The New York herald., 1921-07-07
Man CAST UP BY SEA
ON LOG IS BATTLING
Silent, He Ignores Bathers
at Long Beach and
Stalks Ashore.
JUMPED FROM SHIP
Tells Contradictory Tales in
German and English of
Death Attempt.
ASKS FOR JOB OR JAIL
Modern Capt. Memo Sent to
Cell After Escape From Night
Spent on Ocean.
ASKS FOR JOB OR JAIL

DDtHt Ol OCCuhs
The ocean cast up at Long Beach
yesterday living man astride float
ing log. He rode the waves without
moving a hand to accelerate or guide
his movement or to attract the atten-
ton of those on shore.
Bathers on the sand, not knowing
what to make OF the apparition, did
nothing. AS the man felt the ground
him and walked the rest of the way.
His coat, trousers and heavy shoes
We're wet, the cap he wore was dry. He
said nothing. He was a tall, sombre
wild looking. He was striding straight
ahead toward the dunes at the west
end of the beach, ignoring the bathers,
who fell back to right and left before
han took his arm. The stranger from
the sea looked once at Monahan, then
turned and went quietly along with
him, stumbling as If very tired.
At Long Beach headquarters the po-
ice tried him with all the languages
they knew. He said nothing. but wrote
on piece of paper. Meek Modt, Amer
ika." Monahan offered him food. He
ate but not ravenously.
The Long Beach police decided to re-
fer their riddle to higher authority. They
took him to Justice of the Peace Edward
T. Neu, at Lynbrook. Still he was silent
His pockets were searched for q clew.
They disgorged two combs lacking many
teeth some pieces Of string. camera
lens, view finder, two religious en-
blems and three cents. The justice OF
the peace, baffled. called in the Rev. w
J. Mckenna of st. Raymond's Roman
Catholic Church. Lynbrook. Upon see-
Ing him the castaway shed tears
First Talks In German.
Father McKenna told him that he was
among friends. He asked, in English
Are you hungry" and the man shool
his head. this being the first sign tha
he understood spoken words. A slip o.
paper was given him, and again he wrot,
Meek Modt Amerika." Justice Ne,
confessed himself stumped. DR.. Arthur
Jacques went to the courtroom and mad,
an examination without exciting tn,
patients interest. Lynbrook was sayint
that the man must be demented hea
victim when Gus Sabo. who breeds po
lice dogs and has fighting acquaint
ance with all languages. appeared. Sab,
asked questions In German and TIL,
floodgates Of speech were opened. Firs
In German to Sabo and then in readily
understandable English to Constabl,
William r.. Strohson the stranger tolc
his story He said he was Nicholas Mod
of 279 Tenth street. New York, latei
changing this to Nicholas Zuschlag. hi
right name. He said at first that beint
bricklayer out of work for a year, h,
had jumped from n boat in New Yorl
harbor ON Tuesday night with the in
tcntion of ending his life. but as tn.
water invigorated him he started swim
ming, when along came the log, which
he seized and mounted. The tide, hi
said. carried him to the ocean, and hs
f'oated all night without sighting a YES
sci.
Uncer further questioning he said he
did not know where he entered the
water. He had gone to the country
and across a bridge and to a shore, in
tending to take a ferryboat, but as he
could not pay the fare he thought
What's the use Of living? and jumped
in. Once in, he decided to wade or
bumped into the log, which he found
would bear his weight. He did not
leave the log until II grounded at Lone
Beach. he said. Some of his question
ers thought that Sheepshead Bay might
have been the point OF departure. He
gave his age as 40 years, said his wife
and two children lived at 7s5 Main
street. Doylestown. Pa, and sister
Mrs. Elizabeth Peidenbach, at 279 East
Tepth M1nhatt.n
Relatives to BE Notified.
His new-found friends in Lynbrool
Clipped in So for him He waved the
money aside. What he wanted, he said
was wohk and IL he could not have that
no would like to go 70 Jail for the sake
af its shelter and opportunity fol-
thp.sht. That could not be unless he
was willing to plead guilty to a charge
OF being disorderiy person. Zuschlae
nodded. with his first show of anima.
ton. as Justice Neu put the question
so ne was sentenced to Jail for thirty
DAYS. and into the records of Nassau
county goes the affirmation that for q
penniless Capt. Memo to navigate a los
through the breakers to Long Beach con.
stitutes dlsorderly conduct. But what
Justice Ncu really meant was that
zuschlag should be put in some safe
place until his relatives could be notl
fed. He spent last night in the Jail al
Minecla.
His sist sr in Tenth street, Mrs. Reid
enba ia. said last night that he was borr
in Hungary, has been in this country
eleven years. and had a farm in Penn
sylyania. which, through bad luck, hi
los. with at least $500 he had put
into Il. This misfortune had made hin
despondent. He had been either an In
maze or an employee OF the Northamp
ton County Home. near Nazareth. th'
sister said. Three weeks ago he came
to see his relatives here. Friday ant
Saturday nights he worked as washer
in a garage and was TO have done sc
agai1 Sunday night. but on Sunday af
tcrnoon he disappeared from East Tentf
street and his relatives have not seer
him since They will go TO Mineols
and see what can be done for him to
day.