Faithful Dog Avenges a Policeman

1910

NEW YORK. — Patrolman Lawrence Cummins of the East One Hundred and Fourth street police station, on whose post the car barn gang has its headquarters, was beaten savagely by members of that band and was in the hospital for several weeks.

The first request Cummins made to Capt. Corcoran when he reported again for duty was to be assigned to his old post. He said he wanted to show the toughs that he was not afraid of them and that they could not drive a policeman from his place of duty. Capt. Corcoran took the same view and sent Cummins back.

From the moment he resumed his work the gang annoyed Cummins, hut it was not until the other night that the roughs got a chance to "do him up" again. He found about a dozen of them on the street insulting women who passed.

"Move on," commanded Cummins. But a truck driver, 19 years old, hurled insults at the policeman. Cummins arrested him. The rest of the gang disappeared, Cummins started for the police station with his prisoner, but as they went along there was a call from a roof. The prisoner broke from Cummins and ran into a house. The gang had gone to a roof, torn away the chimney and waited for the policeman and his prisoner. When the signal was given and the prisoner had fled from the firing zone his friends hurled the chimney bricks down at Cummins. After three had struck him on the head he fell unconscious. Men who saw the attack ran to the station. Sgt. Higgins and eight bluecoats raced to the rescue of their comrade.

Twice a week a Dalmatian dog, Bessie, who belongs to truck company No. 26 on One Hundred and Fourteenth street, visits the East One Hundred and Fourth street station, and has a supper at the expense of John Ritter. That night she was there and she went with the rescue squad.

When the men entered the house from which the bricks had been hurled on Cummins the dog went with them. But while the sergeant and his men went to the roof Bessie stopped at the second floor.

Back in a dark corner of the tenement hallway she had caught sight of a man, and, instead of going further, she leaped for him. She got a good grip on his trousers and he could not beat her off. Five minutes afterward the policemen on their way back to the street after a fruitless search, heard a scuffle. They found Bessie still holding on to the man. He was the escaped prisoner.