The herald., 1898-10-05
DID BAKER BEAT BROWN?
POLICE BOARD WILL INVESTI-
GATE FURTHER
CHIEFS WHITEWAsH FAILS
Hearing Continued for One Week.
City Attorney Summoned to the
Supreme Court

Officer Baker of the police department
must stand charged with cruel and brutal
treatment of prisoner for another week.
Chief Glass attempt to whitewash the
matter yesterday at the regular meeting
of the police commission was unsuccessful
the commission ordering the continuance
of the hearing until next Tuesday when all
parties are ordered to appear before the
board to tell their stories in detail.
The investigation conducted by Chief
Glass and his findings as set forth in the
documents he submitted to the board
Yesterday are evidence of the remarkable
unfairness with which such matters can be
treated under the prevailing rules and Gus
toms of the police department. On Septem-
Der 26th Mr. Brown filed his complaint
against Officer Baker, the document being
a sworn statement, reading as follows:
"Gentlemen: This is to certify that Po-
lice Officer Baker on the evening of Sep
tember 20, 1898, struck me while was con-
fined in the city prison. I respectfully pc
tition your honorable body to make a thor
ough investigation, to the end that Police
officer Baker be punished for his conduct
toward me- Very respectfully yours,
"WILALIAM BROWN"
AT last week meeting Tie ColiiphaiHl was
referred to Chief Glass. without being read
in open session or even appearing among
the documents handled by the clerk during
the consideration of routine business. The
complainant, who was present at that time
with a witness and a badly bruised face,
was dismissed and told, to return, in a
week. The chief took the complaint, which
was not a rehearsal Of details nor more
than a mere charge, and quietly made his
investigation in the recesses Of the police
sta ton by hearing the stories of the de-
fendant and his friends. At yesterdays
session he submitted the following report
of his finding in the matter:
"Gentlemen: 1 have carefully investi-
gated the charges preferred against Off
Ger S. N. Baker by Mr.. William Brown, a
copy of which Is hereto attached, also
statements of various officers. and recon-
mend Officer Baker be exonerated and the
charges dismissed. Respectfully submit
ted, j. M. GLASS,
"Chief of Police"
Accompanying this report were state
ments from Officers A. P. Richardson, H.
c. Mckenzie, ]. M. Baker and the defend
ant, Samuel N. Baker. The statements of
the first three set forth the circumstances
under which the arrest Of Brown and two
other men took place on the night Of Sep
tember 20th and much space and time were
taken in a recital Of the manner in which
the two other men cursed and used vile
language, although Brown was mentioned
as also swearing and asserting THAI he
could whip the whole police force. Neither
of the statements had any bearing on the
complaint, as the stories told relate solely
to the occurrences incident to the arrest
and the ill-treatmeut Is alleged to have
taken place some two or three hours later.
when the men were in their cells. Officer
]. M. Bakers statement concerns Brown S
general character and recites the occasion
of his arrest two years ago for disturbing
was given the name of "Ten Day" Brown
The only statement pertinent to the
charge Is that submitted from Officer Sam
uel Baker. the defendant himself, which is
as follows:
On September 20, 1898, while acting
jaler during Officer Collins absence on
vacation, about II 80 three men were
sent in by Officer Holleran and I was
ordered to separate them. I sent one
man to cell seven upstairs and put two
in the lower tank-Brown and Lynch.
Lynch was very sulky and unruly and
Brown, who had given the name of
Pete Uknow at the desk, was quite
drunk. Both were noisy and abusive
and ON being told to cease their noise