The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-06-30
PUT OFF IN SHORT ORDER.
POLICEMEN O'NEILL AND MALPHUs
FIRED FROM THE FORCE.

Against Citizens Makes ont "A Yer,
bad Case For the POIicemen-PIen-
~ of Witnesses Testify 10 Outra-
EeOus Conduct on Their Part-Ths
Evidence So bad That the MRyOI
Discharged the Policemen without
Giving Them a Special Hearing and
Dismissed the Cases Against the
Parties Whom They Arrested.
The mayor made quick work Of Police
men MalDhus and O'Nenl yesterday.
The result Of the hearing Of the cases
made against Mr.. +. NJ. Habersham, Mr..
/ L. II. LeClaire and Dan Houston, colored,
/ by O'Neil and Maiphus was the dismissal
Of the charges against them and the sum
mary dismissal Of the two policemen from
the force
/ The evidence against the policemen was
most damaging. The cases were set for
a hearing at $50 O'Clock. Mr.. Haborsham
and Mr. LaClaire were on hand, accom-
panied by Freight Agent Youmans of the
Savannah, Florida and Western railway
and a number of clerks of the road who
were witnesses to the affair. Mr.. W. L.
Clay of the counsel for the road repre-
scented the accused.
Malphus and O'NeiH we're first sworn and
Malphus told the story of the affair from
their standpoint. He said they came off
duty Friday morning at Z o'clock. They
walked down Liberty and East Broad
streets together, and went into Richard
Muller's bar. where they had couple of
drinks each. They had come outside and
were standing on the curb. when some
hucksters showed against them with their
baskets. O'Neill showed one of the women
back, putting his hand on her breast, and
her basket fell Off The women became
very abusive, he said. Dan Houston ran
up and abused O'Neill on account of the
affair and struck at him. O'Neill was too
quick for him, however. and landed a blow
first, knocking him down. ONeill then
attempted to put Houston under arrest,
when he resisted. Malphus went to his as
sistance, and drawing his pistol struck
the negro several blows over the head
with it.
Under the sharp cross questioning of
MIR. Clay, Malphus entered more fully
into details. 1t was impossible however,
for him TO remember anything that he
said, or what O'Neill, or the huckster or
Houston, or Mr.. Habersham, or any one
else said at any stage of the affair He
said that when O'Neill spoke to the woman
she replied in an insulting manner. He
could not remember the words. When
Houston ran up he spoke in an insulting
manner, Malphus said, but he could not
remember the words used. He struck
Houston several times with his fist and
several times with his pistol. The negro
Strucl< hack a "a pdOrn and m a ma prpd RI
break away and ran down to the Savan-
nah, Florida and Western freight shed,
where the two pursued and caught him.
He resisted, and they struck him several
more blows. They then took him over to
the box at Liberty and East Broad streets.
Several white men came up and inter-
fered with them Mr.. Habersham, Malphus
said showed O'Neill. He told O'Neill to
put Mr.. Habersham under arrest. The
latter wanted To know wha. was the
matter and ne told him to shut up. Mr..
Habersham was talking very excitedly,
and had a great deal to say, he said but
he could not state anything that was said.
O'Neill said that Malphus had made eN-
acty the same statement as he would
have made. When Houston came up and
spoke to him about fitting the woman 8
basket, he said, the negro cursed him
and started to strike him. O'Neill struck
back. The woman's basket struck him in
the neck, he said, and he reproVed her and
showed her off. She was abusive, and he
was following her to arrest her, when
Houston came up. He had some words
with the negro, who started to strike
him, when he hit first and knocked him
down. The negro struggled and fought,
and broke away from both himself and
Malphus. When MIR. Habersham came up
to them at the box he showed him. O'Neilt
said he considered that Interference, and
rot1t m a q W q
the crowd from the sidewalk at the time.
Richard Muller, in front OF whose place
the difficulty began, said the policemen
had been in his store and had each had
two drinks, and went out. He was reading
the Morning News when he heard row
outside and looking up saw Houston COM
ing at o Neill, who struck him and knock
ed him down. He broke away from them
and ran across to the green where they
caught him again. Malphus drew his pistol
and the negro grabbed it. Malphus jerked
it away and beat him over the head With
it. This was all he knew about the affair.
Mr. Clay had a number of witnesses
sworn. Charles H. Brown was his first wit
ness. He said he saw Houston coming
across the green when Q'Neill ran up and
grabbed him in the collar and commenced
beating him in the face with his pistol.
Malphus then ran up and put the pistol in
his face. The negro grabbed the pistol with
ms mana, ana MalpnuS Jerked IL away from
him and beat him in the head with it. Both
men continued to beat Houston. Then they
let him go and he ran in the freight shed.
The negro called police" and the men
ran after him and caught him. He did not
resist, Brown said but they continued to
strike him, and dragged him off.
Mr. Philip Guilmartin saw the latter part
of the difficulty. He saw Mr.. Habersham
come up as if to speak to the negro, when
O'Neill caught hold of him and dragged
him to the box
Mr.. w. w. Dowell, paymaster at the
Savannah, Florida and Western railway,
said he met Mr.. Habersham and walked
with him to the box to see what Houston
had been arrested for. Mr.. Habersham
asked what was the matter. Malphus told
him it was none of his business. He then
spoke TO Houston who began to tell him
in a quiet way of the difficulty. O'Neill who
was showing and knocking everybody off
the sidewalk, came up and ordered Mr.
Habersham away. When ne did not go
ONeill grabbed him in the collar and
swung him up against Malphus, telling the
latter to hold him.
Mr.. Habersham was put on the stand
/ by Mr.. Clay. Il went into the freight ware
house few minutes to.9 o'clock he said
when was told that two men had come
q