The Washington times., 1920-08-17
FACES PISTOL
FORHALF HOUR
SHOOT, for Gods Sake" Cries
Detective, Then Battles With
Man Behind Gun.

NEW YORK. Aug. l7.-"For half an
hour he held the gun pointed at me.
and tell you / was sweating some.
Finally / got to the stage where i
didn't care any more whether j lived
or died. At last I said: For Gods
sake. shoot II you're going to shootr F"
Detective Joseph Sheldrick, OF the
Charles street station was telling out
side the Washington Heights Court
yesterday how narrowly he had es-
capped death during the early hours
OF Monday morning at the apartment
OF Andrew Durkin. In the Onondaga-
Riverside Drive. Durkin, styling him
self a private detective. had just been
held in $4,000 bail on two complaints
alleging felonious assault.
FOUGHT FOR REVOLVER.
'T said to him." continued Sheldrick.
that II he did shoot he would never
get out alive. told him.. There are
two detectives waiting downstairs
with revolvers who will get you
Presently he put aside his revolver.
Then he began to dress. I sprang for
the revolver. He made for 1t. too. !
got 1t. We grappled and went to the
floor together. We struggled and
rolled about nfteen minutes and
well, finally overpowered him"
The rest OF the story OF how shell
drick's life happened to be put IN
jeopardy was furnished by Joseph
Beckles. negro taxicab chauffeur, who
with Sheldrick appeared to complain
against Durkin. Beckles said he was
driving four men from Rockawey to
this city Sunday night. Along the
read a stalled automobile was en-
countered. One of the men who had
been riding in the car asked II he
could get lift to New York. He was
Durkin. He was accommodated.
On the way in. according to Beckles
Durkin repeatedly expressed graft
tude and when Manhattan was reach
ed. remarked that he would show hia
appreciation In a substantial way by
taking the four men in the taxicst
to his apartment and treat them Ia
some good stun"
"All of us went to his apartment IN
the Onondaga," continued Beckles,'
and the man certainly was liberal
There was lots OF good stun and pret.
ty soon Durkin fell asleep.
"The first thing I knew after that
was when / got a good stiff biff under
the jaw, and there WAS the big man
Durkin, standing before me with a
revolver. He was saying. Get uI
there. you big black, or I'll make you
turn white
TAXI FARES HELD HIM UP.
"'You amt agoing to make me
turn white, l says went on the negro
chauffeur, "and with that / ran as
fast as / could out Of the house"
Then followed a spirited chase. ac-
cording to the negro's story, Durkin
brandishing the revolver as he trailed
the chauffeur and firing one shot
When he could not overtake Beckles
Durkin called him back, said the
chauffeur, and attempted to make
friends Beckles returned to his cab
into which his four fares had already
piled. Near Charles street they told
him to stop. The meter registered
$40. When he attempted to collect
it the four men flashed revolvers and
robbed him of SIS.
To the Charles street station
Beckles ran and encountered Detec-
tive Sheldrick. He wanted to retrieve
his SIS. Sheldrick TAXED about for q
time with Beckles, but got no trace
of the hold-up men. Then he had
the negro drive him to Durkin's
apartment at the Onondaga. SHIELD.
rick left the chauffeur on the land
ing of the second floor.
INVITED IN, FACED REVOLVER.
"In response to my knock" ex-
planned Sheldrick, "the door Of Dur
kin's apartment was opened by q
woman, presumably the maid. Dur
kin emerged from a bedroom In his
underclothes.
What the hell are you doing here?
Durkin demanded, according to Shell
drick.
II am a detective" Sheldrick be.
gan.
Detective or no detective" inter
rupted Durkin, you've got no search
warrant. What do you want?"
Sheldrick said he explained that
the chauffeur had been robbed and
he was investigating. Durkin, related
TO Sheldrick, became affable and In
vited him in.
"The next thing / knew" Sheldrick
wen on, "Durkin had drawn a re-
volver, pointed it at me and threat
ened:: Move. and I'll blow your head
offw
For half an hour the pistol was
leveled at Sheldrick, according to his
story, during all of which time the
detective saw nothing of the maid
who had opened the door. There was
no examination of Durkin in court
yesterday, bail being fixed to insure
his appearance Friday.