Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1899-04-29


r-t DtsM IssED. - The charge
r-. officer Spinks preferred by
...a,l- mith was investigated by
W.,or last niehr. The Lieutenant
.a,-- no -4eiag Officer Spinks on the
-.- OF Fsvette and Duke streets ut
.sno'cock on the night of April 81
a.--o The officer had his hat pulled
a.rr MS face. The Lieutenant hrst
.da -.ouch rat, nut atterwsrd stated
That de could not say what kind CO bat
cs-. mat he called Mr.. Nugents at
t-a.or 10 the slreping officer, and to
accurately fix the time ne had shown
h. watch 10 Mr.. Nugent at l2:4O
,cges. He also said he examined
5- Sleeping mans coat but could
DO. lad his badge. To the
lsyors question why he had not
oo5-d for Mr.. Spinks's partner, he
.,d he was right sure he heard MT.
l,les- voice in Mrs. Gorham's store,
I'm, he would not swear to that. 10
70. further question why he had Sone
NJ leaving a policeman asleep and the
Thos district unprotected, he said that
be wanted something beside his own
evidence 10 substantiate the charges
aai went 10 look up another policeman,
but tna, Mr.. Nugent would give the
evidence needed. Mr.. Nugent.s evi-
dsnce was that he knew Officer Splnks'
but that it was Impossible to identity
ina slaaning man as Officer Spinks or
whether the man was black or white;
that Lieutenant Smith did not say IT
vas Olhcer Spinks, but merely asked
aim. Nugont, if he did not THINK the
man sitting down was sleeping ana
Nucent said il locked that way 10 MN.
lieutenant smith looked at his watch
snl called Nugent'S attention 10 Tue
-.me-l2 lO O'Clock. Mr. kugent then
Vent south to mis- work and the lieu
.enaut north-towards the local depoe'
The M2yor asked the Lieutenant "p9
he aad not aroused the sleeping man
while Mr.. Nugent was present anu
why be had not called Mr.. Nugent'S
attention TO the fact that the
man was policeman. His re-
by was that he did not thlnh
(. necessary. The Mayor sald
that .na,much as Mr. Nueent was
summoned bv the Lieutenant as VIII
ness to snestsntiate his evidence as TO
the guilt Of Officer Spinks, it was some
what strange lhat Spinke had moi heeh
awakened while two witnesses were
prtsant and still stranger that there
should have been such dereliction OF
duty a. that of leaving 8 poilcehia"
asleep aud no one to take his place III
protecting the neighborhood. anu tn 1
,tu stranger was the fact that II que
Lieutenant VAS almost sure ne he eN
Officer Lyles's voice in Mrs: "o'
Aams store he had rot gone III ana
verified his suspicion instead OF soine
oh 10 the local depot ia aearch OF '"''
officer. MIR. Lyles said he ana spii HI
came down from Shiloh Churcn III"
stopped TO talk with three citizens Oh
Nrs.Gorhan's corner and compsFisou
OF watches among them showed II TO DC
1855 o'clock IAN examination O! Tue
Heu,euaut's watch showed two minutes
faster They then kept on down Duke
street bua before reaching Henry stree'
Mr. Spnks requested Mr.. Lyles TO "a
oac6 to Mrs. Goram's store and ger
aim z piece of tobacco. Mr.. Lyles uic
50 and was separated from Queer
SNnks two or three minutes. ihres
citizens, Messrs. Goodrich, Churcn-
man and Robinson, gave preclsse5is
the same evidence as that OF MT
I-yIes. The mayor summed up the "a:
and said that The charge against ON,
Ger Spinks had nothing to sustain II ou
tine unsupported statement of the LIen'
tenant, and that his failure to arouse
asleepug man when there was VIII
ness present to identify him; ms
ie@ying a policeman. asleep on nj:
oeat and going to the local depot ano
from there down 10 the corner OF 20
iumbus and King streets and ther1
starting for Duke and Fayette after
O'clock in the morning and making nc
effort whatsoever to verify his belle
that he heard Officer Lyles's voice II
Mrs.Gorham's store, his ability to recog
nza the kind of coat, but not the tlnf
Of hat worn by Officer Spinks initiated
7e,y much against the force OF IA
evidence, and the Mayor honoraDiy &C
Quilted Officer Spinks.
II hE SnRnnR