New-York tribune., 1900-08-23
POLICE BRUTAL TO A NEGRO
INSPECTOR THOMPSON BROWBEATs
COMPLAINANT-APPE TO
BRITISH CONSUL


Police Inspector Thompson did great deal
yesterday to confirm belief that the police con-
doned if not actually incited. the violent attacks
upon negroes which disgraced this city few Gays
ago. Henry J. Down. young colored man, OF NO
342 West Fifty -frst-st., who is a member OF the
committee of colored men of that neighoorhoou
who trying TO prosecute some Of the recent
rioters, Police Headquarters yesterday 10
bring charges against Sergeant Morgan, OF the
West Thirty-seventh-st. police station. on sun
day Down went to Bellevue Hospital TO try 10
Lloyd Lee. who shot by Policeman Ken
nedy. n order to get him counsel He was not
allowed TO enter and was told to go to see Cap
tain Cooney of the West Thirty-seventh-st sta
ton. for permission Down waited until Monday
and then the police station, and found that
the acting captain out Sergeant Morgan was
al the desk Down stated his business and was
treated grufy by the sergeant, who. Down alleges,
threatened to lock him up. Down dared him to do
so, but the sergeant did not avail himself OF the
opportunity.
Down then went to Police Headquarters and
made a complaint Inspector Thompson. The In
spector told him to return yesterday and he would
have the sergeant there. Down went to Roilce
Headquarters yesterday morning, in company with
Harry Reed, of No. 346 West Forty-frst-st and
w. Fl. Cooper. of No $40 West Forty-ffth-st. Nor
gan was there in full uniform.
Inspector Thompson treated Down more civ
lily than Morgan had done, and accused the colored
man of being intoxicated. You're too damned
smart" said the inspector. You're one of those
smart niggers." Down replied: II was told by both
white and coored men not TO come here. as
would get civil treatment. L came to see now
would be treated
Down called the inspector Mr. Thompson"
which he resented. Don't call me Mr.. Thompson
That sounds if you were gentleman" said the
inspector
Inspector Thompson then turned to Sergeant
Morgan and said You had orders to issue no
passes didn't you?" Down interrupted by saying
that Morgan did not tell him so. That's none of
your damned business broke in the inspector.
THOMPSON then turned to Sergeant Morgan and
said: "Go back to your station house and do the
same over again If necessity requires Down then
left the building. He said that II was a fact that
Policeman Kennedy, the man who shot Lloyd Lee,
told n gang of thugs the West Side to cause
trouble with the negroes and the police would then
cuh them Down said that this whispered
about the negro quarter on the afternoon before
the riot started.
Alfred A. Akins. of No 125 West Twenty-seventh-
81 one of the negroes beaten by the mob in the
race riots of August To- claims that he is British
subject The British Consul is now investigating
his claim. Atkins. who is thirty years old, and IS
employed as a parlor car porter by the New-York,
New-Haven and Hartford Railroad, says he IS a
native of Kingston. Jamaica and therefore a sub
ject of Great Britain.
His story Of what happened 10 him on the night
of August IL is substantially this:
He reached the Grand Central Station from the
White Mountains about o'clock that evening AS
he had not heard of the riots then going on,
he went home by going through Forty-second-st. to
Seventh-sve and turning south. At Forty-frst-st.
the mob which on the watch for negroes, saw
him, and shouting, There's another black devil!'
they seized him. They knocked him down. but he
got up and succeeded in making his escape. He
was not free long, however, for he caught
again, this time at Forty-third-st
Their chase increased their anger. and they
dragged him back to Forty-frst-st. They cut his
face in five six places. and his right eye sweed
up so he could not out Of it.
A policeman, who had been assured by some one
near by that the negro had done harm. took
him away from his tormentors and helped him into
a drug store. An ambulance was called. and when
It came the physician dressed Akins's wounds.
station but it was stopped by the mob before it
haa % gone faT e4d 1 Ihe Fin negro was IN IN danger again
When at 2 o'clock the ambulance succeeded in
reaching the West Thirty police station
with it's occupant, no charge was made against
negroes negroes about the station s to 60 home But Akqs
was permitted to remain si unti oc1ocR and then
when he was ordered to go, Acting Captain Cooney,
You before you get home and beat you to death"
The acting captain, however declares that this
After being turned out of the station Atkins was
hea Rad yen his hdoor Wa5 snoa them R
has been re- 5ecgying treatment ca at the NewYork
British Consul General, and saw c. CHye-Bayley,
Acting British Consul Akins related his experi
ence and Mr.. Give -Bayley told him to have his
the Legal Aid Society; Later in the day. before
Joseph B. Braman, notary public. of Nos 100 and
1274 Broadway, he signed and swore to an affidavit
stating that he British subject, and had been
molested without cause by a mob in the streets Of
NeWYork.
CORONERS INQUEST ON ROBERT J. THORPE
Coroner Bausch and jury held an inquest yes
terday afternoon into the of the death of
Robert j. Thorpe the policeman of the West
Thirty-seventh-st station, who died August I3
They found that Thorpe came TO his death from
stab wounds inflicted by Arthur Harris colored
now under arrest IN Washington, D. c. Harris has
been indicted by the Grand Jury OF this county
and extradition papers have been sent to Washing
young woman named May Enoch on August u
and Harris attempted TO rescue her Thorpe re-
sisted and Harris stabbed him in the abdomen
CHARGES A POLICEMAN WITH CLUBBING
William Richardson, Of the leaders of the
Tammany Colored Democracy. with headquarters
Seventh-ave., in West Fifty-third-st called
at Inspector Thompson's office yesterday and pre-
ferred charges against Policeman Reilly Of the
West Thirty-seventh-st station, who. he alleges
clubbed him without cause August Is. Hearing
in the postponed until Monday