Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-03-06
GREEN AND HIS PISTOL
The Verdict Of the Coroner's Jury Was q
Surprise.
Comment Made ON 1t Todny-FeelinE
in Anac0stin-The Police
Regulations.

The body Of Reuben Forester or Foster,
the young colored man who was shot and
killed by Policeman Green in Anacostia
Monday afternoon, has been turned ov~r
to his mother, and his funeral will proba-
bly, take place tomorrow. 1t is thought
that the funeral will be the occasion of the
turning out of large number of colored
residents of Anacostia, not for the reason
of the dead mans popularity, but because
Of the circumstances under which he was
killed.
The verdict of the jury in finding that the
colored mans death was accidental came
in the nature Of surprise to almost
everybody who was not aware of the feel
ing Of the residents Of Anacostia in regard
to both the officer and his victim The
officer had done duty there for a number
Of months and had made a good record
and was exceedingly popular. On the other
hand the dead man had figured in many
assaults and disorderly gatherings and
many of the residents were afraid of him.
During the afternoon of the shooting
many who knew the man expressed a
great amount of satisfaction over the fact
that he would disturb them no longer. and
they seemed ready to exonerate the officer
irrespective of any legal aspect OF the case.
Lawyers Surprised.
To persons who have an idea of the law
governing policemen and their rights to
complete surprise, and especially among
the lawyers has the case been discussed
today. 1t appears to be the unanimous
opinion of members Of the bar that the
officer had no right whatever to use his
weapon, and that he should be called to
account for his action. Those with whom
a Star reporter conversed expressed them
selves freely about the matter and said
that in event of prosecution in the Grim
inal Court the government would certainly
1,, oh To ohav c1o1f Ohf I'm 1ap
yer went even further and said that the
line between murder and manslaughter
in the case was one that would have to
be very closely drawn, although he thought
the grand jury would not indict for any
thing greater than manslaughter.
Officer Green. who was detained at the
station until the coroner's jury passed upon
the case, has returned to duty. At the
time he made the arrest of Forester he
had no warrant, but had been told that
Forester had figured in cutting ARRAY
Of the substation, had given orders for
the mans arrest Arrested as he was with
out warrant the arrest, it is alleged was
illegal, and the prisoner therefore had the
right to run or resist, so when the officer
used his pistol he did so at his own peril.
The Police and Their Pistols.
The rules of the manual are plain on the
question of the use of the pistol in the
hands Of officers and are to be found on
page q of the book, copy of which is in
the hands of every member of the force.
The rules read as follows:
1.-THE revolver in the hands of the men,
bers of the force shall not be used except
in most urgent cases, and in such manner
that the lives of innocent parties may not
be jeopardized thereby.
'Wanton disregard of life by an officer,
in the careless use of a revolver, will SUBJ
ject him to removal from the force.
THE revolver should never be drawn,
much less discharged, for purposes of in
timidation.'
Mny BE Prosecuted.
The police generally seem pleased at the
exoneration Of the officer, although some
of them admit the belief that he was not
justified in what he did. The exoneration
by the coroner's jury will, in all probable
ity, not end the case, for friends of For
roster express an intention of seeing shat
the case gets before the grand jury, II
possible, in which event they hope to have
an Indictment returned and the officer ar
rested and tried. 1t Is possible that a
Police Court warrant for the officers ar
rest may be sworn out as the Police Court
has jurisdiction to hold a preliminary ex-
animation.
During the past few years several per-
sons have been killed by policemen, and in
all but one case the officer was eXonerated
either by the coroner's jury or by the Grim
inal Court The exception was the case of
Policeman Terry. who killed Willis WASH
iDgton during the 'Iack S1aSher