The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-05-04
The Chief Tells All About IL.

Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: Your article of last Friday and
yesterday do the mayor myself and the
police force of the city of Scranton much
injustice. The facts of the Washington
Davis case. stated briefly and without
malice, are as follows: The charge
against Washington Davis was one of
drunk and fighting. lie was arrested at
a. m. Thursday morning, and was TAX
en- to the station house. He walked all
the way and did not complain either of
soreness or lameness. He did not make
complaint to either night or day desk SER
geants before the time of hearing. Then
he did complain. The mayor fined him SO
and he was taken back to his cell Pre-
vious to this time Desk Sergeant Ridg-
way procured his breakfast. Shortly af-
ter the hearing, at Ills, Sergeant R'dg-
way telephoned for DR.. Fulton, the police
surgeon, and he called about 2.3O D. m.
When the doctor examined Davis he pro-
nounced the injury to be due to a
sprain at the knee Joint, and handaged
it, When he was received Mt the Lacka-
wanna hospital opiates were administered
to him to ward off a possible attack of
delirium tremens.
The following are the statements OF 9TH
ers who are connected with the case. |
trust that The Tribune in Justice to all
concerned. will give this the same promi-
nencc which it accorded the previous
statements in this case.
Yours respectfully,
Frank Robling. ir.,
Chief of Police.
on the morning of April 90 at 4 a. m I
stood at the corner of Penn avenue and
Spruce street, when | saw some one put
Washington Davis out of Lohmann's res
taurant. He was talking loud and using
profanc language. When the other man
that was also arrested, tried to quiet
him, he, the above Davis assaulted him
k In txpp nv ctril
ing him across the face. This was the
first blow struck; then this man struck
Davis blow with his fist; that all hap
pened in less than thirty seconds.
officer Hezekiah Peters.
| went on duty at o'clock a. IN. April
80. At 5,15 a. m. I had a talk with Wash
ington Davis. He told me he had been
drinking and would like to have some
thing to eat. As soon as Mitchell's dining
room opened | procured him his break
| fast which | paid for. He mover made
any complaint to me about his leg until
| Ills a. m, just before police court and
| Immediately tclephoned to DIR. Fulton,
who was not in at the time, but was in
| formed that he would call as soon as pos
sible. The doctor called at 2.3O p. m.
Sergeant Charles Ridgway.
on Thursday last | was called to the
| police station to see Washington Davis.
who was complaining. the officer stated
| of a painful injury of the knee. | reached
| the station about 2.3O p. m. and found
| that Mr.. Davis had an injury of the knee
| the exact nature of which | could not
| then determine on account of swelling
| but thought it a sprain. | bandagcd the
| leg and made the patient as comfortable
| as possible. | did not send him to the
| hospital at once, as | did not consider
| him sufficiently recovered from the influ-
| ence of liquor to he admitted. The Lacka-
| wanna hospital will not admit patients
| under the influence of liquor. Mr.. Davis
| was removed to the hospital about 10
o'clock Thursday evening.
w. G.. Fulton.
| [Sccretary j. G. Eisele, of the board of
directors of the LaCkawanna hospital
stated last night to a representative of
| this paper that intoxicaton is no bar to
admission to the hospital. Patients will
not be received for treatment for drunk
enness but no injured person is denied
admission to the hospital because of his
being under the influence of liquor.-Ed.l ]