Wilmington daily commercial., 1873-08-16
rs.rslu Esans statement.

To tAe Editor Of the Commercial; v.
sas,rs accounts in the newspapers or our city,
In ralntion to 9 Hns imposed upon me pS 'ne
Msyor. being refunded to me BY the oouncli, !
raspectfully request ysn TO puplish tne iono~-
,ng s.atsment, which will show ooneluslvely 70
,he public that the fine was unjust and should
\. ra,rrnaa 10 me. The circumstances OF the
cssa were ss soIlowss -a 4ttssi.e t.s.ta
On the night of the 21st OF Nay. i left my house
,o sac : friend OF mine who had just that morn
NC come from Ireland, aud who was At . house
in thiE city. had not been long there when si1
,aora came In, We staid there until ten minutes
mast tan. | looked at my watch, and told them
that Il wAA time to be moving home, Ihey eoh-
clmded 10 do go, We started along down Fourth
stroat nntil we came 10 Fourth and Shlpley:
when two or three u these mon commenced
singing. During the time this singing was go.
| inu on. kept bAlf square ahead OF thetn' L
never spoke to them from the time they lsIt the
house until they we're arrested by the officers;
met these two officers ct the corner OF
rourth and King. They asked me what
/ hind of noise was this going on l told them
| that there was 8 couple OF men OF the party hau
| taken little too much, that friend Qf theirs
had come from irclAnd. aud that they had been
| 10 ace her They said II they did not quit their
| singing they would place them where they would
| ouit it, Then the party who we're singing be-
/ came silent and went on until they came to
Fourth and Poplar streets. Ihere TWO tnoh
commenced singing again,
The onloers then ran by me, and by the time
| I came up they had them arrested. Mas not
within half square OF them when they COM
| menced singing, or when the arrest was made
| told the person who was with me, that we had
better keep out OF the scfape, or We might se'
| into trouble. | therefore stood al The corner
on the side OF the street opposite 10 them. when
| | sAu one OF the officers down IN the gutter and
one OF the Young meu on top OF hlin str'kinS
bim with his own club. Then he ran away and
ieft the officer there and two more OF his party
folIowed him. / then saw smother oflcer, and
one Of the other men AttaekinS eAeu
| other. and then went over, and told the othcei
that il he would let him SO with me that
| would be responsible for his appearance. de
told me il wanted him to SO with me me 70 come ln
| 10 the Hall and 60 his bail. told hlu that 1ns
Mayor wonld not be there this time IN the nigh
| as Il was half past ten O'Clock. Then the ON
| Ger told me that the High Constable was there
| and that by my influence could get nun out
The prisoner did not want TO 90, nut sdNise'
= him TO, accompanying the officer aud told him
| could yet him out on bail. He then agreed &
20 with him, and proceeded peaeea6ly to tn
CITY Hall.
When we got to the Hall, myself and thre
or four more that came with me went in. ons
of the parties that come with me. staid outsld
az he did not know the way home, as ne ha
Q | lust come into the city from Ireland We wer
s | then Immediately seized by the officers, wh
| rushed us into the cells, and said We were
, | Of one crowd. ! asked the officer why h
a brought me there to go 4 mans bail and the
3 committed such an outrage as this. lie the
| went out, and the man whom we had left ou
| side asked them to take him home as he did nj
= know the way. But instead they rushed hi
;, into the cells. They kept us there until ocloc
Q the next day. when We had our hearing befol
II the Mayor who fined us $40 and costs, each, al
Il So apiece fore Djuring the policemans Goa
There were five OF us, who thus paid sou hn
and $50 for the damage to tho coat. The Co
s. had only a small tear in it, and none OF tho
l. arrested had anything to do with the injury.
Ve was torn in the fight between the officer who wo
J. it, and the young msn who escaped No 9th
D. one intsrferred in the conflict between tho
ls two.
kt 1t will be seen by this that made no moi
whatever in the streets. | was neith
drunk nor disorderly. ! never struck, toucht
~ IL or threatened any officer, or gave them an
Y, word-or encouraged others to do so but v
ne going to my home as a peaoeable citizen. n
te character for peace and sobriety is known to
u u cry one. was unjusty imprisoned and fine
s ~ and therefore applied to the Council to have q
III fine refunded to me, which WAS done. The
which paid for the damage to the policema
Ia coat was not returned by Council. lam inform
H. the Mayor had no right to impose penalty NJ
Ier me for the damages TO the officers coat ever
~ | had tern it. But | was in no way concerned
s ,or damaging it, and II had been. $50 was M
~ than it was worth. l simply went to the Hall
"a go persons bail, was seized, fined aud imp
a., oned for no offence, and mulcted into costs
'N' damages did not commit and therefore,
peAled to Council for redress. Nj. EdAs
t | WILMINGTON, August 16