The times., 1899-07-16

roughly handled, and when they started
me downstairs l fought and tried to get
away. The detectives almost tore me 10
pieces, and you can see the result of my
treatment. My shirt, you see, is badly
torn. You say that you know what hap
ened after that. You have heard how We
were brought here and why we are locked
up. Will you tell us what we have done
and what will be done with us? Mickens
had over IS. What has become of that,
and will he get it back?''
After Lee had given his story to the re-
porter Mickens was visited in his cell. He
the tale told by Lee in every
point and added a few details to it. He
said he had no idea the men who appeared
at the room door were officers. but thought
they intended to kill one or both of them.
Boss said Mickens, Il am here to tell
the truth and l will tell you honestly /
thought that man who drawed the pistol
was goin' to kill US. l never thought OF
nothin' 'cept gettin' my pistol off the floor
and then iumpin' out the window. There
wasn't no use of both of us gettin' killed.
When was gettin' over the fence a COL
ored man grabbed me and l thought he
was goin TO help me until l saw other
men comm. OF course i tried to get
away. 1 don't remember If l tried to fire
my pistol, but l think II / had that it
Noulu nave Bput GNOUDNs shO"Sd
a badge, SO how was 10 know what was
doin'?''
When the facts as stated above were
made known to a well known police Of
fetal and to lawyers who watched the out
come of the arrest of Mickens and Lee
with a great deal of interest the official
expressed himself in the matter and one
well known lawyer did more. The official
said: Il have been in many tight places
;,,y nd hot 7 ali
is due TO the fact that when occasion re-
quired l always announced myself as an
officer and Immediately put my badge in
evidence. That undoubtedly obyiated un-
pleasantness and in any event is the
proper manner of procedure. l can recall
the unfortunate shooting of Sergt. Fritz
Passau by Armistead Taylor and feel that
had the officers who were in citizens
clothes made themselves known to the man
a fatality would not have resulted
Public Outrage.
The attorney in speaking of the matter
argued it purely from a legal point of view.
"A mans home is his castle, and man
who pays for a room in hotel or lodging
house is in his temporary home. / can
rot understand how detectives or police
men who are not armed with a warrant
can enter a house and demand admission
to a mans room when they have absolutely
no knowledge of him other than that some
one has said that the man is a stranger and
uncommunicatiye. Even if the proprietor
of the place does admit the officers to his
house, what right have the policemen to
arrogate to themselves the authority of a
magistrate and decide to try the men then
and there? That is what the detectives
did who arrested Lee and Mickens Thurs
day night. II was not for policemen to
say. These men are suspicious and we will
make them prove they are not the murder
ers for whom We are looking. They should
have procured warrants for the arrests
and let the courts decide. If not that,
they should have waited until the men
were on the street, when the arrests could
have been properly made. An examina-
tion at headquarters would have deter
mined whether the men should be held
for court. 1t has since developed that the
coloreu men did not answer the descrip-
ton Of the men wanted in Binghamton in
any way. 1t would appear that the officers,
either because of oyerZealousness or
Ignorance, insisted in taking 1t upon them
selves to establish the arrested men as
murderers.
There is one other thing which might
have played an important part in the hold
ing of the men, and that is that the de-
tectives, realizing, as they must have
done, that the men arrested were not the
murderers, decided that because of the
fight, ETC., that they would try to make a
case against the men anyway to cover
their mistake. II such actions on the part
Of the police are to be tolerated l would
like to know when man can feel safe.
One thing ! notice particularly, that when
recently a citizen requested a policeman
TO make an arrest and pointed out the man
whom he wanted arrested the policeman
stated that he had not such an authority,
as he was not armed with a warrant. The
citizen complained that the man had COM
mitted an offence, but the policeman re-
piled, You must procure a warrant and
when it is handed me / will serve it, Why
is there discrimination? In my opinion,
when the detectives entered the room oc-
cupied by Mickens and Lee without an
nouncing themselves as such they ran the
risk of being killed. The colored men would
have been perfectly justified in shooting
the intruders. / would have done so under
the same circumstances and SO would any
one else. What would the detective who
attempted 10 discharge his revolver have
done had he killed one or both of the men ?
1t is very fortunate that the incident closed
as it did.
In SeIf-Defence.
81 am of the opinion that the time has
come when the people will be justified in
taking the proper measures in protecting
themselves from the ignorance and off,
ciousness of some few policemen who have
become impressed with the belief that they
are the masters of the public and not the
servants. II the position taken by the de-
tectives in the case OF Mickens and Lee
is to govern police affairs no mans lib
erty in the city of Washington is safe
believe man would be perfectly justified
in shooting a policeman when he fails to
show his authority to make ar
rests or interferes In any manner
with the freedom or liberty of the
people. The recklessness of the police in
interfering with the rights and privileges
OF innocent people in this city has about
had Its end. There will be an uprising
some day. l am surprised that the head
of the police department would for one
minute give sanction to such wanton dis
regard of law and order as was perpetrated
by the two detectives on Thursday night.
They should be removed from the force at
once. They are disgrace TO the police
department. 1t makes no difference
whether the outraged citizens are white or
black. The principle is the same. Let the
police understand they are our servants,
not masters. They are simply policemen,
not magistrates"
BETTER CAR SERVICE.