New-York tribune., 1890-05-22
TWOSTORIES OF THE ARREST
C. HEWITT COMPLAINS OF POLICEMAN
RONK
SEVERAL PERSONS WE'LL KNOWN in SOCIETY \
TESTIFY AT THE TRIAL BEFORE THE
COMMIS SSIONERS.


The trial of Policeman sylvanus Ronk. of the
Sneteenth Precinct charges made by Peter cooper
Hewitt occupied the attention of Commissioners
voorhs MacLean and Martin, at Headquarters. sew
sral hours Yesterday. Ex Mayor Hewitt was there
with his wife and daughter and young MIS-. HeWit
10 hear the testimony. several women wen Known III
New York society occupied seats ou the pi""o'"' ''
,ome OF them were witnesses for the prosecution.
Ex Mayor Cooper sat close TO Commissioner MacLesn
and occasionally suggested questions tehdlhs :" eau
out evidence favorable to his nephew
The charges grew out Of the arrest "f young Mr.
Hewitt in mont of the Madison Square Theatre on last
Wednesday afternoon. lie struck John J. OConneH
a cabman, over the head with cane As the hrS'
witness in the trial yesterday he SAID that a'ef MS
affair with the catman lie was standing luletN on
the sidewalk when ROnk ran up and caught MN OS
the throat and shook him rndely at The same Rme
asking the cabman if he would make a complaint
The cabman said he would not and the policeman
Iet 60 his hold. A few minutes later. when the wit
ness asked for the officers number he was arrested
by Ronk and dragged to the north Sidewalk Ill
Twenty fourth 81. There. he said. the pohcemaa
pushed him against iron railing and pulled ana
twisted him about violently. although he offered no
resistance and said he would go anywhere II allowed
to go quietly
He appealed to q roundsman. asking him 10 STOP
such rough usage. but the rOundsman would moi IN
terferc Ronk kept hold of his collar and continued
TO maltrea him after they had turned into sixth
on the way to the police station James b. Town
send. Mr.. liewitts friend asked the policeman I" let
him be taken to the station house in cab or car
but Ronk refused. and said Because yon nave go'
two or three dollars in your pocket think YOU own
the town. At the police station Mr.. Hewitt said.
he and the eabman refused to make complaints ana
we're discharged Mr.. Hewitt said his leit eiOo" "h'
sore from the rough handling.
James g. Townsend who went to the station with
Mr. Hewitt, coroborated his story. Mrs ColNer tNu-
fed that she Ronk seize Mr. Hewitt Nv ha
throat as she being driven from the theatre
in her carriage. Miss Emma p. Whitney. OF Er"ok-
lvn and her mother said they looked from their
carriage and saw Ronk push Mr.. Hewitt against .
railing and push and haul him about althOnGh 'he
yonng did not resist. Another pohce"o"
,oned Ronk and pushed and pulled NJ. Hewitt violently
all the way to Sixth-ave. Mrs Margaret h. hl1@'
&C. No East seventeenth ST.. thought she saw the
policeman poke Hewitt in the side with club but
she must have been mistaken. a Mr.. Hewitt could
oniy remember having the club rubbed against his
head.
James Gilfllan, a Treasury examiner. Miss Mary
F. Parker Of Newark and Thomas Hunt. of No 42o
West Twenty second st., testified that Ronk used 100
much violence in making the arrest
More than dozen witnesses called by the
defence to show that young Mr.. Hewitt clung TO the
railing on the north side of Twenty iourth-st ana
had to be dragged away from IT by force that the
policeman used no unnecessary force, but tha1 M sla
Eewtt's struggles to keep from being led away ap
peared TO be the only violence Ronndsman Dehegah
testified that Mr. Hewitt asked to be released IRON
arrest but did not complain Of rough usage by Ronh
As the csbmau made complaint at that tme, tne
roundsman said he told MIR Hewitt that lie mus 20
10 the police station. Gehegan saw no unnecessary
violence by Ronk. Policemen GleDn0n ana ONchl
cave similar testimony. GlcnnOn said the only Nio
ience by Ronk was in pulling Mr. Hewitt away iroi"
the railing Int ROnk continued to keep hoio Oh MI
Hewitt's collar until they reached sixth-aVe ana
Twenty -ffthst. 90 ..,-. ,, ,ro,r,,,
or use any unnecessary force. Upon the cOnPiHh,
of the csbman he made the arrest IN the middle on
the street and led Mr.. Hewitt by the arm to the norm
sidewalk There Mr.. Hewitt caught hold OF thc
railing and twisted about, trying Ia get away, ana
declaring that he would not be taken to The tati9n
Then Ronk said he seized the prisoner by e shOner
and pulled him away from the railing lie kept Ule
same hold the prisoner until he marcned nm -
S1xtb.ave Ex MayOr Hewitt cross examined Ronk
bnt the policeman insisted that he had not choKed
yonng Mr. Hewitt nor treated him TOO harshN' Dc
risioai was reserved.