New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-01-20
WASH A Police OUTRIGEP
TWO SIDES OF A CLUBBING AFFAIR.
A SPECTATOR WHO THOUGHT THE OFFICER BRUrA

A SPECTATOR WHO THOUGHT THE OFFICER BRUTAL
THE POLICE CAPTAINS VERSION.
Joseph White, a salesman employed at the dry goods
house of Mills & GLIB, a; Broadway and Grand-sL,
tells tale of police brutality and the uuwarranted
of night sticks which, II subS antiaed, will cause
people to fear that getting into the hands Of guar
dian of the peace' in the neghborhoOd of the Eighty
eghth-St Station IS about the worst thing that could
befall any Mr.. White says that Wednesday
night at about IL o'clock, lac returning through
Third ave to the Eighty -fOurh-st. station of the ele
vatcd railway, having escorted young woman 10
her home in Eighty siXthst. Before he reached tho
railway station he heard that there fire in
Eighty ninth-st and back it. Here he
met sober and unOffending arts an-James Kenney,
no anerw ards learned-who also looking at tho
fire, which turned out to be- burning board fence
at the northeast of Eighty nnthst and Third
While Mr.. White and Mr. Kcnney nnocently
watching the progress of the flames, Policeman No.
2,563 arrived, and before giving the grabbed
Mr. Kenney By the throat without any seeming cause
whatever and placed him under arrest The police
man thcn turned to a in citizens dress, who Ar.
White thought a detective, and ordered him TO
hold Kenney, while he to give the fine alarm. Pre-
vi0usly the policeman had drawn his revolver and
had aourished it about. Returning from giving tho
alarm, the policeman listened to Kenncy's declarations
asserting that he had been guilty of nothing which
would warrant arrest, and then deliberately fclled
his prisoner to the earth. When Mr. White and other
citizens protested against this brutal treatment No
2ss3 replied by again applying his club to the prs-
oner, seriously iniurlng and disfguring his nose
Then the policeman and the detective dragged their
prisoner to the Eghty-elgh Street Police Station,
followed by indignant crowd When they mad
arrived there, No $685. after taking Kenney inside,
placed tho detective In front Of the station with orders
to shoot any one who sought to to report the
officers conduct The protesting citizens there
FORE unable to take any action in Mr.. kenney's be-
half, and when Mr.. White persisted in going In the
detective threatenngly pointed pistol at him. Dir.
White could not get the name Of either the policeman
or tho detective
The police sido of the story as given by Captain
Richard O'Connor, of the Eightyeighth street Pre-
,lnct to aTRIBUSE reporter last evening, IS as folows
The policeman, No. 2,ss3 who arrested James Ken
ney last night IS Officer William y. Lynch, and tho
man Mr. White took to be detective In citiZen's
clothes IS Probationer George BarnstorG, who
with Lynch on his beat under instructions. Before
the fire the officer had Kenney going in the di
rccton Of the board fence which IS used for bill post
Ing and knowing his character told BarnstorG TO aid
him in keeping watch of this man. kenney is ono
of the worst cases In my precinct, and has ire
oueutly been arrested for misdeneanois OF yailOR
kinds He pretends TO be bill poster, but he Is
drunken and worthless fellow, and his principal
put up by rival bill posters, or to destroy the places
| used by them for posting =,
Lynch knew that kenney had set hre 20 ,he fencc
and arrested him. While the officer had gone to send
nt the fire alarm Kenney, thinking that the probaone
was Inexperenced in police matters, tried to break
away and If Lynch when he returned, applied his
escape. kenney was not seriously hurt-ho didn't
get half what he deserved, either last night or this
morning when he was taken to court. Judge German
sentenced him to i've days Imprisonment on the island
dsorerly conduct do not believe that any pistols
were nourished about here last night