Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-06-22
AFFAIRS IN ALEXANDRIA
Officer Atkinson Declared to Have Been
Guilty of Discourtesy.
Details Of the Inquiry Made by the
Police Commit sion ers-The Repri.
mnnd-Delegates Elected.
Evening Star Bureau,
No. 529 King street
Rell Telephone No. 1860,

ALEXANDRIA, Va, June %, 1897.
A called meeting of the board Of police
commissioners was held last night at the
mayors office shortly after o'clock to in
vestfgate the charges against Policeman
Weston H. Atkinson which were preferred
by Lawyer Eugene B.-Taylor. After ses-
sion lasting over two hours the commits
sioners instructed the mayor to reprimand
Mr.. Atkinson this morning.
The accused was represented by Mr.. An
thony w. Armstrong. Mr.. Taylor made a
request of the commissioners to be per-
mitted to have Mr.. Samuel G. Brent rep
resent him ana prosecute the case. This re-
quest brought forth great deal of discus
sion among the commissioners. Mr.. Bryant
insisting that policeman had a perfect
right to counsel in conducting his Defense
tut that the commissioners represented the
city and were capable of conducting the
prosecution themselves. Commissioner
Strauss said he was in favor of allowing
an attorney to represent Mr.. Taylor. a
vote vas finally taken, resulting as follows:
Bryant, Lindsey and Tackett, no; Strauss
yes.
question and cross-examine witness him
self, which was allowed. The attorney
then took the stand and said:
About ten days ago l was standing at
ington street. talking to Mr.. William Wat
ties, when l saw a man run by me with
stick in his hand. Immediately behind
him was another man, who called out to
the man in lead Halt you -, or
will kill you This remark was repeated
several times When the men reached the
alley just this side of the church the one
in the lead fell to the ground. and the pur-
suer ran up and kicked him several times
in the side while he was down, at the same
time cursing him.
THE man running with the stick turned
out to be a tramp named Wilson. and the
and oursins. was Officer Atkinson. The
officer Placed the tramp under arrest, and
tCck him to the station house. After this
was all over several of us were standing
at the corner of King and Washington
streets talking about the affair. and
stated that the act of the officer was
most brutal and cowardly one. After that
night l never mentioned the affair to a
single person.
THE night of June II went to the sta
ton house to attend ward meeting being
held there, ard when 1 reached the may
or ONCE upstairs l was approached by
Islr. Atkinson. who. in most insolent man
ner. said: You are the man l have been
looking for l asked him what he wanted.
and he (Atkinson) replied, saying: What
Is THIS L hear you have been saying about
my cruelty treating and kicking that
tramp"
Il repeated what I had seen and heard
whereupon the officer called me d liar
tod him he was another, whereupon the
o1ncer slapped at me. brushing his hand
across my face. / then asked him who was
On duty, as i desired to report his conduct
and the officer replied. saying: You don't
know, do you; you can find out the best
way you can went down stairs and re-
ported the matter TO Chief Webster"
This ended Mr. Taylor's statement
MI. William Wattlcs then took the stand
ne SAID that On the night in question he
was standing at the Fairfax Club door
talking with Taylor. His statement as to
what took place en- Washington street was
about the same as that tcld by Mr. TAYLOR
Mr. Atkinson then testified in his own be-
half. He narrated the facts leading up to
the arrest of the two tramps the night in
question. He said that the tramps were
very unruly. and had attempted to strike
him with sticks which they carried
w hen | arrived in front of Mr.. Geo APP
pich's saloon, On King street." said the
officer, both tramps bucked, and declined
TO go with me, one of them raised his stick
and attempted to strike me, and l struck
MIN with my fist, knocking him to the
ground.
During the excitement the second
tramp made his way to the corner of King
and Washington streets. ! was told by
several citizens that they would guard the
first tramp, who was then living upon the
pavement. while l went after the other
one l started after him and he ran up
Washington street. ] called to him to halt
and he would not. When the alley was
reached the tramp stumbled and fell When
l arrived within about five feet of him he
threw his hand back to his pistol pocket
as If he were going to draw gun. then
rushed up to him. and not having my stick
with me, kicked his hand away from his
pocket"
At this point the officer was asked by his
attorney, Mr.. Armstrong, what he had to
say in regard to having cursed the tramp,
as Mr. Taylor had testified.
hn ,I,,fs 11rv VA
Atkinson. Il defy any living man to come
forward and truthfully say he ever heard
me utter profane word in my life, and
any man who tcstifies that / cursed that
tramp willfully perjures himself
In regard to what took place at the sta
ton house the night that Mr.. Taylor al
legged that he was assaulted and insulted
by Officer Atkinson. Mr.. Atkinson stated
that he was on duty at the time Mr.. Taylor
came to the station house, and he asked
him what it was he CTaylor) had been saw
ing about him in regard to the arrest of
the two tramps.
Mr.. Taylor told me that had been gull
ty of cruel treatment and cursing the
uamps." continued Atkinson. Il told him
that he was mistaken and Taylor then
said l was ID liar. 1 replied, saying
You another and Mr.. Taylor struck
me in the breast.
Il thought the man was fooling." said
Mr.. Atkinson. ''or / would have dashed his
brains out against the floor, for l will not
language. which l have never done in my
life, and tnen be told that am a d
liar.
MIR. Taylor asked me who was on duty,
and 1 told him to find out the best way he
could. Mr.. Taylor then went down stairs.
hut in few minutes returned. and told
him that / was in charge" Upon cross
examination Mr.. Atkinson said that he was
not mad on the night in question and had
never borne any malice toward Mr.. Taylor
or any other man.
Several Witnesses were called, all testify
ing to the fact that they had known Officer
Atkinson for a number Of years., several
having worked with him, and none had
ever heard Officer Atkinson use an oath OF
any description or kind. Chief Webster and
Lieut.. Smith both testified that they con-
sidered Atkinson a good, faithful officer,
and neither. although they had seen him
under the most trying circumstances had
ever heard him utter profane word
Mr.. William F. Carne testified that the
night Of the arrest of the tramp by Atkin-
son he (Carne) was at the corner of King
and Washington streets and saw the ofticer
running after the tramp.
THE only thing heard" said Mr. Carne
was the officer calling to the man to halt.
l did not hear him curse at all. Further