The times., 1899-07-16
INNOCENT MEN ARRESTED
The Oyer-OlIiciousness of Two PO
lice Detectives.
EncronchinE Upon the Liberty of the
PeopIe-Too Much ZeaI-Policemen
without Either Badges or Au-
fhorfty of the Lnw-The Act Look
ed Upon n Public Outrage.


Peter Mickens and Abraham Lee, the
colored men arrested Thursday night with
out warrant and locked up by Detectives
Herndon and Lacy. were released from Gus
tody yesterday morning by District Attor-
ney Davis, after having been incarcerated
in a cell at the Sixth precinct station for a
period covering more than thirty hours.
That the men were guiltless of any crime
was evidenced by the fact that they were
discharged as soon as the circumstances of
their arrest were made known to Mr. Davis.
The men left the city Immediately after
gaining their liberty. II is said that they
were penniless as the result of the mach
nations of colored lawyer, whom, it is
alleged, gained possession of the small
capital possessed by the unfortunate men
on the representation that he could secure
their release. AS matter of fact, the
lawyer did not figure in the discharge
proceedings at all, the District Attorney
being alone responsible for the fact that
the colored men are not now prisoners.
The action of the police in arresting and
holding Mickens and Lee and the manner
OF the arrest in particular, has occasioned
considerable comment in police and legal
circles. Many persons have spoken freely
concerning the matter, md not few have
indulged in strong talk. The general inn
preston is that the police exceeded
their authority when they made the
arrests. Even Major Sylvester, Super
1ntendent of Police, admitted yester-
day that his men had not acted
IN the matter as he should have wished
9ie stated that an investigation of the af-
fair had been under way since Friday
morning and that the matter would be
thoroughly sifted. Major Sylvester was at
first inclined TO mitigate the action of the
officers who made the arrest by attempting
10 show why they should have acted in the
matter, but when he was spoken to in ref
erence TO the details of the arrest he ac-
knowledged that the officers in some re-
spects were at fault.
1t viii be remembered that Mickens and
Lee were arrested because they were sus-
pected. the police said, of being the mur-
derers of Rabbi Louis Ginsburg, at Bing-
hamton, N. Y, on July 4. Both suspects
were ignorant colored countrymen. Mick
ems home is at Orange Courthouse, while
Lee halls from Stokeland, near Danville
Va They had. previous to their arrival
in this city, been employed at Rapidan,
where they were threshing wheat. They
Charlottesville en- route to Clifwood, n. J..
where Mickens' two sons live. The object
OF the journey was TO get employment.
When they arrived in this city they were
met at the Pennsylvania Railroad station
by a colored man who asked if they did
not want to remain in the city over night.
As the men were agreeable to the sug
gestion they accompanied their new-found
friend to a lodging house. The landlady
demanded more money than the strangers
cared to pay, whereupon the guide took
them TO a house in Marble Hall Alley,
where a cheaper rate was obtained. After
negotiations had been completed the men
went out to look about the city, returning
about II O'Clock. They were then pre-
pared to remain in the city, as they had
been advised that they could get work in
the street the next morning at $l.25 per
day. While the men were temporarily alb
sent from the lodging house Detectives
Lacy and Herndon learned of their pres
ence in the city and decided to make an
investigation OF them. The detectives
waited for some time until they received
word that the men were again in the
lodging house, when they approached and,
after conversation with the proprietor,
proceeded TO the room occupied by the
strangers.
Statements of the Two Men.
What followed is best told in the words
Of Mickens and Lee. They were seen in
their cells Friday night, and when ques-
tioned concerning their arrest stated that
they had no knowledge OF the cause of it.
They did not know that the men who had
taken them into custody were policemen
and were surprised when so informed
Both men said that they were of the
shar all
When asked by Times reporter to relate
the circumstances attending the affair the
men willingly complied narrating the de-
tails in a straightforward manner, which
carried conviction with it Lee the
younger of the men. and who is possessed
OF more than ordinary intelligence in re-
iating his story, said: I'VE were strangers
here, and in a strange house. We had
paid for our room in advance. and being
Tired, lost no time in getting to bed.
After We were in our room We thought
over different things that had occurred,
Rnd began to speculate as 10 whether We
were inC safe quarters. We recalled that
the man who escorted us to the house was
g stranger, and little things he had done,
and the fact that the other inmates OF the
house eyed us peculiarly made us sus-
ticious While We were lying on the bel
thinking the matter over a knock was
heard on the door and demand was made
20 open. No reason was given as to who
wanted US. Mickens and / quickly got
into our clothes and then opened the door.
st was dark in the passageway except for
;he light from lamp in the hands Of a
colored man. There were three OF them,
two Of whom appeared to be colored, while
the other was white. These proved TO be
the detectives and the landlord
The men did not enter at once, and our
first thought was that We were in a des-
perate place and about TO be robbed and
possibly killed. Mickens moved near the
head Of the bed and close TO the window
OF the room. remained where | had been
standing, only crouching near the wall.
One OF the colored men, not the one who
had the lamp. said something about Off
GERS, which did not understand. as / was
50 thoroughly frightened. He then put his
hand to his hip pocket and called TO
Mickens TO come there. Mickens' revolver