New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-10-07
Two Detectives
And Thug w age
Battle i'm Lake
Man-to-Man Encounter in
Bronx Park Follows Due!
With Automatics, and
Three Escape Unscathed
All Are Taken to Hospital
Victim of Hold-up Gives
Alarm to Officers Hunting
Highwaymen i'll Auto

Detectives William F. Fallon and
Arthur Johnson. of the Bronx Park
police station, met some friends yes
tcrday who had an automobile and de-
cided to ride around the park and look
for hold-ups. To their astonishme mt
and that Of their friends. they really
came across one.
They we're at the north end of the
park when they saw commoton in
the bushes near Goldfish Lake and
from the agitated underbrush emerged
Thomas j. Dudgeon, of 249 East 203d
Street, also agitated. Dudgcon ran
toward the automobile shouting that he
had been robbed Of a watch and chain
and S20.S9.
Pointing to three men who stood
watching his mancuvers in an inter
rested manner. Dudgeon said that they
were the men who had robbed him.
Detective Johnson jumped out of the
automobile and started for the three
men, who were only about fifty feet
away, on the edge Of an embankment
overlooking the lake.
Duel With Kevolvers
At the approach Of the detective, two
Of the three alleged footpnds fed. Tho
third, who was six feet five inches tall
and later said he was Benedict Cos
tello, of 649 Crescent Avenue, the
Bronx, stood his ground and drew an
automatic ristol.
He opened fire when Johnson was
only twenty-five or thirty feet .away.
hut ici Il 40 ala
all his bullets over the detectives
head. Johnson likewise drew an au-
tomato and began shooting also
misjudging the elevation, and sending
seven bullets into the bluff on the
edge of which Costello stood.
After the seventh shot Johnson's
weapon jammed Costello had fired
only two or three times and undoubt-
eddy had several shots III reserve
Johnson thought fast and deciding
that goldfish were preferable to bull
let's, dropped as though wounded and
rolled down the bank and into the
lake.
Costello started cautiously down the
surface, but Johnson had firm grip
on the lily pads and his adversary's
attention was distracted in moment
by Fallon, who began shooting from
the automobile and then rushed him
Fallon's shots went wild and those
with which Costello replied merely
splintered the seat Of the car.
In a moment Fallon and Costello
were in handto-hand struggle at
the edge of the lake. Dudgeon took
to his heels, and the detectives friends
in the car sped away to hunt for moro
policemen. Johnson, bursting with re-
pressed breath and shaking himself
free of water and goldfish like a New
foundland dog, rose from his ambush
and joined in the fray, beating Cos
tello on the head with his pistol until
the weapon broke in two from the
force Of the blows.
Struggle at Waters Edge
The three men still were struggling
furiously and in imminent danger OF
plunging into the lake. locked in each
others arms, when Lieutenant Henry
Duane and Detective Frank Pickett
joined the fight. The reinforcements
turned the tide of battle against Cos
tello and he surrendered.
Both he and his assailants were badly
battered, and Johnson, besides. was
suffering from the effects of his long