The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-05-03


remained there until late hour at
night, when Police Surgeon Fulton was
at last summoned. He found Davis
leg so badly swollen that he could not
make a diagnosis of the case, and or
dered the man taken to the hospital at
once.
FACTS WERE GIVEN OUT.
All of the facts with reference to the
case related above, were given out at
police headquarters Thursday before it
was ascertained that Davis leg was
really in bad shape.
Then came a change.
Friday afternoon Acting Desk Ser
geant Ross tried to make Tribune re-
porter believe that Davis was not at
all badly hurt; that he was discharged
and walked to the hospital. AS a mat
ter of fact he was taken to the hos
pital by Patrolman John Moir in the
patrol wagon and it will be weeks at
least before Davis will be able to use
the leg. He says the bones are broken,
but it will be several days before the
swelling will have gone down sufli-
ciently to allow a proper examination
of the injured member to be made by
the doctors at the hospital.
Yesterdays Free Press stated that
the story printed in Fridays Tribune
was a tissue of lies and the editorial
comment being founded on lies, was
misleading, malicious and false" There
was a good deal more of the same kind,
all of which the hopeful editor-assist-
ant-mayor knew was false, but felt It
his duty to say in defense of his chief,
That The Tribune story was very
conservative and wholly true is shown
by the following statement of the case
written by Mr.. Davis:
MIR. DAVIS STATEMENT.
Editor of The Tribune.
Sir:-Pormit me short space in your
paper to correct some false statements
| made in publications circulated in Scran-
ton regarding my personal case and the
I Scranton police.
A previous nalady of long standing led
| to my arrest, upon what charge | am even
| now ignorant. This malady is "A heart
| trouble, WhtCh | have some times been
able to drive away by proper quantities
| of Whisky, which | generally take under
| the advice of a physician. But Wcdnes-
| day night this dli not answer, and l be-
came unconscious, failing to the side
walk on Spruce street, breaking the left
| leg at the knee
taken to the station where the leg. brok-
| en- at the knee in the fall began to pain
me beyond endurance, l waited till day
| light or untl an officer came around and
asked him to send for physician. From
| that time on it was struggle against in
| sanity, so inteise was the pain. With
| the exception of one member of the force,
| Scranton may as well have no police. l
| called until my throat was worn out for
some one to send for a physician, who
| could set my broken leg, because l realized
that If even a small wound is not prompt
| ly attended to it often becomes fatal or
| chronic. Yet the police department of
| Scranton (Which should be investigate ed
by the penitentiary commission paid no
| attention to this.
| The man called mayor called me to his
| court of justice" about II O'clock That
| left leg would not bear me up. l was
| carried out, wild from suffering twelve
| hours of exc-uciating pain. l supposed
| the mayor or judge, or whoever he might
| be, would have sense enough to send for
a surgeon or send me to a hospital, But
| he Simply laughed and fined me, or said
something-I was in too much pain to
| hear.
1T WAS TWENTY THREE HOURS.
came from a respectable family, have
| led respectable life in a respectable pro
| fession. but it was eleven hours more
| twenty-threc in all-before ! could induce
anybody to even telephone to some news
paper man for me. | have read of the
Spanish prisons, but was never before
| incommunicado.
If this leg must be amputated, or per
nanently disabled, l shall have no alter
native but to punish the mayor and others
through the proper legal channels, fol
gross incompetence and criminal negli
genCe.
| to a. bn
pital on Thursday night about II o'clock
/ have been nicely treated, but the physi
clans are not yet able to diagnose th'
case on account of long delay in the frs
treatment.
Thanking The Tribune for many kind
nesses, l am Gratefully yours,
Washington Davis.