New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-06-27


of the police and coroner of character which
is becoming altogether too common Ior 'no
comfort of persons who have lingering beliefs
that individual rights arc guaranteed by law
The police detectives did nothing whiie inc
man lived, except wait for him to get over
his drunk" and were only aroused to the ne
cessity of investigation by the announcement
that he had died and left no ante-mortem
statement. Then they were sent here ana
there 10 work ND clews which would tend to
solve the mystery, which was no mystery, but
q common street brawl. The result was the
arrest of three or four persons and pursuit oi
others. A brother of one of the women, VINO
had been for years in litigation with anotner
brother, idly let fall expressions OF suspicion
that that brother had made mistake and at
tackled the murdered man, thinking 1t was
himself. Thereupon the police arrested the sus-
pected brother and clapped him into a cell with
out warrant, but at the request of a coroner
apparently equally ignoranto of medicine ana law,
And because this suspected brother had triend
who was private detective-a class that I'VE
under the suspicious of the professional de-
tectives-the friend, too, was captured ana
thrown into cell as suspected confederate.
And one of the women, after being exhausted
IA a witness. was arrested at midnight con-
fined in cell at Police Headquarters, ana heid
without bail, admittedly at the request only Oh
the coroner and then not as suspected
criminal but rs a witness who the coroner
and detectives believed was conceallng some
thing Finally. after foundering for a week III
perfect maze of unimpOrtant evidence, lndlcat-
ing only thatthe murder was the consequence OF
a street brawl of drunken men and women,
the inquest was indefinitely adjourned to con-
ceal the laundering of the authorities. Some
day the coroner will call the jury together,
frame and file a verdict for them, and there
will end another very common Illustration OF
the ignorance of our coroners, the incapacity
of our detective force, and the daring dsre-
gard by both of citizens rights.
But what would be most uncommon case
now. and one which would delight many good
citizens heart to hear of, would be to see the
Police Commissioners look into this police out
rage and "break the officers guilty OF 1t. Ii
is no excuse for the police that the woman
arrested as a witness was disreputabe adj
ventures for no authority is given them to
detain witnesses with or without warrants
of coroner or anybody else. Nor can
the police plead as their excuse that
the two men arrested as criminals were dis
reputable, for that would be no excuse II trne.
Besides there was no such charge, and there
was neither complaint nor warrant against
them. 1t would also he IL just as well as un-
common occurrence if these two victims OF
police outrage were to sue the detectives who
imprisoned them for damages, and let jury
of twelve men, who do not relish such unwar-
rantable and handed actions of policemen
assess the damages at good round sum.
Still another uncommon but proper proceeding
would be for those having authority over the
coroners to institute inquiry looking to the dis
missal of the extraordinary coroner who heard
this case from the position which he abuses.
Some years ago a Police Justice who thus ar
bitrarily locked up two women OF doubtful
reputation was bOwled off the bench for his
abuse of his power, and Supreme Court
Judge. who aided and abetted him in it, re-
signed rather than have the facts come before
a committee of impeachment. And what they
did was an abuse of power not one whit worse
than the coroner who made n legal farce of
the Guterrnuth inquest has been guilty of in
arrestng the men Clapp and lmley and the
woman Hawkes..