The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-07-03
THE POLICEMAN IVES HASTY.
r.. l.. MERCER TO PREFER CHARG-
Es AGAINST OFFICER WCOOL.


Him Home mt II o'clock at Night.
He Resented This in Emphatic
Language and as "A Result Was
sent to the Barracks-The Charges
Dismissed by Recorder Wilson.
Mr. Mercer VIII Push the Matter
Before the Police Commission.
There was an interesting case in police
/ court yesterday morning. which may
cause a policeman considerable trouble.
/ Mr. r. L Mercer was before the recorder
on the charges Of disorderly conduct and
/ abusing an officer. The charges were
preferred by Mounted Officer McCooL
/ After investigating the case, Recorder
! Wilson dismissed the charge and censured
| the officer for making the arrest.
In making his statement Officer Nc
/ Cool said he was riding on Gwinnett
/ street shortly after midnight, when ne
/ noticed a man walking along Whitaker
/ street. The man was stumbling along
/ and stopping occasionally. He thought
! this looked suspicious. and riding up. de-
manded Of him what he was doing there.
/ The man, who afterwards proved TO be
| Mr. Mercer, seemed to be surprised and
| told him 1t was none OF his business. He
| told him that he better go on home and
/ have no words about it, when Mr.. Mercer
/ replied: you be damned" He then told
/ him to go home, or ne might have to take
/ him in, when Mr.. Mercer told him to 90
| to -." He thought Mr. Mercer was in
! tOxicated, he said, and he became so
! abusive that he had to send him in.
The story told by Mr.. Mercer before
/ the recorder put an entirely different face
/ on the affair.
About Y o'clock last night" he said,
| Il was walking home along the sidewalk
/ Of the park extension, on Whitaker
! street, and had gotten within about fifty
/ yards Of my home, in fact, was in front
| Of Mr. Woods house, when policeman
/ gallOped up on the sidewalk, and almost
/ rode over me. l said to him: Great good
! ness alive, are you going to ride over
| me-? and he replied: No, l know you.
| / said No, I don't think you do know
/ me- / got out of the way as quickly as
| l could and said: You might as well ride
/ over me as scare me TO death. He said:
| You go on home, It's too late for you
| to be out at this time Of night, any how
| Just about this time young man whom
| did not know came up and stopped. 1
| said: What? You be damned. You've
/ got no right to tell me how late / shall be
out at night BY that time he had come
/ up on the sidewalk again, and dismount-
| ed and said: If you talk to me that way
/ I'll take you in About this time two
/ young men came up and stopped. one of
/ them was named Wright and another
! Barbee, and l appealed to them saying
/ If this officer takes me in / may want
/ you as Witnesses The frat one said he
was sorry he would not be here to-mor-
/ row. To the other two / said you didn't
| hear the first part of this conversation,
| but III repeat ii to you and get this
| Ohcer to deny II II he dares, as l may
want you as Witnesses
Il then repeated what had occurred
and the officer couldn't deny the facts.
The officer said to me- viii you go
| on home; I think you've had too much
liquor aboard tonight l said Let me
! tell you, / think you are transcending
to understand what they are He replied,
/ 1 think you are a crank, you're not talk
! ing like gentleman l replied, You re
| insulting in your language and vou've
/ got no right to talk to me in that way.
| Well he said, you go on home and
| | told him as long as he stood there
| insulting me l would not go home until
| l got good and ready, and not until he
| got on his horse and rode off. l asked
! his name, giving him my own, and he
| said, 1t isn't necessary for me 10 give
| my name I told him If it was in the
day time l would be only too glad to
| go TO the barracks and make a charge
| against him, but 1t was late at night
| and l didn't care to go. I told him that
| l would give him my word l would APP
pear at the barracks tomorrow at the
proper time. No he replied you'n go
tonight and he handed the KEY TO
one of the young men and asked him to
| go and ring the call box on Huntingdon
street. He then took hold of me by the
] arm and showed me along the walk and
| l said, don't handle me in that way:
| don't you see that I've got rheumatism
and walk with great deal of difficulty
he SAID, You walk well enough. come
| along he walked me to the call box
/ at the Huntingdon street corner. There
| was sergeant there and l overheard
| him talking to the sergeant about the
| case. 1 heard the sergeant say don
you see that this gentleman is not at
! all under the influence of liquor 1 don
tell you to make the arrest, you must
| DO II on your own authority
| Il told the sergeant who was riding off
can my witnesses go down in the red
| maria with me?' He replied they could
| II they were my witnesses. The ser
| geant then rode off. After some time
| the red maria drove up, and l was told
TO get In which l did and told my wit
| nesses to get in. Officer McCool said no
| II they want to 90 down they'll have to
| walk, and they replied very well Mr.
Mercer, Wen walk Wen be there We
drove down TO the barracks and in at the
! Habersham street side to the lookup. I
| was told by the officer there to go inside
ana said, no, want to make a state
| ment TO the sergeant in charge in the
once. L was told after some little DELAY
! that l could go TO the Office and as I
/ walked in, the sergeant whose face I
! knew perfectly well, but not by name.
! said: How do you do. Mr.. Mercer. take
| seat. told him it was an outrage and
would ike to make a brief statement to
| MN lie said 60 ahead and l stated the
| iaets. he said l can't understand 1T and
| II wanted to go home l would have TO
! get bondsman. l said could NOT reach
Oondsman at that time of night and he
Sald ned see what he could do about n
lie secured Mr.. Julius Kaufman. who an
Peared promptly, coming in a hurry. and
tod him | was sorry to trouble hin,
out ne said he was only too glad to sion
my bond He signed the bond and sa{d
now can't you send me back in the red
maria, you brought me down here in If
lie said no he couldn't do that hut he
would nave the ambulance hitched mn ana
send me home in IT, 1 thanked him an5
told MIN that would be too much tro,1bia
ana l would get a cab. Mr.. Wright ana
ar. Barbee. who were there when I ar
rived, kindly offered to go out and pet me
a cab, which they did and I rode home
These are the exact facts
Messrs. Wright and Barbee. who r,ar,
present. eorroborated Mr. MERGERS 500
ment. Mr.. Mercer was reDreser "a ~,
Mr.. George A. Mercer. Jr The latter ~
ted after the charges had been disnlts ses,7
py the recorder that he. considered ~