Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-10-06

ACCIDENTALLY - soMH DO NOT coxsrpxR
FOWLER HAD DONE ANYrH1xa TO JusrrYr
HIS ARREsr-soME PEcuLIARrrrxs OF TIE
choss-KxAMINATIoS.
Judge Miller's court in the sixth police pre-
cinct station house was crowded this morning
when a little before IL O'Clock the trial of Po-
lice Lieut.. Aniss on the charge Of assaultine
VIM. w. Fowler was resumed.
The charge grows out Of the occurrence n
18th street and Pennsylvania avenue on the day
Of the Grand Army parade. Fowler was struck
by the ieutenant's baton while the latter was
endeavoring to force back the crowd from the
line Of the parade. The prosecution having
rested its case yesterday the defense had the
floor today.
MR. sHILLINoroN's STATEMENT.
Mr.. Shillington made a brief statement In
opening the defense On the day Of the oc-
currence in question, he said, it must be re-
membered the population Of the city had been
increased temporarily by over q quarter of q
million Of people.
The public interest was in the grand parade.
The citizens committee in order to preserve
order and make room for the parade
had run a wire Gordon on each side
along the line. The Commissioners
had ordered traffic stopped and the police
had been ordered to keep the way clear and
to confine spectators to the sidewalk. At 18th
street and Pennsylvania avenue. where this oc-
ourrence happened. the crowd was the densest.
as for many reasons this was one OF
the most desirable points for spectators
to gather. On the south side the spectators
formed q curved line. During much of the
time. the defense expected to show, there was
not room for the line to pass without being
broken.
AMIss HAD USED THE UTMOST FoRBEARANcE.
They expected to show that Lieut.. Amiss had
used the utmost forbearance. They expected
to show, too, that the police arrangements
Of that day were the best ever
known and that the police deserved
praise for their efficiency; that Lieut.. Amiss
and his officers had repeatedly gone up and
down this line and entreated and implored the
people to press back and make room for the
marching men.
Among other means used was a rope, which
| the officers stretched and with it endeavored to
press back the line. Mr. Shillington described
other methods which, he said, had been used to
induce the people who had encroached on the
| roadway to fall back. II soon became apparent
that the only way to get the line back was to
relieve the rear, to get those in the rear to fail
back
Amiss had gone over the line and motioned
to those in the rear, reaching over with his
club and making motions with that. 1t was
while making these motions that
MIR. FOWLER WAS USINTENrIoSALLY STRUCK
They would show that If this blow had been
struck, as the dramatic Morrison described,
every tooth in Mr.. Fowler's mouth would have
been loosened. AS it was the lip was cut by the
eyetooth.
He insisted that it was an accident: that
Lieut.. Amiss was in the lawful discharge of his
duty and had used none but reasonable means.
When Mr.. Shillington finished crowd of
about thirty witnesses pressed forward and
were sworn.
FIRST WITNESS FOR THE DEFENSE
The first witness called was William Bell. a
colored Methodist preacher. who said he stood
| in the crowd at 18th and Pennsylvania avenue.
He was in the street at the southwest corner OF
the stand occupied by the children. He wss
right IN the roadway ofl5th street facing Penn
sylvauia avenue.
When he first got there, about $50 o oclock,
there were twenty-five or thirty men there
They stood in front of the rope. Soon
the police officer come along and raid:
Gentlemen. step back, step back ~
The policeman formed them in line
back near the curb. Thensothers came along
and formed in front of them. Officers
came along and asked them to step
back. Other men came in the rear
and kept pushing and pressing them
forward. He described young man with a
! light suit who seemed to be the leader
himself forward and finally got in the
row where witness was. Meanwhile
other officers came along and asked them
repeatedly 10 keep back. Then Lieut. Amiss
came along. The witness took ba-
i0 tom ,sn and ansi Placed i, it R. under his MS arm
the lieutenant carried it. Then the Iieu-
tenant said, ''keep back there: there is space
back there keep back" motioning with his
baton, Then LieUt AIniss after going
over the line came again to the point where
witness was and said, Are there anv little
ward where they can sec." Some one said
there was lady and two little chill
dreu there and tho lieutenant had
the line open and the lady and children came
forward. The lady had camp stool and took
a seat. The lieutenant asked the crowd there
to form the line SO as not to come
beyond this seat. The witness said that
the young man in a light suit had crowded for
ward into the space the lieutenant had made
The lieutenant was motioning to the crowd to
get back, saying, Get back, Get back.'
-. SAW THE BLOW STRUCK.
The witness saw the man throw his head
back and saw the club strike him. The man
strnck turned and put his head down and put
his hand to his mouth.
1nen anOincr Oucer came ana led the young
man away. The witness said the lieutenant
was using his club only to motion;
that he did not draw back as if
to strike a blow, and his remarks were
addressed to the crowd generally and not to
this young man. Witness said Lieut. Amiss
did not appear excited or angered
He identified Mr. Fowler as the Young man
who was struck. The witness said that he was
the person described by Witness Munson yes
terday 'as big burly negro" He eaid il was
not true that Lieut.. Amiss had rushed in,
seized witness, thrown him aside and then
struck Mr.. Fowler.
cRoss-EKAMINKD By Mr.. cLAaErr.
The Rev. Mr.. Bell was cross-examined by Mr..
Clagett.
The cross-examination was conducted in q
somewhat satirical tone. One question was,
"Where was Lieut.. Amiss when Mr.. Fovler'e
mouth struck his club?"
The witness said that the lieutenant was in
the crowd, in the fourth line, trying to get the
people back There was no one else struck.
although there were many people close to the
lieutenant.
After Mr.. Fowler was hurt the lieutenant
went out Of the line; another officer came I'M:
the lieutenant said something to him, and tie
officer came into the crowd and took Fowler
away.
After Fowler was struck witness heard some
expressions Of disapproval and Of approval.
Some one said, who struck him?' and the
lieutenant, with his club in his left hand tan