The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1895-10-18
A Lengthy Hearing Given 10 the Charges
Made Against Police officer Curtis.
CHARGES AGAINST OTHER OFFICERS.
Sergeant Robinson and officer Knapp
Make CouutcrChnrEcS- Oniccr nmss
dismissed From the Force 4
Complaint Against nm Evangelist
Minister.

The first business before the board
was the Investigation of the charges
preferred against Detective Curtis by
Mr.. NJ. Friedman, charging that OIL
GER with making false reports in
connection with the arrest of man
on the night of October Sth for steal
ing lot of clothing. and attempting
10 sell ii to Mr.. Friedman Th" charges
as preferred toy the complainant
against the detective are that the lat
ter accused Mr. Friedman with keep
ing fence for stolen property. and
that ne used language toward him UNI
becoming AN officer Attorney W. y.
Swank appeared for Mir Friedman
and the rain,ir was tn" first witness
in his own behalf. MIR. Friedman teS-
tilted that when the thief came to sell
the clothing To- him. hc suspected that
tn" goods had boom stolen and immo-
diatelN telephon.d to the police sta
ton for an officer that Detectives
Williams and Curtis answered his
call. and that his son. sam Friedman.
guided the officers to where the
thief was located. He said that it was
always his custom to send for an uiii-
Ger when he suspected Il party who
was trying /" sell him clothing Of
having stolen the goods that he read
the publication in The Evening News
about tn" arrest. ana as 1t reflected
an him ANA his business. he saw De
tectivc Curtis on the afternoon If
the 9th, and asked him his authority
FOR giving such story To- the News
about him: that the officer thcrcupOu
abused HIM. and called him "a gray
haired jew - of D." and uthcrW is,
reviled him Attorney SWank here
read another article from the Even
ing News in which Mr.. curtis is
reported as saying that he was am
Nious for the Investigation to come off
as he could prove that Mr.. Friedman
place was IL fence.
Samuel aud Robert Friedman. sons
of the plaintiff. corroborat"d their
fathers statement in every particular
claiming that they were near by when
the officer MIR g. W. Russell. the re
porter on the News. and the party who
wrote up III" story. testified that h"
had gotten all OF TN" information re
uort"d i'm TN" reports from M"ssrs
Curtis ana Williams. and that Mr.. cur
tbs was the party who told him that
Mi. Freidmnn's plac" was a fence
rur stolen goods
Sergeant [irchmior testified that he
received tn" telephone message from
MIR Friedman and sent Detectives cur
It's and Williams an 10 his place. Nh
curtis was tho first witness in his own
defense. lie denied every charge made
against him ly MIR. Friedman aud dc
nieG the statement made by Mn Rus
sell. that he had told him that Nil
nrodmnn'S nlacc was Il fence" fui
stolen goods. that h" did not know What
the term Hence meant until Mr.. Rus
sell afterwards explained ITS meaning
10 him He also denied as false tn" To-.
timuny al tho Fri, dmaus respecting The
ldnEuag" used toward him.
Al this uoiut Commissioner Ncrdtyr
took occasion Ia conSur- all officers Wh,
CAV" news to the reporters with II El,.,N
10 gaining nulori"ty and further stated
a
any officer excepting The Chici IRON.
giving news 1" tn" reporters aud that
II a case came before them in future
proving mat AN officer had been uuilty
of violation of This order. that he
would dismiss said officer from the force,
IL either OF tn" other Commissioners
would vote with him
All Ncrtllcr wanted all within hcariu,
OF mis- voice OF under stand that news
paper nutori"ty had no influence upon
them. that il they dtd their duty. the
board would Keep them in otiic,, ana
II not the Board would relieve them.
Notwithstanding lhe newspaper aGVci-
tisemrnt that tn" officer may have So
cured Detectives Williams and Rici-
drdSun and officer Woodward currolu-
rated Mir. Curtis testimony rrspcctiu.,
ms behavior toward Mn Friedman at
the tim" the abusiv" languag" was al
legged - have been used. denying that
detective toward the Ellintin ii Was
attempted 10 prove 10y Officer Wood
ware That he knew Of instances OF buN .
going into Mr.. :'rirdman'S place with
stolen goods hut the defense failed 10
prove this point Mr.. Friedman was re-
called and In rcbuttal of the statement
made by Detective Williams that hc had
made certain statements to him he de
MED that h" had ever talked to bet, c-
tive Williams about ;hc matter De
t"ctiVo Williams here created n little
sensation hv asking MIR. Friedman ii
he had not asked him to drink with him
tain night Mir Friedman denied this
Attorney Swank concluded with q
strong argument in behalf of his client
ard against the detective.
y complaint was next read from Nj
| T. J. Arlington. city editor OF The
Nirginian. charging Detective Curtis
with giving 10 the press secrets &c lii,
police department. before they are ready
for publication. This case was cOntu-
ued FOR further investigation.
Attorney James f.. Heath. Jr.. for his
client Frank Stith. presented tn" fol
| lowing charges against Officers Sherman
and a. O Woodhouse on the night oi
October 4th and the early morning oi
cctoner 9Th We're guilty of conduct un-
| becoming a gentleman toward the com
| plainant. and certain members of his
| family, ana that they used indecent
language towards them. Charges
That said officers did maliciously ana
wantonly execute same. These charges
! We're continued until the next boarC
meeting.
petition was presented from a Mum
Der of citizens resdingson Commercial
| Place. asking that EVANGELIST Morgan