Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1880-08-26

noon a last week WAS eAiies. upon to ar
rest Nichols He was then on Water street.
near the railroad bridge He either came
OUT OF one of the stores there. or from be-
hind pier. spoke to him very pleasantly.
ana told him that guessed would nave to
| TAKE MIN to the station. | knew the man.
| charaeter. and worked every way to avoid a
night Near Mr.. BARRIERS dive house. he be-
gan to get ugly. and said that he would cut
my heart out We clinched. and went off
the sidewalk together. In the struggle l
came near going under, Tor Nichols is pow
er1ul man and quite bruiser. / hit him
over the head with a billy once, but could
seem to make no impression upon him. l
oid not strike him with nv handouts
as has been sworn here. for l could
could not get them out of my pocket Young
barber came out of the dye house, pale = =
ghost, trembling all over, and wanted me 10
let the man go. At length officer Coombs
came TO my assistance. and got Nichols into
the lookup. | went back TO the dye house
put nv hand on Barbier's shoulder and ssid
:" men am about 10 arrest a ruffian like that
d"nt you ever interfere" His mother was
much excited and begged Inc not TO arres:
hIm When left the dive honse | found a
crowd on the sidewalk. They were all worked
up. ami ready to lynch ne. Davis was there
and said, You ought to have Your head
smashed I faced him and said. who's
talking TO you!" He replied, You can't
brow beat me- CITY Marshal White came
mp and ordered the sidewalk cleared. Mr..
Davis was obstructing the walk and | tried
10 push him off. He resisted. and grasped
me about the neck like an old woman then
took to the station, but did not kick him all
the way down, as has been alleged When |
let him out of the cell he said that he knew
nothing of the Nichols affair; that he acted
on the spur of the moment; and that served
him no more than right.
Cross Eramined.-When started Davis
ont of the crowd he set back and wanted to
be ugly. was bonnd to make him go along
and up with my boot and kicked him. On
the way to the station be kept hanging back
and abusing me. lie said that his dav would
come. The ground | took was that in ar
resting Nichols was dealing with a desper-
ate man, and had n right to use violence if
necessary. Two nights ago a rough struck
an officer fearful blow over the head with
cane. and there is no popular ndignatitn n. |
don't ask this Board to uphold me in ANYTHING
wrong. did not kick Davis after getting
him into station
HORACE WELLS sworn: Saw Mr. Jones
kick Davis some half dozen times on the
way to the station, l should think Don't
thihk tnat DAVIS resisted the officer. Have
the impression that Davis used profane Ian
guage.
Mr.. DAVIS recalled.
Question by Alderman Cony.-Did youte
the City Marshal at the station that YOU did
what you had no business to do; that you got
booted, and that it served you right:
Mr.. Daris-Can't remember what lam
guage used. | have no doubt that was
excited, and said things that ought not to
have said.
The case was then submitted to Aldermen.
and after considerable deliberation they
brought in the following verdict:
The Board finds that the officer was perfectly
justified in using the force proved in making
the arrest of Nichols. They also find that
said Charles w. Davis was in fault by his I'M
authorized interference with the officer in the
discharge of his duties while making said ar
rest that he was using abusive language;
was creating a disturbance on the public
street; that officer Jones was properly in dis
charge of his duty in arresting said Davis,
but he is not justified in using the force he
did while arresting him and taking him
to the lookup. And they hereby order that
said Jones be censured for his abuse of Mr..
Davis, and that he be removed from the city
police force.