Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-03-11
7-e POLICE FULLY exoNERATEo.
No,at All at Fault in the Matter of swIce.
goods Death.

goods Death.
Alttie before o'clock Thursday morn
lrr " rch Sd. G. ". Swicegood, of North
Dl- la. was found living in cOmatose
condition 90 the foot of a flight of steps
leading to the second floor over Nalen-
tlrs over Main-street auction store.
au Otey, of the First District.
e. notified. and with the assistance of
.t-e negro men took SwicegoOd 70 tue
I-., -t4uon-house. The prisoner had a
.u.. blood on his face, and Policeman
u,F suggested that he might need
t.. services of a doctor. A careful
Mnlati0n Of the man 10y two of the po-
l.. ..r-tauts, however, disclosed no sign
ot injury. and a. 10 was evident that SVice-
l bad been drinking heavily he was put
il.. cell and left TO sleep on his debauch.
About o'clock IN the evening, however,
i.r prI uer having shown no signs Of
IRiaenlug. Captain Peasants. though
r. under the impression that II was O
-e a helpless drunk, decided TO tele-
ll0ae fox the city ambulance. A
atok response Was made, and when
tle plv-cIg in charge, DR.. Robinson.
C.uiled SwcegoOd be found that he was
eNlg. SwcegOOd died about half-past
t.c.0cs, and a post mOrtem by Coroner
Iag.or ve4lod the fact that his skull was
ra'urci. though there was no external
evidence of such condition. The jury
rendered verdict IN accordance with the
ce' .ormeut1 90 the post mortem, and
um.. they eNonerated the police force and
t'..el tlat the prisoner had been visited a
humber oi times while he was II the cell.
i't mcudtd % systematic examination OF
s..- cases u future.
INVESTIGATED BY THE BOARD.
Tic Board of Police Commissioners.
ae,ulg % incumbent upon them 10 take
,t l4ucc "a tlis latter recommendation,
m.ta' t1c first station yesterday after
'- 90 oclock kand opened up the whole
SUBJECT THE testimony was pretty much
'lruti0n 1f that before the Coroner 5
An examination of Sergeants How
Do Mathews. and WhitlOckr Captain
alnts, aud Policeman Otey brought
the case was considered by them
stupid drunk such as they often
i1 a. with; that nothing peculiar
NH..Drlnds condition was noticed /:
l.a' Doe Wa- frequently visited during the
.t It glicreut members OF the force,
o.. ,lt al proper effort was made TO
lr whether ne had sustained any
I.f uurg. Sergeant Howard said that
-fpl-oi during his connection with
l. .f.e he had seen 900 of what ap-
io rt similar cases. and II was IN
D. iaat whenever an injury was sus-
lu uue WAS lost IN teiephOning
..r city auoulance.
i.. Robinson testified that he made a
'-...li domination of SwicegOod, but
-.. lN ruspiclou of fracture. Both DIR.
and Dr. Bosher testified that II
"l ha'r been impossible for an mex
iu.'' iuan to discover the fracture,
"' ..i' ile conditions superlnduced by
s ifAftJre aud lns -nsi Olllty from
.'.ih are almost identical. They further
.''.-iti iAai no amount Ot medical atIen-
% could have saved the mans lie even
d. summoned as soon as he was found. and
'llY d post mOrtem could have re-
'.,i lhe iu ury.
i.. Taylor said 10 was merely by the most
''A'e manipulation that he ascertalned
4. 'Aefe va prOtruslOn on one side Of
."'''rDylN head. Ii was one OF those
,-" oi tremendous internal fracture with
st unacceptable outward sign.
N ile evidence that Swicegood had
'i nting heavily and the police were
s'i lu supposing that he was insensi-
N'~"A' That was overwhelming.
TAE POLICE K1OSEgATED.
"t ihe conclusion of the testimony the
,.,i1 unanimously adopted the follow
A-ier full investigation Of the evil
',e presented 70 the board as 10 the
,sale.llih.lauces attending the incarceration
J J- ue.th oi q. Nj. Swicegood on the 80
% March, 1897. First Police Station
- F,,o.c,d. That the officers and men,
80 Tie police are hereby exoneTated
ne ,,a, question Of providing for q syste-
"e method Of examination of all such
tg,e '' hereafter viii DO considered at fu-
'-'o meeting Of the board.