The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-08-16
NEWMAN WAS ExoNERATED
Prisoner He Was cearged With Treat>
ing Cruelty Testif1es That the
Officer Was Kinder Than
He Deserved.

4
being inhuman and cruel toward pris-
| oner William Walker, whom he arrested
| last Monday afternoon for drunkenness
and disorder and resisting an officer
The charges were preferred against Mr.
Newman by Mr.. Charles l.. Todd, Jr.
! Mr.. Todd said that he saw a big crowd
| of people near the corner of Belvidere
| and Main Streets. and upon investigation
| discovered that Walker was being
| agged along the street by four men-
three negroes and white man-with
officer Newman experimenting the job.
THE mans head would strike the
ground every now and then." said -.Ar.
Todd. His clothing was torn and he
was very red in the face. When the
crowd reached Belvidere and Franklin
Streets the four men and the Policeman
Eicked the man up and threw him bodily
into a cart, taking him thence to the
Third Station"
He was corroborated in his statement
by Mr.. L. G. Armstrong, who said that
he called Policeman Frazier's attention
to the actions Of Policeman Newman, and
asked him what he thought of It,
Newman was never known to do any
thing right was what Mr.. Armstrong
Z
nied to the board that he used such an eA-
preston.
NEEr&D A WARRANT.
MI. w P Knowles, superintendent OF
| the Gas Department, was another VII
ness. His testimony was along anotner
| lire from that given by Messrs. 1ouo anu
! Armstrong, and dealt mainly Win MI.
Newman's actions at the pace VI alre;. -,
| He said that Walker was very drunk IN
| his home NO Is East Canal Street; thao
| he was disorderly and breaking up things
| in the house. he heard a woman's voice
| calling for help, and he urged the ponce
4 ran to 20 in and see what was the trou-
| bic. He at first declined to DO SO. on .he
| grounds that he could not DO an!tnlns
! without warrant He was nhails PEI PEI
/, sraded TO go in, and Mr.. Knowles 1ol-
lowed Then the same trouble arose
| about the warrant. Mrs. Hughes, the
wt man who had been screaming 1or neip'
| asked the policeman to arrest the man
and take him away. Mr. Knowles toio
| him If he did not do so he would prefer
charge sagainst him.
| A. this point Walker interrupted MT
! E,cwles to tell how he happened to pc
! in the house and how he got drunk
| Mrs Hughes owed me sl2 for work L
6id for her when she lived on Broad
Street, he said. "I went to get 1t and
she asked me to get her a drink. went
out and got the pint When we got
| through drinking both OF US We're Iull'
| and what Mr.. knowles heaio was JUST d d
| litt1c fgt4-
| Walker then said on behalf Of Mr.
! Newman, that whenever he got drunk,
! he, also. got arrested and invariably got
In a fight with the policemen arresting
| him.
! AT always get the worst of It" he
said. "and usually get beat pretty free
ly, not any more than deserve, though
But on this occasion 1 think l got the
best of it. When I awoke I was just
as supple and fresh as ever. There were
! no bruises on me, and really think
| that Mr.. Newman treated me very well.
FATHERLY TREATMENT.
! This statement was borne out by wit
| nesses for Mr.. Newman, one OF whom,
1 lady, named Mrs Brooks, who lived mex;
! door to Mrs. Hughes, said he treated
| Walker like a man. Other witnesses said
that Walker fought the officer and those
! who were assisting him like tiger, but
! that the policeman was easy, too easy
some of them said.
The statement made by Mr.. Knowles
brought forth queries from several Of
| the Commissioners concerning the right
and duty of a policeman to enter a
house for the purpose of making an ar
rest.
| can officer cannot so into a house
when a disturbance is going on. unless
| he hears the cry of 'Murder!' or Fire -
| said Major Howard, "but in this case
/ I should have gone in, anyway. Mr.
Newman was carrying out the law,
technically, when he declined to go in
/ without a warrant"
The board lost little time in exonerat-,
| ing Mr. Newman on the charge of inhu-
man treatment, but the discovery that
1 it required a warrant to go in house
| under such circumstances, will probably
4 receive some attention at a future meet
| ing.
Mr.. Knowles asked Major Howard to
see that the woman in whose home the
disturbance was created be made to
move out of the neighborhood. and he
was told that the matter would be at
| tended to this morning.