The sun., 1900-08-28
CLUBBING OF THE BLACKS.
COMMITTEE ISVESTI0ATIN0 ALLEGED
POLICE BRUTALITY.
Trial Of Policeman Powers Incidentally sheds
Some Light on H-us Looks LIKES q
buiatto aud Ills Friends sussest That May
Account for the t1ubbiuE That lie Got.


Account for the clubbing That lie Got.
police Commissioner York sent q note to
Acting Mayor GugRonhelmcr Yesterday In
| which he said that the reports OF brutality on
| tho part OF policemen In the recent race riots
| In the West Side wero being investigated by a
| subcommittee Of the Commissioners. In
! odentally some Interesting testimony bearing
| on tho police proceedings IN the riots came
I out Yesterday NJ tha trial Of Policeman Powers
| for conduct uBbecOming an ofIioer on the sec-
ond night OF the disorder In tho llell's Kitchen
| locality. Powers Ia the man whose shield
was taken from him In the West Thirty seventh
| street station and who was suspended and
looked up for drunkenness by order Of Chief
Dovcry. when he appeared for trial II was
, noticeable that his complexion was very dark,
that he had orlnkly halr and n muned sounding
voice His friends In the court room declared
that these things were really responsible for
bis trouble. They had caused him first 10 DO
taken for negro when he stood in plain clothes
In tho crowd In the mob district and dubbed
accordingly by his fellow COPS. To his pecu-
liar voice they said was due in large measure
the charge Of intoxicatlon made against him.
Acting Captain Cooney who, according to
PoNers story struck him at the corner Of
Eighth avenue and Thirty-seventh street on
the night he got into trouble was the frst
witness against the policeman. COoney test-
fed that he had merely seen Powers ip the mob
at that corner. did not know that he was a
policeman and did not see him aRain until he
came TO the West Thirty-seyenth street station
later 20 make some complaint. At no time,
said the acting captain either N The street or
SerRt. Ryan. who was at the desk In the sta
ton, said that Powers came In there In dazed
condGn and sSd that he E,hed to make o6SsS
ordered his arrest for intO1iCatlOn,
=, Policeman Howard of tho Charles street sta
70 complain, said he had first seen Powers az
the southeast corner oi Eighth avenue and |
Thirty--sseyenth street powers's face was COW
iie grabbed for It. and bad bis hand cut BY the
a Wound which he said had been made in this |
coat showed his shield and said that he vas a
Then you let policemen go when they are |
drunk" asked Lawyer Rouss. who appeared |
'"This man Is not on trial interrupted Com
Police Surgeon Nesbit testified that when |
w. p fH the poc%eRnn % Was "a e' slightly intoxIcSied,
Tie seemed 20 he jgst recovering from e spree |
snd was 1 dp1ed Led Tp2Te Tn9 sad
because they had been at the corner Of Thirty
seventh street and Eighth avenue when How,
ard encountered Powers there. said They had |
not Identify the assailAnt.
Powers then took the stand In his own behalf. |
The day of his arrest he said, was his short day
and he did not have TO report at his station
until midnight. lie had been up IN Harlem
with friends and was returning 10 the Mercer |
street station, when seeing the crowd and tho
policemen along Eighth avenue, he got on al
Thirty seventh street lie had not taken n
drink Uf liquor of any sort all day and he had
never been intoxicated In his life, While he
was standing on the street corner a lot of police
men approached Somebody said Get out
Ot this. and then one Of the men, whom he
knew later 10 be Capt. Cooney. struck him.
lie was dubbed all the way 10 Thirty-eiRhh
: treet Powers said. When he remarked that
he was going 70 make complaint, one Of the
said.
Don't be obstinate, now. young feer you
better go home. That was Cooney that hit
you"
Powers said he did not at any time show his
revolver. Policeman Howard. who followed
him up, took it away from him and with il his
billy" Then he went to the station 70 make
a complaint, When he got there Capt, Cooney
recognized him and, walking up to him. hit
him In the face, saying: Oh, you're back
again, are you2" Then Chief Devery came
Dut OF the back room and ordered his arrest.
When the police surgeon came he pas sed all
The tests that were tried upon him to deter
mine II he was intoxicated. lie walked all
hight, he said. held out his arm steadily and
'ead half a column IN a newspaper.
The trial was adjourned, to be continued
next Thursday.