The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-11-28
.CLUBBED BY A
POLICEMAN AND
DEATH RESULTS
The Victims Body at
the Morgue.
BEATEN WHILE HANDICAPPED
WITNESSES SAY ASSAULT WAS
UNCALLED FOR.
Peter Silvas, Arrested for Disturb
ing the Peace, Roughly Treated
by Officer Bell.
BEATEN WHILE HANDICAPPED
WITNESSES SAY ASSAULT WAS
UNCALLED FOR.

Peter Silvas. a Mexican, died at st.
Mary's Hospital yesterday afternoon un-
der circumstances which will bear invest
igation.
On last Thursday afternoon Police Of
ficer D. ]. Bell responded to a whistle
call from 111311 Kearny street, where Sill
vas resided, and was told by the landlord
OF the house that Silvas was drunk and
disorderly and an officer was needed TO
quiet him.
According to witnesses, Officer Bell went
to the room where Silvas was lying. and
after few moments brought the unfortu-
nate man from the house TO the street
handouffed and bleeding profusely from
many scalp wounds While helpless from
the beating he had received and unable
on account Of the handouts on his wrists
to do any damage, Silvas. who weighed
about $50 pounds. was roughly dragged
to the street by the officer, who. In the
presence of large crowd which had con-
gregated in front Of the house, beat the
helpless man on the head with his CLUB
and dragged him to the corner, where the
patrol wagon was waiting TO take the
victim to the California street station.
The people who witnessed the brutal df-
fair were loud in their protestations of
the unwarranted conduct OF the police
officer and a woman who had watched the
officer 70 protect the unfortunate man
from further assault.
SilvaS wife, Woodworking woman
employed II the Mexican restaurant at
oZ0 Broadway, was in the room when the
officer commenced the assault. She plead
ed with him not to kill the man, saving
that she would put him TO bed and take
care OF him. but her pleadings were I'M
needed and the beating continued. Imlne-
oiately after her husband had been taken
TO jail she ran into the restaurant where
she Is employed and cried out that her
husband had been murdered. Her en-
ployer tried TO pacify her and have her
return TO her room, but she refused. say
ing the sight of so much blood on the
moor and the walls was more than she
could stand. She stated that when Officer
Bell entered the room he gave orders TO
stop her husband from making further
noise and she promised 10 do so. The
officer yelled so loudly that her husband
awoke and asked the cause of the trouble
and Immediately the officer bounced on
SilVas and commenced to beat him over
the head ana arms, and though she pro-
tested Bell kept up the tattoo on the
mans head until he reached the porch of
the house.
Mrs. slIvas, after the affair. left the
scene OF the trouble and moved TO 60i
Broadway. where her husband found
her after his release from jail the
next day. From the time he was released
he acted strangely and complained of
pains In his head, and the woman, fearing
for his safety and on the advice OF her
Mary Hospital on Sunday afternoon. He
expired late the next day.
Mrs. @. Kamariz, who lives at l117lz
Kearny street, gave the following state
ment as her version Of the assault: Il
live near where the trouble occurred. l
heard Mrs. Silvas cry TO the officer to
husband. and she pleaded TO the officer
not TO beat the man any more.
when the officer reached the porch
Silvas was weak and helpless and covered
with blood and seemed to faint when the
officer hit him several hard blows on the
top OF his head. / heard a woman blow
a police whistle and then yell for an OFF,
Ger. saying that Bell would kill Silvas II
some one did not stop him.
The handouts were on Silvas' wrists
all the time. and he was screaming with
pain. II was the most brutal thing ] ever
witnessed to see that big policeman beat
the little man so numerically, and
never want TO witness such sight again.
The crowd of onlookers expressed them
selves against such a brutal assault, and
l thought at one time they would inter-
fere to save the man."
Officer Bell made the following state
ment at the California-street station last
night: "On Monday afternoon l was
called TO 1ll3i5 Kearny street and was told
that Silvas was drunk and disorderly.
keep quiet or l would arrest him. When
started TO leave the room he made a great
rush at me and tried to kick me and
throw me down. He took hold OF me and
/ hit him on the wrist TO make him let go,
but he continued TO fight, and l arrested
him. The woman tried to interfere, and
/ told her that her husband was under ar
rest. brought him TO the street: | might
have hit him on the head but If did IL
was not hard enough to hurt him. | did
not hit him while on the street. 1 ordered
a charge of disturbing the peace put
against him. He was sent to the Harbor
Hospital for treatment, but l am sure
did not hurt the man. 1 merely protected
myself from his assault as he was fight
ing drunk"