Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-08-16
GORDON GOT HURT.
Jury 10 Decide Whether 1t Was Justi.
fable or Not.

When William Gordon, a coIored man.
was In the Police Court this morning he
lad head on him that was a beauty
his time 1t was not from overindulgence
in the seductive cup, but from contact with
an equally har1 substance, to wit police
mans club. There were two wounds on
the side of his Uranium, and a space of
about four inches square above the left
frontal bone had been clean shaven by the
doctor who attended him afterward
Gordon was charged with assaultiny
Officer Creagh. The defense was that he
was more slnned against tnan SHINING or
in other words, himself the victim of
an unprovoked assault He was given
jury trial. ... -...
the trouble occurred on the evening of
August g. at the flying horses on q street
northeast. Gordon vas "hshting drunk
at the time, and when he ordered off
the grounds attacked him in a vicious man.
ner, tripped him up. fell on top of him and
attempted to bite as we'll Jas beat MN.
Creagh asserted that he did not inflict the
wounds upon hIs prisoners neau, ioI ne Vas
in such position at the time that he could
not have used mis- club IL lie mad wdntcu L..
If ii had not been for the assistance of Of
ticer Payne and the special oiiicer at the
lying horses it would have gone hard with
him.
All of Creagh's material statements were
corroborated by the two policemen AMI by
numbar of dlsinterested witnesses. Officer
Payne admitted that he was the one who
struck the two blows that LEFT their i'm
print on Gordons skull
why did you strike him on the head ?'
asked Gordon's lawyer. .-...-r H--.
Because that was the most convenient
place to hit him." ,s-@ -'' 2 =
What did you hit him for?"
ITO keep him from doing further damage
to Mr. Creagh. If L hadn't interfered Just
when l did AIR. Creagh might have been
manned for life"
Other witnesses testified that they saw
OHlcer Creagh order Gordon off the grounds
as he was acting in a disor,lerly manner
ana that then the trouble began, in which
the ofhcer was getting very much the worst
of 1t, playing the role of under dog in the
fight.
Gordon took the stand in his own behalf
and said that he was an industrious abor-
ing man. According to his version of the
affair, he and the officer fell together as the
latter was running him to the patrol box
and that he made no effort to bite his Gus
todian. He described himself as the victim
OF hard treatment at the hands of the three
officers. On crOss-eXaminaton he admitted
that several years ago he was i'm the court
charged with biting officer Persons finger
The case Was argued briefly by Mr.
MulloWney for the prosecution and Mr.
Darlington Cor the defense. The case was
| then given to the jury, and as there was
no sign of their reaching an immediate
verdict the court took recess until .
o'clock.
At 2:10 the jury returned a verdict of
guilty, with a recommendation for mercy.
Judge Mills said that the charge of assault
| ing policemen while in the performance of
| their duty was altogether too common in
| this city; but that in view of the fury s
| recommendation he would limit Gordon $
| punishment to a fine of $40 or sixty days
| III Jail.