The Red Cloud chief., 1913-05-15
Former Red Cloud Boy
On New York Police Force

from Gus y. S0derDerR, former KeC
Cloud boy, who is now a member ol
the New York Police Department
Soderberg will be remembered bv q
large number of citizens here, although
1t has been about seven years since
he left here. He has been on the
police force OF New York City for
about five years, and has reached a
place where he is now drawing better
than sl00 per month, and writes as
though he was entirely satisfied with
his chosen work.
He states that there are some 10, 200
men on the force, aud to use his own
words, "they are for the most part, all
Of them honest aud fearless" He also
speaks Of an important arrest in
which he taken an active part, and
encloses copy Of The New York
Evening Telegram, which gives a de.
tailed account Of the arrest.
The clipping follows, and will prove
interesting reading:
Chased up the fire escape of the
building at No. 20 East Tenth street
amid rain Of bullets to which they
paid no heed, two alleged safe blowers
battled desperately with a lieutenant
and a policeman early today on roofs
extending along Tenth street and
Fourth Avenue. Several times when
the policemen had been felled near
the edge, they opened fire with their
revolvers on the men as they tried to
escape, but missed them. The two
were finally overpowered after being
knocked down with blows from the
butts Of the revolvcrs, on the roof of
the Elberon Hotel, at No. 75 Fourth
avenue.
The men, with another arrested
after chase over fences and a dis.
charge Of shots after him, were locked
up In the East Fifth street police sta.
ion on the charge Of blowing open the
'ix foot safe in the headquarters Of the
)loak and Skirt Workers Union, at
he East Tenth street address, and
mother in furniture store on the
'ecOnd floor. sticks OF dynamite,
lrills, two jimmies, storage batteries
md kit Of safe blowers tools were
ound near the safe, the big outer
loOr Of which had been blown open.
Lieutenant McCarrick and Police.
men Farrell and Soderbsrg chauced to
'e together early today at q relieving
post at Tenth street and Fourth Ave.
,ue, when they heard the muffied
'ound Of what seemed to be an ex.
,losiou.
THAT sounds like . safe being
said McCsrrick. "There's
'een lot Of that going ON lately.
Let's investigate"
They traced the sound to No. 70. on
he second floor Of which the Cloak
md Skirt Workers Union has its
headquarters. Knowing the way Of
thieves, they went to the rear, being
admitted to the yard OF No. n by the
proprietor OF lunch room. just as
they got there they saw three men
descending the fire escape. One was
near the bottom.
The three policemen lesped over the
fence. One OF the men in the mean,
time had reached the yard and was
over into No. 81. Farrell
fired . shot 10 halt him. The msu dis.
appeared over the fence. Acting on
an order from the lieutenant, Farrell
went In pursuit.
McCarrick and Soderberg sterted up
the fire escape after the other two,
who started to ascend to the roof the
minute they saw the policemen. he
fore McCarrick and Soderberg began
climbing up they each fired two shots
at the men in the hope ;of compelling
them to come down. They ignored
the shots.
The men were out Of sight when the
police reached the roof. After a
search lasting three minutes they
found them hiding under a water
tower on the roof OF the Elberon
Hotel. McCarrick and Soderberg GOV.
cred the two with their weapons and
ordered them to advance. They obey.
ed, but put up fight, The policemen
reluctant to shoot, withheld their fire
They struggled about the roof, fall.
ing and rising and clinching and break.
ing away. Often they were danger.
ously close to the edge. The battle
waged evenly until the two policemen
were knocked down. AS the men
started to run, each opened fire. The
tenants in the houses and the hotels
and hundreds OF persons in the street