The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1922-05-14
TE says he's just an ordinary cop"
and isn't any drawer than the rest


good policemen are modest. The story
speaks for itself.
He is acting Detective Sergeant Pat
rick G. Fitzgibbons of the New York Po-
lice Department, who probably holds the
record for conspicuous bravery and saw
ing human lives.
And the medals he carries and citations
and honorable mention in departmental
records place him in a category that is
unique to say the least
This man typifes New York's Metro
politan Police, and it is reassuring to
know that the guardians of Manhattan,
numbering some 10000 men in the prime
of life and physical condition. stand
ready and willing to emulate his per-
formances
AS early as 1903 In the month Of De-
cember Fitzgibbons was employed as
chief clerk for the New York, New Haven
and Hartford Railroad, in charge Of
pier at the foot Of Gouverneur street. He
had his ONCE in shanty on the dock and
here all deliveries of freight to trucks
were made.
One afternoon gang Of 1ongshoremen
was unloading sugar from lighter tied
up to the north side Of the pier. A gang
plank was laid from the pier to the float,
over which the men carried the heavy
bags Of sugar to the waiting vehicles.
Suddenly the gangplank gave way and
1ongshoreman, big Mississippi negro,
with his hand truck Of sugar, fell into
the ice packed river. The temperature
was about IA degrees above Zero Hear
ing cry for help Fitzgibbons immedi-
ately grasping the situation plunged into
freezing water and after struggling with
the panic stricken black pulled him to the
piling. Here ropes were lowered and the
semi-conscious man was raised to the
dock
The longshoreman was quickly taken
to Gouverneur Hospital, where he recov-
cred in few days. Fitzgibbons was more
slowly taken home, there being no auto
mobiles in those days, where he con-
tracted pneumonia and was under doc
tors care for five weeks
After recovering from his baptism of
river ice in the last incident Fitzgibbons
was sauntering along in front of 223M
East Twenty-third street. This was about
o'clock in the evening of March 26, 1904,
and he was on his way to see the then
famous prince Of Pilsen," playing in the
old Grand Opera House in West Twenty
third street.
He saw smoke coming from the build
ing, which was occupied as a furnished
room house. A woman was shrieking
"Fire!" and "Help!" Smashing in the
front door, Fitzgibbons found the entire
first floor an inferno Of smoke and flames.
He went to the second floor and found
young woman in hysteria. He took her
in his arms and descended the blazing
stairway with her to the street. She was
able to tell him, between shrieks, that an
other woman was upstairs on the same
floor
Again climbing the stairway, which
was by now partly eaten away by the
blaze, Fitzgibbons smashed in door to
the rear of the second floor and found
a young girl about Is lying prone and in
an unconscious condition. He lifted her
in his arms an had taken only a few
steps when the stairway collapsed and
the two were precipitated into the blazing
furnace twenty feet below. The fall and
the binding smoke caused Fitzgibbons
to lose his hold on the girl and he made
his way out of the smothering flames to
the street.
At the hospital It was found all his
hair had been burned completely off, and
all the skin from his ears, hands, back
and neck. He was blind for two weeks
and remained in the hospital forty-one
days.
In the short space of three months he
had saved two lives. He was urged to
Join the Police Department and did, in
September, 1905, as patrolman.
His next adventure Melted him nine
teen knife and razor stabs and slashes
and numerous bruises from blows and
missiles while attacked by a mob of 500
Infatuated negroes.
1t was October %, 1913, Fitzgibbons
was assigned to detective work in the
Harlem negro belt. Complaint had been
received that a colored woman had robbed
a white man in the house at 1872 West
134th street. Inspector George F. Titus,
then OF the old Thirty-eighth precinct sta
ton house, ordered him to arrest the
woman and bring her before him. II
was 80 at night.
Fitzgibbons went to the second floor Of
the building and placed the woman under
arrest. She Immediately began shouting
at the top Of her voice II am arrested"