Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-03-01
OF CoLoRED PRISONERS.
a Communication From . Committse Of the
Citiscns' Protective Association.

a communication From . Committoe Of the
Cttisens' Protective Association.
The District Commissioners have received
communication from Messrs Lewis II. Doug
lass, Z. Molyneaux Hewlett, C. A. Fleetwood
and VIM. n. Harris, composing the committee
OF the Citizens Protective Association. formed
by colored citizens on account Of alleged die
elimination made by the police in the treatment
OF colored prisoners. The letter received today
is in relation to a response sent to the COM
mlttee by the Commissioners to q communica-
ton from the committee January last urging
the Dismissal from the police force Of two men
VINO as they stated, according 10 the laws Of
the land, had been adjudged criminals by .
court having jurisdiction. The committees
letter Is rather severely sarcastic.
referring to the consideration given the sub
1ect by the Commissioners the committee says:
In the case OF Officer Cooney, the lawless-
ness you give us to understand was more from
want OF experience and knowledge Of the Laws
OF the District than through any prejudice
against the colored race
=, Just why race and color are brought into
the controversy your acting lieutenant does not
tell u.s. Your committee did not raise any
question OF race or color, but wrote you as citi-
zens OF the United States expecting considers
ton as such citizens"
The letter further says: I'VE believe that
S %nen the n ,dea which prevails to no small
they are arrested and dragged into court,
more from rnee prejudice than because they
nave broken the laws can be shown to be false
the better will it be for law and order in this
District Ii an officer convicted Of an arrest
OF an innocent and defenseless colored
woman can be continued on the force upon the
trihing excuse that he did not know the law
tho idea referred to above gains added
strength. What right has the government to
turn loose upon . community armed men,
Mt and
shown to be. and give them power over the
iivcs liberty and property OF citizens2 No man
ignorant OF the rights Of the people should be
allowed for one moment to carry . bludgeon
and pistol as an officer Of the law.
The retention on the force of such men
as Cooney and Murphy gives US no hope
that our rig hts are to be respected. Murphy
went upon the street to discharge the duties of
police officer drunk with eggnog. He wan
tonly and viciously assaulted citizen, guilty
OF no offense against the law; the citizen
was of the 'colored race The courts Of
law inflicted the penalty In such cases made
and provided. You gentlemen whes appealed
TO to dismiss the brutal officer excuse HIM on
the ground that the trouble arose wholly from
the use of eggnog, which he drank at his own
home. and that he has joined a temperance or
ganizatlon. Why not pardon every loud and
boisterous person lnow confined in the work
house who went from their own homes into
the street drunk, have them Join a
temperance organization and put them on the
police force? policeman who fills himself
with liquor and cues out into the street on duty
is AS mean villain as drunken engineer on Q
locomotive or a drunken pilot having in charge
the lives Of all on shipboard. Why should
such man be retained on the force?
We had hoped that this whole matter would
have been considered without any suggestion
OF race or color. As you have seen fit to intro
duce the question you will allow us to express
the belief, based on lifetime experience, that
had the outrages been committed by colored
policemen Oh white citizens that were proven
In court of justice to have been perpetrated
against colored citizens by white policemen q
different conclusion would have been reached
upon careful consideration and the colored
people would have speedily become private
citizens"