New-York tribune., 1900-08-29
PEABODY THE ALLEGED sLUGGER
POLICEMAN ON MCLUsKY's STAFF AC-
CUsED OF CRUELTY AT HEADQUARTERS.

| If the stories of witnesses can be trusted
! w. F. Peabody, a policeman attached to the
| West Thirty-seventh-st. station. which is COM
manded by Acting Captain Cooney, Is candidate
for the blood red ribbon OF official brutality for
which many Of the policemen of the metropoI-
itan force under the present Tammanyized city
| government seem 10 be struggling. Peabody ought
to pretty landing the first prize,
cordng to the stories told, he attacked a small
unarmed man, knocked him down, kicked him In
the face and after the victim struggled to his feet
and began TO cry he knocked him down again.
The slugging took place on the front steps of
Police Headquarters, IN Mulberry-st
Peabody. who IS temporarily detailed Captain
McCusky's office at the Central Office was accord
ing the best information obtanable yesterday,
assigned Monday night to work the East
Side. He noticed Beck. who says he is a clerk
and lives at the Merrimac Hotel No. l37 Bowery.
in company with some women IN Rivington-st., and
arrested him a suspicious person. This at
about 10 o'clock Beck taken to the Central
Office, and while he standing the front
steps in Mulberry-st. Peabody. 1t is alleged sud
denly turned upon him and assaulted him, told
yesterday in The Tribune
You will try TO get away from me- will you?'
exclaimed Peabody, after he had knocked his
down twice. Beck then half dragged into
Headquarters and locked up for the night In the
Centre-st court Yesterday morning he dis
charged
Detective-sergeant Carey, who was in charge of
the Detective Bureau during the night. asked
py the reporters Where the prisoner had gone. he
said that there had been nobody arrested. Captain
McClusky. when seen after rocall in the Bureau
yesterday morning, said that he had read the
count OF the assault IN the morning papers. and
had called up Detective-Sergeant Carey from his
house before coming down After reaching the
building he had also questioned everybody about
it. He added
Carey tells me there arrest made after
o'clock last night Our returns, show that this
stood them up, but they were all arrested long be-
fore the time this thing happened.
1 It not of my who did
that thing. 1t must have been some lobster My
men all know that there is a crowd Of reporters
across the street there. You know yourself that
nobody from this place would have punched
outside there the sidewalk. 1t was some novice.
Captain McClusky. when asked If the prisoner
could not have been some man brought down to
Headquarters to give information, but not placed
under arrest said that nothing like that had hap
pened last night.
Beck was found at the Merrimac Hotel at No. 1877
Bowery. He had swelling side of his
face. and one Of his eyes had been discoored as
If from a blow. He did not wish to talk about the
arrest: but said after while that Detective Pea
body had taken him away from some women at
Rivington-st and the Bowery. and had taken him
up 70 Police Headquarters to get his picture.
"They found they had my Picture said Beck
and and, 1t was not taken again"
planned the swelling of one cheek a gumboi.
and he laughed when asked how his eye had been
discolored He said he had not been abused or
struck by Peabody any else.
Captain McCIusky was not so certain yesterday
afternoon that assault had not taken place He
said that he would call Peabody before him and
question him about the arrest and sugging Of
the case was being Investigated.
Becks denial that he was assaulted by Peabody
Is attributed to the well known fear Of persecution
by the police entertained by minor criminals once
they have ave be- been crested and had their pictures
denying that he had been assaulted he ldgeted
and smiled significantly, and suggested that If any
thing was printed about the 1t might get him
into trouble again.