The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1895-01-17
OFFICER WARREN REPLIES
A Letter in Answer to the
Charges Of Drunkenness.
RUM0R NOT ALWAYS TRUTH
The Evidence Of the Court of Inves-
tigation Repeated With Its Con-
Trajectory Statement. a
Remarkable Arrest.
investigation.
RUMOR NOT ALWAYS TRUTH
PORTSMOUTH, VA, Jan, ls, 1895.

PORTSMOUTH. Va, Jan. 1s, 1895.
Editor Of The yirRlnisn:
AS you have given such wide pub.
Ecity to the Warren Investigation,
trust that your generosity will per
nit you 10 give this statement
place III your columns. On the day
of the night OF my arrest in Norfolk
l WAS aslsep from p. m. until 1880
p. IN. | went to Norfolk on the
500 boat, WAS arrested, released ana
returned to Portsmouth on the 10 p.
III. boat. While in Norfolk l Wis.
tied some friends residing on Bank
street and remained there about
thirty or thlrty-iive minutes, and
that is positively the only house /
visited while in Norfolk. All OF my
friends there could have gone before
the Com missionerg and testified In
my behalf had | requested it.
AS TO the charge of visiting dis.
reputable houses, will say that
charge was not made against and
| pronounce the rumor false in
every particular, and invite any
officer or citizen OF Norfolk or
Portsmouth to come forward and
testify to the same, 1t WAS shown by
the witnesses at my trial, thnt | was
not drunk at $50 when / returned
10 Portsmouth. Now, Mr.. Editor.
DO You honestly think that man
conid leave this city ut 500, 90 to
Norfolk, visit friends and remain
Tor thirty minutee, wink down Bank
street to Main, tnke AN electric car,
ride to the corner of Church and
Mariner streets, be arrested, taken
10 tho ststlophouse, released anu
returned TO Portsmouth sober Oh
she ~ p. IN. boat2
kumor Is not always truth, and il
The aspiisnts for police huuors in
this city would go before the Com
missloners and tell under oath what
they tell on the sly, policeman's
lot would be anything but happy
one. AS to my talking with Il negro
woman, Will only say that she mis-
TOOK me for n Norfolk officer and
wanted to make a complaint. told
her that | was not Norfolk officer.
and 1t was at this time that Officer
bass arrested me.
Hls testimony aud that OF Can't.
mig before the Commissioners was
correct and deny most emphati-
cally that | was released by the in,
huenoe OF Officer James. AS to the
opinion OF Mr.. Fr'edlin, who served
Tor short period rs Police Com
missioner illegally or not is Ques.
nom, l have only to say That, hay
Ing resigned from the position, that
common decenoy should have pre-
vented him from airing his opinions
through the press.
Respectfully yours,
". w. WARREN.
The following is the testimony of
ofhcer Bass aud Capt. King before
the Board of Police Commissioners
OF Portsmouth, referred To by OH.
Ger Warren:
hobert j. Bass, member of the
police force OF Norfolk. WAS called
aud testified as follows: He went to
the Norfolk and Western depot and
on MS return from there he came
pack TO the end OF his beet aud saw
al officer aud asked the result of tha
meeting OF the Norfolk Commission.
ers: lie saw the officer on the car
' NN iASOt SthJ VINO mat OH
Ger was and his reply WIS, "a drunk
en- policeman from Portsmouth, Hs
went down Fenchuroh street and H.,
followed and saw him talking to a
negro woman.
de asked him what he vas DOING
then the oihcer said: 81 don't know
mat Is any OF your business" NV
remark was are you drunk? His
reply was: Cant you tell? You
are petty policemen if YOU can't
teil when man is drunk. Yon had
better carry me to the station.
house." His reply was: II will"
II was then carried there. Capt.
hing said: 81 will have TO detain
20, ,o Until until morning. 1; lie then began
said would let up on him: ha
might cause HIM to lose his lob"
then said: 81 will witLdrsv NV
charges" Capt. King said: "Yon
ere FREQ to 60" and he lett.
~ did not see him take n dr;n,,
or go into house OF i'll fame | d,J
not consider him drunken man
but he had been drinking"
Capt. King was called and stutsd
ehat ths evidence given by Ms, Bass