The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-06-20
POLICE OFFICER FINED
Mr.. Thomas Did Not Suppress Disor-
der-Mo ore Policemen.

Oef-N ore FOltCeIT1GIl.
Three hours and a half were consumed
last night by the Police Commissioners
in executive session.
Two matters were disposed of In that
time one Of them, tho appointment of six
additional special policemen; the other
the imposition Of a fine Of s6 upon 20
llceman Henry Thomas, on the charge OF
neglect of duty.
specials and they were promptly sworn
In by City Clerk August and assigned to
duty.
Tho hearing of the evidence in the case
Of Officer Thomas consumed much time.
There were more than twenty-five Wit
nesses, the most of them being for Mr..
Thomas. Tho specific charge was pro-
ferred by Mr.. A. j. Staude, a West-End
merchant, whose place Of business IS To-
Gated near the scene of the trouble on
Thursday morning, when the first cars
run out from the sheds were stoned by
crowd offseveral hundred people.
At the tine Of tho greatest disorder Po-
licernan Thomas was 5on duty In that VI
cinity. A crowd of from three to four
hundred people had gathered, many or
them women and children. The greatest
hubbub was created and confusion pre-
vailed. Rocks and other missiles were
thrown at tho cars and several Of tho
passengers were struck, one lady, Mrs.
Sheppard, of. Floyd Avenue, being sharply
hit on the arm, essi,i ,fs Il ",
ONE AGAINST. HUNDREDS.
IT was from this disorder and confusion
that tho charge was preferred, Mr.
staude stated that Mr.. Thomas did not
exert himself In suppressing the trouble.
Ono Of the witnesses said tho officer at
ono time stood for several minutes In one
place, while the depredations. were going
on, without making an effort to stop
them.
Another witness, a lady, said that she
saw from the front OF her homo a guam
tity of trash thrown from window upon
one of the cars and she thought that the
policeman should have seen it and made
an arrest of tho guilty party, as he was
Mt the time standing near the Spot.
Othor witnesses testified along the same
lines
On the other hand the witnesses intro
duccd by Mr.. Thomas all testified that he
was quito active in his efforts to avert
riot and to quell the disturbance.
Ono of them said that he had been told
that the policeman's attention was de-
tracted from one point to another so that
In the confusion the rocks could be
thrown v.bout detection.
In Mr.. Thomas statement he said that
he was the only officer on duty In the
neighborhood Mt the time, and that for
two blocks the street was crowded
densely with men, women and children,
He saw no violent outbreaks. nor could
he, in his loneliness, detect any of the
vlolators OF tho law.
THE OFFICERS STATEMENT.
"There WAS q great commotlon at INC
time" he said II did everything that
could be done by one man against SOW
eral hundred people The rocks ana
other things were thrown from behind
me, and when / went TO investigate ono,
another outbreak would occur in a diff
ferent direction, When ! saw tho pred,-
cament was In ] Immediately sought
reinforcements from the station house,
and 'phoned for help. In short while
other policemen came up, but the cars
had passed on, and tho crowd was COM
paratiyely calm,
II saw no one throw the eggs and tha
would most certainly have arrested the
offenders"
IT was a case of one man against hun-
dreds, and the reason was that no satls-
factory understanding had been reached
between the department and the COM
pany Captain WhItlock had detailed
three men TO Main Street. from First 10
Iombardy, and the strength OF his force
was In reserve on Broad Street This
arrangement was effected because 1t Was
| tho understanding OH the part OF the
| police that the first cars would be run
| down Broad Street.
| Az soon as 1t WAS known that the cars
were running on Main Street tho ~
servo hurried to that section, and tho
| trouble was stopped to great extent,
4 After long and careful consideration,
| the board reached the conclusion that tho
! charge against Policeman ThomasS had
been sustained, and. he was fined s25.
| MAY MAKE ARREST.
AS a result OF the hearing. and upon tho
| testimony of the witness who said she saw
| some one throw something at a car from
an upper window, an arrest will be made,
| and tho case will be heard by Squire
Graves in the Police Court. probably to-
| day.
/ The specials elected last night We're:
] Messrs. q, w. Montgomery, h. j, Hay,
| Andrew Pacini. Willis Weldman. r. H.
| Thicker. Wesley Kirby.
1 All of tho temporary Officers do service
| during the hours of tho night. relieving
/ la Ila -,,nra strepilDila upfls