Evening star., 1902-01-13
A CELEBRATED CASE
Incident of the Panic When Presi-
dents Body Lay in State.
POLICEMAN UNDER INVESTIGATION
Alleged That He Struck Mrs
Dunbar With His Club.
GIVEN BENEFIT OF DOUBT

For many weeks past the District Com
missioners, individually have spent much
Of their spare time in poring over the
most voluminous document it is believed
that has ever emanated from the police
department. The more the several Com
missioners have read the hundreds of
closely typewriter pages the deeper has
perplexity been written upon their coun-
tenances. The great packet, which has
been closely guarded until now, contains
| the record of the hearing In the case of
Police Officer William Kemp, who was
| charged with having assaulted Mrs. Paul
| Laurence Dunbar. wife of the noted COL
| ored poet, the 18th of last September, dur
ing the panic which occurred the after
| noon the remains Of the late President
| Mckinley lay in state in the rotunda of
| the Capitol
The case has been more thoroughly con-
sidered by the Commissioners than has any
other police trial on record, it Is under
stood The reason for this was the ex-
ceptional conflict Of evidence which was
brought out at the hearing The Commits
sioners have, in truth, been dealing with a
pr oblem as difficult Of solution as was the
Gordian knot of old. 1t is believed now.
however. that they have cut the knot and
dealt with the matter in the only sat
1sfactory way that could be devised from
an official and legal standpoint
FROM the evidence adduced the case as
sumed an aspect of doubt, such as the
commissioners were not entirely willing to
decide one way The other 1t occurred
to Commissioner Ross. after giving the mat
ter close attention that the question was
one in which the Police Court should be an
peaied to. The charge against the officer
was one of assault and not a mere techni-
car violation Of the police manual. Hence
it was held by Mr.. Ross that only through
criminal procedure, before a jury of twelve
men could the conflict of evidence be
Strengthened out.
The other Commissioners agreed with Mr.
Ross and accordingly letter was ad-
dressed to former Representative George H.
White. of counsel for Mrs. Dunbar sug-
gesting that the matter should properly be
taken tar up IN the Police Court. To this let
ter, the Commissioners stated this after
noon. they have received a reply to the eff
feet that the complainant did not wish to
pursue that course in the matter.
An Exciting Incident.
The incident out Of which the charges
against Officer Kemp resulted caused no
little excitement at the time Of it's occur
renee. The unfortunate stampede at the
foot of the east steps of the Capitol when
the remains of Mr.. Mckinley were in the
rotunda is a matter of history. Policemen
and soldiers were temporarily overwhelmed
by the surging of the twenty thousand peo-
pie who were waiting to pass the cata-
falque. number Of people were Injured
In the crush. 1t was only through heroic
measures that the police the soldiers and
the marines finally forced the crowd back
to the lines originally established 1t Is
claimed that during this panic officer
Kemp, without provocation, struck Mrs
Dunbar stinging blow on the left temple
with his stick.
The charges were preferred with the
Commissioners and the superintendent OF
police. Paul Laurence Dunbar, husband of
the complaining witness, objected to the
police trial board, and consequently Major
Sylvester was requested by the Commits
sioners to take the testimony. and to re-
port it to the Commissioners for their con-
slderat1on and action. When the hearing
was over the testimony was forwarded to
the Commissioners 1t consisted of several
hundred type-written pages. Commissioner
Ross prepared an abstract of the testi-
mony in making the recommendation to
his associates that the matter be referred
to the attorneys. with the suggestion that
1t be taken UP in the Police Court
Substance of the Charge.
The substance Of the charge" Commits
sioner Ross said. sis contained in the tes-
timony Of the complaining witness, to the
effect that while in the crowd on the east
side of the Capitol two Of us were swept
up on the steps, that the complaining wit
ness felt an arm around her waist pulling
her roughly from the steps. and that she
was whirled around in such manner that
She spun like top; that she turned, and
pe1ore sne could avoid 1t a blow was struck
her In the back; that she said, Take your
hands of of me, what do you meanY and
the next thing she knew she was struck
by club; that the waist which she wore
was drenched with blood, and that she
luentihed Officer Kemp as the one who
struck her. ~
MIS-. Dunbar on cross examinat ton said
she gave the officer no provocation what
ever MISS Laura Davis testified and cor
fhn
dunbar, but said she did not see the cluh
When Mrs. Dunbar was struck. Miss
ANITA j. Turner and Ralph B. Stewart both
tss tes.liiea positlveIy and unequivocally that
lhey saw the of1cer strike Mrs Dunbar
Witnesses for the Defense,
For the defense large number of wit
nesses were called, the most of whom
seemed to have identified the narties in
volved In the controversy. Officer Kemp
was sworn. and testified that he did not
strike Mrs. Dunbar; but that she struck
him three times upon the nose, causing r.
70 pleed. Mrs. Lula Haggerty testified:
Ihe people We're trying to get upon the
far, and saw Mr.. Kemp there and. know
ing him. l thought he might help me.
turned around and saw this colored lady
He was trying his best to get the crowd
pack: She turned around and hit him In
the race three or four times. I can't tell
which, She said she did not see Officer
hemp emp, mt & any one with his club.
present and witnessed Officer Kemp push.
Ing the crowd back; that she did not see
MIN raise his billy above his head nor
strike any one with it; that she saw blood
on MIR. kemps nose and going down on his
mustache She saw a woman hit him in |
the nose. light colored lady"
Sergeant Brownies Statement,
Six or seven other witnesses testified 10 |
the same effect.
An interesting account Of the crowding |
was told by Sergt. Browne, who said:
The soldiers were working under the d. |
Iectoh OF sergeants and other officers there |
to keep the crowd back When 7 arrived ~