The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-02-28
HE COULD BEAT ANY
KID AT "BACKIN' UP"
Then Joaquin Backed SO Far
He Couldn't Get Back
FrOntwardS.
SYMPATHY? NOT FOR HIM
"Mc for the Station House,"
He said When "Old Marys"
Wiped His Eyes.

small boy with bright eyes ana
a tear stained face broke away from q
group OF women at l4Sth street and
Clinton avenue last night and spoke thus
to Policeman Gilligan:
Officer. kindly take me to the station
house These old Marys had the nerve
makes me sick may be lost, but
can't stand for women botherin'
around. Me for the station house"
At the station he ate a sandwich and
spun the following yarn:
lie was Joaquin Rodriguez Of 30s Pros
pcct avenue. Brooklyn, going on years
old. Willie swain. the boy who sits next
him In Public School 146. snarled at him
yesterday afternoon and said You're
just a kid. kin beat yuh backin' up."
WAT till after school and I'll take you
on, said Joaquin. So at 4 o'clock the
great backing up race began. From jerk
ing his head around to avoid running over
trucks ard men Joaquin got dizzy, but
kept on and on and gained on Willie
swain. They walked backward endlessly
through Brooklyn streets and finally came
: to the Brooklyn Bridge.
4, That's about four miles from Public
School l4e. but this Is Senior Joaquin.
story.
/ On the bridge he noticed for the first
time that Willie swain had been left 50
/ far behind that he wasn't in sight.
Joaquin kept on To- the Manhattan END
Of IN" bridge. intending 10 take the sub
/ way nome. But dizziness mads him fee.
! vahbly and he leaned against a pillar to
! rest Compassionate pilgrims irrita ted
| him with questions. but one Of them gave
| him a nickel for carfare and said. where
do you live?"
prospect avenue" said the exhausted
| athlete.
Come along In the subway with mo
and III take YOU there" the man sug
gested, They rode in the subway aud tho
/ hoy got ont at Prospect avenue-Ths
| Bronx. not Brooklyn. joaquin found him
self in foreign land. He shed "a tear OF
! two and the "od Marys" pestcred him
with their hanaterchiefs.
I'm no dumb OK" he said to Police
man Gilligan. I'm the smart-st boy IN
/ my class The teachers Miss Pierce. ASK
her, IL was dizziness maze me cry"
we can't believe you're awful
/ smart sand Lieut.. Powell taking paper
! from one of III" youngsters books. "Lets
+ hear YOU recite this poem"
Gimme start--thc first words"
Powell read the frs; two words.
whereon Joaquin recited without skip
/ or break The Captains Daughter" He
! food out in the middle Of the room with
I the police all around in circle and ges-
| turcd Ike Corse Payton as he recited the
| qua,ra'n:
Ru: his little daughter WHISPERED
AZ she took his icy hand:
| Isn't God upon the ocean
| Just the same as on the landf
| Good erough?' said Joaquin.
| You're sure great kid" said Lieut.
| Powell.
| policemen" said joaquin, 81 Ike you
am not a bit tired II you phone my
! father Just tell him | am going to sit NY
! talking with the cops TIL he gets here"
! Tine father. he said, is Louis Augustus
! Rodriguez, a cigar manufacturer in busi-
/ ness al 500 Fifth avenue. Brooklyn, with
a man OF the name OF Grapiercr.
That's "A funny name Joaquin told
reporters. so III spell II FOR you" which
! H. did.
! At midnight Joe was sim in the station
house talking with the cops and waiting
| for his father.