The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1911-07-16
CAR ROWDIES MEET WATERLOO
WOMEN ~ PANIC on FORT
GEORGE CAR.

Lieut.. Becker. Assigned to stamp Out
Rough Neck Evil. Sails Into Youths
and Gets Away with N-Reserves
Rush to Scene Four Arrests Made.
Police Lieutenant Charles Becker is
tall and broad shouldered and rather pre-
fers to mix in when somebody starts some-
thing Lieut.. Becker. who is attached to
Headquarters and is head OF the strong
arm squad" selected to try to stop the
car rowdies. was sitting peacefully in a
trolley car coursing south in Amsterdam
avenue from Fort George about Q o'clock
last night. The car was crowded with
women and children. Lieut. Becker had
seat near the middle Of the car.
At l88th street and Amsterdam avenue
John Dunn of 1927 Glenmore avenue.
East New York. James McGovern Of l34s
ST. Nicholas avenue, George Brown OF
l72 West ltlst street and George Graham
OF l47 West l4lst street climbed aboard
the car. At l6ath street one Of the quar-
tette. who had been talkative. proffered
a quarter to Conductor John Saunders.
Saunders offered the young man his
nickel change.
Don't take it. Make him ring il up
suggested one Of the cutups. The con-
ductor refused TO ring up a fare for
an imaginary passenger. whereupon one
OF the four men punched him in the jaw
Following this the youths three com
panions joined him in stepping on the
conductor!
Lieut. Becker unkinked six feet and some
inches of himself and arose gladly. He
was starting in TO help the conductor
when he saw panicstricken women trying
TO climb out of the windows of the car
which was bowling south at good speed.
Becker yelled to the women and children
not to jump and then he made a jump
himself into the fight.
The four men had pushed Conductor
Saunders toward the rear door of the car
and had smashed him against the glass
so savagely that his hand and wrist were
badly cut and one finger was almost
severed The motorman. John Degnon,
had grabbed his controller in the mean
time and pressing his way back through
the panicstricken women started in with
Lieut. Becker to save the conductor and
the day
The car all the time was rolling rapidly
southwark and the screams and yells
coming from it emptied all the shops
along Amsterdam avenue onto the side
walk A the car was approaching l5Sth
street the motorman ran ont and slowed
down tne car. Az looth Street small
hoy who had been trying to work his way
out of a window succeeded and fell to
the street His mother frantically in
sisted upon having the car stopped SO
that she could go to her boy and the speed
was slackened enough tn permit her to
jump safely from the forward platform.
There's a police station at Amsterdam
avenue and l52d street. The yells and
fighting emptied the police station of
six reserves lust as the car was stopped
there. There wasn't great deal for the
six to do. Lieut. Becker had done it
just before the car was stopped the four
youths had started forward in the car
to kill the motorman.- Lieut.. Becker
blocked the way and at the forward door
he beat the four to fraZzle.
Cars were stalled for eight or ten blocks
back of the fight while Becker was sub
DUNG the last Of the rough necks Becker
and the ak reserves unloaded four en-
sanguned. black eyed. bedraggled young
men and after Conductor Saunders had
been patched up at the police station
by All ambulance surgeon everybody
concerned started for the night court