New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-11-04
TWO JERSEY PATR0LMEN
FIGHT; BOTH MAY DIE
One Receives Four Bullets, but
Breaks Foeman's Skull with
Blow from Blackjack.
QUARREL'S CAUSE MYSTERY
West Hoboken Scene of Early
Morning Duel, but One Cop
Halls from Jersey City
Police Theories.

| Two patrolmen met in West Hoboken
and fought early yesterday morning
and as a result one of the men Is in the
North Hudson Hospital with two bull
let's in his abdomen, one bullet in the
back and fourth in the shoulder.
| The other man is in the same hospital
with fractured skull.
Stephen Costello, twenty-seven years
old, OF No. 1SS Ocean avenue, Jersey
City is attached to the Communipaw
avenue station there. and John Diet
rich, also twenty-seven years old, Of
Elm street, West HobOken, is a mem
Der of the force of that place. Costello
Is the man shot four times, and Diet
rich was his antagonist. The surgeons
told Costello last night he would die.
| but he declined TO make statement
regarding the affair. Dietrich, they
said. had a slight chance to recover.
Captain Walter Usher, of the West
Hoboken police, who has been making
an investigation since the fight, has
been unable to find out what started
the quarrel.
AS near as Captain Usher could gather
they met at Pslisade avenue and CoTt-
landt street, West Hoboken, shortly
before 3 o'clock yesterday morning.
Neither man was In uniform.
Dietrich tried TO arrest Costello, but
Costello resisted, and then Dietrich
pulled out blackjack and was about
to use it, when Costello grappled with
him, and in the scufiie which ensued
Costello got the weapon.
Dietrich then pulled out his revolver,
and Costello, hoping TO save his life,
struck him over the head with the
blackjack just as Dietrich fired the re-
volver. A second, third and fourth
shot rang out in quick succession, and
Costello dropped to the ground. Diet
, rich was able to get few feet away,
and then he, too, dropped, according TO
this version Of the fight.
Special Officer Lehrkinger, who was
attracted by the shots, ran up, and
found the patrolmen unconscious a few
feet apart on the sidewalk. He called
an ambulance from the North Hudson
Hospital, and the two wounded men
were rushed 10 that institution.
! They were revived at the hospital
| after considerable effort, and Captain
| Usher went there to learn what caused
the trouble He said Costello refused
to say anything about the affair, and
! that Dietrich. who seemed willing to
talk, could not, as the blow he re-
ceived on the head seemed to have
| paralyzed his tongue"
| The Jersey City police can throw no
| light on the affair. either. Costello was
! not on duty at that hour, and II was
| not known what he was doing in West
! Hoboken, or how long he had been
there before the shooting occurred.
Sergeant Copeland, OF West Hoboken.
said last night that Dietrich, before
he lost consciousness, told him the
| story Of the shooting.
According TO Copeland, Dietrich saw
a man trying TO get into the Mountain
House Cafe, on Palisade avenue. Diet
rich went UP to him. thinking he was a
! burglar, and demanded TO know what
he was doing there.
Costello told him it was none OF his
business, and was placed under arrest
! Costello put up fight, and Dietrich
pulled out his blackjack to use it,
Costello took 1t away from him, and
beat Dietrich over the head. Then
| Dietrich said. according 70 Copeland
he pulled his revolver and fired the
four shots.
As far as could be leafned from their
| friends the two patrolmen were stran-
gers. Costello's friends in Jersey City
did not believe the story that Costello
was trying 10 get into the cafe at that
hour Of the morning, and they insisted
that thorough investigation OF the
shooting be made and that nothing is
covered mp"