Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1877-07-13
Right OF Citizens to Enter Police
Stations
REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE on THE cHES-
APEAkE RESTAURANT CASE

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE on THE cHEs-
APEAkE RESTAURANT CASE.
The following are the main points OF the
report of the committee appointed by the
Metropolitan Police Commissioners to in
veStigate the charges against Lieut. Austin
preferred by Mr.. VIM Dickson. in conuec-
ton with the entry of the police Into the
Chesapeake restaurant on Sunday, and
lhe subsequent proceedings, which report
was submitted TO the board last night, as
where:
After reciting the occurrences at the Ches-
apeake saloon and al the station house, the
report states that Mr.. Dickson was present
dnrirg this ARRAY at the saloon. Precisely
IL is not clear. He admits that he loudly and
emphatically denounced the entrance of the
of1cers as an outrage; but he contends that
from the outset he counSeled Mr. Finley 10
submit, and that his submission 10 arrest
was due solely to bis Interference. He even
asserts that Finley ran 10 his drawer TO get n
pistol to shoot the lieutenant, but that he
tDicksOn) forced the drawer back and re-
strained this felony. On the CONTRARY, Lieut.
Austin contends that i'm the beginning of the
array Mr.. Dickson assisted Finley in his
forCdble resistance; but when Finley found
IL necessary to resort to arms in order TO
proiong his resistance, Dickson counseled
aCquiescence TO arrest under protest
The charges of Mr.. Dickson are then re-
c1ted, aid one OF the points claimed by him
Is that citizen has at all times the right of
unirnpeded entrance into the police station.
either party. The tone was emphatic and
earnest, but neither rude Tor violent. No
force was applied 10 Mr.. Dickson at any
time. The entire gist of the trans
action is whether. in being compelled to re-
tire from the station house by the order OF
the lieutenant for the temporary exclusion of
all outsiders, Mr.. Dickson thereby suffered
any wrong; and whether the lieutenant, in
giving such orders, exceeded his duty TO
Sucn extent, II any. as TO merit punishment.
IN The opinion OF your committee Mr. Dick
n fpg inf la lint gar1
tenant Austin did not exceed his obvious
duty. When parties are arrested and con
Quoted through the public streets. especially
when the arrests have been accompanied
with violence and excitement, crowds of
lOle and curious people generally gather
rapidly and accompany the party to the
station house. 1t is not only customary but
absolutely necessary toeXclGde such crowds;
Otherwise, If permitted to follow the prisoner
into the station escapes would often Oc-
cur. officers would be seriously impeded
III the IeriOI nance OF duty and obvious
inconvenience would result TO the public
service. II is often necessary to diSperSe the
crowd outside OF and about the station door.
Nnen The crowd has dispersed and the usual
quiet eEsu6d, then ii is proper and custom
airy TO admit friends of the prisoners who
come IN reasonable numbers and in an order
" way; and though, even when the crowd
is present, a single Individual might be ad-
mitted without special injury, Yet no party
mas Just cause OF complaint If the officer. in
lhc exercise OF his sound discr -tiOn, deems
II prudent to exclude all parties. At this
particular statiOn-hGuse, nearly dozen
times each day, the same incidents occur as
TO other parties as those of which Mr.. Dick
son complains. StatiOn-hOuseS are simply
places for the temporary detention of priS-
oEers, and the existence Of an Office therein
Is Simply for the convenience OF the police
IOIce. III Is III no sense place of public re-
sort nor for the free tram action OF general
public business. We know of no greater
sht OF access enjoyed by the general public
thereto than 10 places of permanent confine-
"A ont To- III
able access OF friends and counsel is usually
allowed in all such places, so far as is con-
fOrmahle with the convenience of public
business and with the secure keeping of
prisoners; and il is not doubted that if Mr..
Dickson had applied for admission after the
crowd had dispersed he would have been
granted free ingreSs. That this is so is evil
dent from the admitted fact that after such
dispersal of the crowd other friends of Mr.
Finley were allowed to come in and out at
pleasure and 10 arrange for his release