Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-04-20
CROSS IS CENSURED.
A Glenfield Citizen Takes Exception
to the officers Story.
THE SHOOTING WAS UNCALLED FOR
Chief Brown Says the Policeman Disobeyed
Instructions.
CAN'T HOLD THE CITY RESPONSIBLE

A letter to THE DISPATCH from citizen
of the Twenty-third ward, speaks in very
forcible terms of the shooting done by the
late colored officer, Cross. 1t describes the
advent of four strangers to Glenwood who
were in search of work and travelling East
having failed to follow Horace Greeley's ad
vice, and grow up with the Occidental part
of this country.
The letter goes on to say that about
P. M. the citizens of that locality in the
vicinity of the B. & o. crossing over Second
avenue were Mortified by hearing number
of pistol shots in rapid succession. The
writer, evidently an eye witness, says the
Indignation could hardly be restrained
when Officer Cross was seen coming from
under the Wheeling bridge dragging by the
arm one OF the young men. He says:
1.-The young men were on the river bank
when the officer noticed them, and when he
started in their direction they moved away.
The officer then drew his pistol and ordered
them to stop. Naturally frightened at such
brutal and uncalled for conduct on the part
of the officer they started to run,
when without any further warning
the officer commenced firing. At the second
shot he hit one of the men in the thigh. His
shots were not directed at the ground, but al
the men in front of him. as the hitting Of
one showed, and the sandy nature of the
river bank, which was thoroughly explored,
is fatal to the officers story of having shot
into the ground to frighten the fugitives.
HE MAKES A THREAT.
"We, the citizens of Glenwood. do no,
wish this colored officer in our ward. BE
is brutal and repulsive looking, and fright
ems women and children, and unless his re-
moval follows this protest some unpleasant
results may follow. Rope and willing hands
were not wanting on Saturday night"
This recalls the excitement which made
East Liberty a lively place under Mayor
Fulton's administration. An officer who is
not on the police force now was placed on
the Smithfeld street beat, and soon became
known by the soubriquet of Dynamite
Joe." He made things lively for
some months in the lower part of the city
until one evening he approached lady and
ner of the diamond, and, after pacing in
front Of them up and down for few mo-
ments said: "If you people want to talk
any more you must go and hire hall"
The gentleman hired City Hall the next
day free of charge, and reported the affair to
Mayor Fulton, who removed the uncourte-
GUS officer to East Liberty. Here he soon
made himself famous, and within few
month serious talks of suspending him by
the neck were INDUCED in by the citizens,
and formal statement to that effect made
to the Mayor, giving the dates of the cir
cumstances leading to the vigorous protest.
Chief Brown was asked Yesterday what
he had to say on the Cross case and replied:
"The day that his conduct was reported to
me suspended him, and he will be dis
charged. The great trouble with him, as it
is with many other colored Off
GERS, is that he is too ready with
his revolver. An officer, as it is
distinctly laid down in the manual of in
structions has no right to fire upon anyone
except in actual self-defense, when his life
is in danger, or in arresting man charged
with murder, for whom he has a warrant
and who tries to escape.
THE ORDERS ARE EXPLICIT.
The orders are distinct. and cover the
whole ground. Not to snoot unless it is ab-
solutely necessary, as per instructions, and
then to shoot to kill. If this man who was
injured by the late officer Cross, can afford
to stay in the city long enough, and can
find the means, he can make it very un-
pleasant for the officer who was. As he did
not follow the instructions laid down by the
department, the city could not be held re-
sponsible."
Inspector McAleese said that as far as the
general regulation of police use OF firearms
was concerned, he knew that the depart
ment discouraged it as much as possible,
and followed up BY reverting to the case Of
Officer Henry Ransom, colored, who,
short time ago, accidentally
shot Officer Andrew Terry, also
colored, at the Penn Incline, while dis
turbance took place at colored ball held
in the Penn Incline resort. Ransom's ex-
cuse, he sald, was that in pulling the
weapon it went off without his intention.
"Ihe officers" said the Inspector, shave
a hard row to hoe at the best, and whether
white or colored, must treat citizens with
courtesy or get off the froce. OF
course if drunken loafer pulls gun on a
policeman, I want the officer to get his first
shot in, but this matter of firing at people
whom you do not know merely because
they run away will not be countenanced.
The rights of the people must be
as we'll understood by our patrol
men as enforced, but not enforced at
the muzsle of a revolver where there is no
necessity for using the weapon. feel lit
tie delicacy IN speaking of this particular
case as it is in Inspector Whitehouse's Sec
ond district, and Captain Mercer reported
next morning, and the man is discharged
and was right on the reception OF the report.
1 was merely speaking of the general con-
duct of the police. and to that line am
frml resolved as far as my district is con-