The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1936-03-10

boy in its billiard salons. Smart
boys, cute gals. mons with him
rackets. hims with nom rackets,
shiv men, gun men, guys with
richer regulations than Alvin Kar-
pts are a dime dozen. On Peal
Street all hustle for the coffee
and.
But Bulldog Egan is the excep-
ton, and he proves his rule. Eight
hours a day. six days a week and
he does 1t by love and love alone.
OF course, he can make a pocket
billy talk like an indian club, and
a night stick-well, nobody with
good sense sticks his head in a
whirling propeller. But these are
merely adjuncts to Bulldog Egan's
dominant charm. It makes no diff
ference whether he is working the
IL to 8, 8 to 4, or to II.
While Bulldog is working, Peal
Street. although it skips the gutter
on top hats and swagger tails and
claims that its dogs are too we'll
trained for its citizenry to have TO
carry canes, Peal Street takes on
the pacific tone OF Fifth-av on Sun
day morning. 1t rests ana waits un-
til Bulldog gets through.
Francis Aloysius Egan came to
Peal Street some six years ago, filled
with sweetness and light, attircd in
the blue and brass uniform of the
law, his number hung in bright
chromium above and between his
eyes and again directly over his
heart
TT wasn't long before Bulldog got
h tough enough himself to lock you
up for too intent gaze at that
number. He's about five eleven and
still a solid 1870. Pearl Street tried
hard to ignore his intrusion but a
head Of red hair, pugnacious as steel
wool, kept his number hanging pre-
cariously over his right eye, reveal
ing to Pearl Street a left one that
left nothing unseen. It sort of chilled
anything it rested on, with its lake
blue depth Of clear cold morning
Francois Aloysius Egan taught
Peal Street with great effort, and
with great effort Peal Street learned
that Station Houses, the Island, the
Big House were only convaleScent
homes attached to the hospital.
When he arrived for a tour of duty,
regardless of the hour, Peal Street
assumed an expression of unnatural
innocence
It had to. It didn't mind a trip
to any of his convalescent homes,
but it couldn't stand hospital time.
And Bulldog Egan was generous
with hospital time, and Peal Street
needs hospital time so badly that 1T
can't stand the thought of it.
Bulldog is a term of affection.
Peal Street applies it to Patrolman
Francis Aloysius with something of
the tremulous awe of a 10-year-old
calling Babe Ruth by his first name
Gee, Babe"
TT was after the big fire that Peal
Il st started calling him Bulldog.
The big fire in which Patrolman
Egan demonstrated a hitherto I'M
suspected talent the ability to
blush 1t has been denied, but there
were witnesses. Some said it was
the glow of the flames, and some
that he was scorched raw.
But the phenomenon has since
been repeated, and you may test it
out any day by repeating three
simple syllables within his hearing
but when you do, have your name
ana address on your person.
1t was a holiday fire, allegedly
ignited by a festive match inno-
Gently applied to a jolly old-fash-
toned plum pudding. 1t developed
later that the plum pudding must
have been served in the coal cellar,
surrounded by paint cans, kindling
wood, kerosene and rags, but it was
nevertheless a merry blaze that APP
peared to have its inception in good
clean fun. There were billowing
clouds of dense black smoke which
effected no casualties except four
subsequent cases of double pneu-
monia in the fire department, and
nervous proStration in the owner OF
the building who had miscalculated
the expiration of his insurance pol
icy by "a hours. In other words, 1t
was no contest, from the standpoint
Of the engine chaser.
But to Peter Maxim, aged S, lone
offspring in Five Rear East, the oc-
ca ion was fraught with tragedy.
y q
DETER had been overlooked in the
u exodus of tenants. This may
have been due to the fact that both
his parents had been removed to the
alcoholic ward of Bellevue Hospital
a few hours prior 20 the blaze. Any
how, little Peter was still there when
the hose had smashed the last Win
dow and a fine mushroom of flame
was pushing off the roof.
The tenants were huddled in the
street Under the admiring gaze OF
neighbors and bystanders, enjoying
the first real heat they'd had this
winter, when Shrill, agonized
scream of horror drew every eye to
the window of Five Front East.
Little Peter was there.
Little Peter had no business to
be there, because he lived in the
rear fiat and was not encouraged
as a playmate for the children who
lived in the front fiat. But they
were all down in the street now,
with their parents and other ten
ants, and Peter had ventured
through a series of open doors to
look out of their window and see
what all the shouting was about.
Peter was beginning to be wor-
ried. His apprehensions showed in
the shining streams of tears that
smeared his dirty face and re-
flected the glow of the flames.
Then, seeing many people in the
street far below. and hearing the
screams that now rose to greet his
appearance, Peter took in the sit
uation and began to bawl desper-