The daily gazette., 1879-07-24
From the Phiia. Telegraph. July y. nn' .
THE ASSAULT ON CEfA9, On EEN

THE MAYOR OF WILMINGTON DENIES
THAT CHARLES GREEN WAS AS
sAtLTED WITHOUT CAUSE AND HIS
FAMILY sTARvED THERE-A De
TAILED STATEMENT OF THE AF-
FAIR. n-u.4 all Nl l.1 o."
A few days ago there were brought TO
this city, by two officials from Whining
ton, colored man named Green and
his wife. When the woman got here
she told story of brutal treatment on
the part of the officials, which seemed to
be borne out by facts, as the man was so
badly bruised that it was feared he would
not recover. The woman insisted that
her story was true, bu! the Mayor of
Wilmington has investigated the matter
and this morning sent the following re-
futation of the story to mayor Stokley =
REFUTING THE STORY
The letter in full is as follows:-
Mayors OFFICE, WILMINGTON,
Del, July 22d, 1879.--To the Hon. Will
liam S. Stokley, Mayor of Philadelphia.
Sir The newspapers of your city have
accepted as true all the wild statements
of the man Charles Green and his wife,
in reference to their arrest (and cruel
treatment whilst under arrest) by Ser
geant Whelan and officer Dillon, deem
II to be due those officers that l should
give you the facts Of the case, especially
as they were arrested at the request of
your officers.
Officer Lyman, No. 1876, of the Fourth
District, telegraphed Mr.. Whelan that
these prisoners were wanted in your city
from whence they had fed, for larceny.
These officers arrested them, and they
agreed to return to Philadelphia without
waiting a requisition. This, may here
say, has always been our. custom, and
courtesy to the criminal officers of our
neighboring States If the prisoner would
voluntary 60 not to await requisi-
ton.
They were taken to the City Prison,
and would have been taken to Philadel-
phia at once but the wife said there was
some money due her from some one, and
il they were permitted to remain until
the evening of the day of their arrest,
she could get it. Mr.. Whelan told them
that they could remain until the next
day if they so desired; they did reTain,
and she got her money. This tire eatment
is not particularly cruel.
Now, as to the charge of ill-treatment
and "refusal to give them anything to
eat or drink" whilst in the City Prison,
l have thoroughly examined into this
charge and find 1t wholly untrue. The
prison is under the charge of two police
constables. Both ofthem say that Green,
his wife, and child were given food the
night Of their arrest, on the morning, at
noon, and at night of the day they were
detained, and on the morning they left.
1t is true 1t was prison fare, but good and
plenty Of it, and the same that is given
! to all prisoners. They also had all the
water they wanted, and iced at that, and
they were told that they could buy from
! the restaurants anything they desired or
I their friends would be permitted to bring
! in to them, which was done. No one
I cursed them, called them AnIegers, threa-
tened to have them whipped, nor told
them to wait until they got oPhiladelphia
they would get all they wanted for the
- niger lovers up In Stokley town" !"
Green says Sergeant Whelan said this.
am assured by him that he not only
did not say this nor anything like it, and
in fact only spoke to them once, and
that was to tell them that they could re-
main until they got their money. 1t is
net necessary for me to say to you that
Sergeant Whelan had no charge of them
whilst in the prison, nor did he attempt
to assume any. might also state in
this connection that when they we're FIRST
brought to the prison Green's wife and
child were separated from him, he being
placed in the apartment for males, and
they in that tor females. The wife
however, got up fight with the Other
female prisoners, and was then brought
down, and, though against the rules, she
was put In the cell with Der husband,
and the child permitted to run at large
in the corridor.
Green also amused himself nearly ali
the time lie was in the prison cursing the
officers, "Slave States," the.city, and al
the who dwelt therein
Again, as to ill-treatment at our station
On Wednesday morning they were taker
to the cars, Whelan taking Green will
only one arm handcuffed, he (Whelan
holding the loose ring IN his hand. Dill
lon took the wife and child, not band
cuflcd. They went along peaceably
the wife went into the ladies' room, an,
| OTecu iOllOWcu ucI lus aC Sdiu uC wall
ted drink of water, and was taken tt
to the cooler and got It he then com
menced cursing and swering-picking III
the wires of an umbrella and telling tn,
officer he intended giving him all th'
trouble possible. He was then told HI
must go out of the ladies' room,a as no ont
would be permitted to remain Their
curs,ng and misbehaving as he was doing
He r, fused. Whelan, however, got hin
out into the room for gentlemen h
was no sooner seated than he jumped W
(Whelan having in the meantime slippe'
the other ring ofthe handcuff upon hi
own wrlst), put his foot upon the sette
: and forced himself partly into the doc
OF the ladies' room, which brought Whe
lan's handcuffed arm across the jamb O
the door, when, by the wrenches AM
jerks of Green, it was badly hurt, AM
Green began stabbing at him with th
umbrella wire, which he had shortene'
for the purpose, sticking the wire int
bis hand and making other and more de
termined efforts to strike him with hi
unbound hand land clutching him aroun
the throat. The officer, after variou
efforts to quiet him, but failing to do SO
. aud finding that it was question @
fight, did, as a matter Of self-defence
strike him and threw him down, and a
, soon as he (Green) ceased his attack
handcuffed both hand behind his back
and thus took him to Philadelphia.
, Green was not seriously hurt in fact