Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-05-06
GREEN TO BE TRIED.
Police Board to Look Into Killing of
Reuben Foster.


Policeman Adwin w. Green, who shot and
| killed Reuben Foster, colored, in Hillsdale
| on the 4th Of March, is to be brought to
trial at last This is the result Of the &C
ton of members of the colored Baptist
Preachers Union in filing charges against
the officer with the Commissioners. Officer
Green, as is well known, was exonerated
and released by the coroners jury and two
grand juries have failed to indict him.
Upon the failure of the second grand jury
to indict the officer the Baptist ministers
concluded to take the case before the Com
missioners, which they did. A lengthy
| written document setting forth the facts in
the case from the ministers standpoint,
was filed and, in conclusion, they asked
that the officer be tried for violating the
rules of the manual.
The ministers referred to the provision Of
the manual and the Commissioners after
considering the matter, referred the COM
plant to Major Moore, with instructions to
file charges against the officer.
The charge, which is not under oath,
Ieads as follows:
The Charge.
THAT A. W. Green. a private of class
of the metropolitan police force, District of
Columbia. did about the 4th day of
March, 1885, without the occurrence of any
serious disturbance, in a case which was
not urgent, jeopardize the lives Of innocent
parties and wantonly disregard and take
the life of one Reuben Foster, by the care
less use Of his revolver for the purpose of
intimidation, all to the discredit Of the
metropolitan police department and in VIC
lation Of paragraph 81 of the rules and
regulations governing the metropolitan po-
lice force of the District of Columbia. This
while on duty IN the District Of Columbia"
Paragraph 81 of the manual mentioned in
the charge provides:
hn nf n ct IL
aEce it is the first duty Of the police, If
possible, to restore quiet by moderate eff
forts persuasion, and to dispense the
crowd. If these fail, the offenders must be
dispersed by force and the principals there
in arrested.
1.-The revolver in the hands of the men,
bers of the force shall not be used, except
in the most urgent cases, and in such man
Ter that the lives of innocent parties may
rot be jeopardZed thereby.
''Wanton disregard of life by an officer.
in the careless use of a revolver, will SUBJ
ject him to removal from the force.
Trial on Wednesday,.
The charge was made out Saturday and
sent to Lieut. McCathran, in whose pre-
cinct Green does duty, and a copy of the
charge was served on the officer.
Wednesday morning the accused officer
will be called before the police trial board.
which is composed of Capt. Austin and
Leuts. Swindells and Heifner. The officer
will probably be represented by Lawyers c.
Maurice Smith and John A. Moss, and the
latter will also appear on the witness stand
and give evidence for his client.
AS usual, the hearing will be behind
closed doors, and the public will be given
as much of the evidence as the Mystic
Three see fit to give.
Counsel fer the officer, it is thought, will
claim that the trial board has not the
right to hear the case, the officers con-
duct has been three times investigated, and
he has not been held legally responsible for
what he did.
A number of witnesses will be examined
in the case including a number of persons
who have been interested in the invesuga-
ticn.