
son, there Is a policeman's overcoat in
the John street station, the central seam
of which is ripped from the collar almost
to the bottom.
Jumped From Window.
With two other policemen holding to
the flaps Of his overcoat, Moses had
counted on it to hold him while he caught
Frank Braun, whom he told to jump from
the fourth-story window into his arms.
He was standing on window sill on the
third floor, leaning out two other police
men holding him in position with his
overcoat, which he had removed.
Braun weighs close to $50 pounds, and
when he fell into the arms Of Policeman
Moses the oyereoat began to rip. The po-
liceman could have saved himself by let
ting go of Braun, who would then have
fallen three floors to the ground, but he
held his grip, and as the overcoat parted
the two policemen inside seized the legs
of the policeman outside and held fast.
Both Moses and Braun fell head down
and hung there, the legs of the policeman
being held fast in the arms of his COM
pantons and the legs of Braun being free.
He WAS held only by the policeman's grip
about the waist. Others ran to the aid
of the policeman and while they held fast
to their companion Braun was seized by
the legs and dragged up into the window.
Then the policeman was likewise dragged
up and into the room.
Used Overcoat to Save Son.
Just before catching Braun Policeman
Moses had caught, by the same method of
using his overcoat, Frank Braun, jr., who
had been dropped to him by the father
on the floor above. In making this catch
the overcoat had proved strong enough to
hold the weight of both, and the child
was passed inside the window in safety.
The policemen who had assisted Moses
were Patrolmen Galligan and Foley.
AS soon as Braun was saved he began
to call for his wife and daughter, who, he
said. were burning up on the floor above.
There was no way to reach it as the
stairway was In flames and in this emer-
gency Policeman Foley made a success
full attempt to reach the floor, only to
find that he had come too late. Police
man Galligan. who was q heavy man,
stood out on the window sill of the third
floor while Foley, who was much lighter,
climbed up over his shoulders and got
hold of the window sill above. AS he be-
gan to pull himself in he was met by a
rush of flames and smoke and had to
drop back.
The tenement house in which the fire
occurred was an old South street land
mark. consisting of a saloon on the
ground floor and a tenement house on the
three floors above.
The fire was caused by Joseph Ames, a
retired seaman, who was burned to death
In the room where it originated. Ames
was in the habit of smoking his pipe after
going to bed, and it is thought that after
he fell asleep last night the pipe fell out
OF his mouth and set the bedclothes afire.