Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1905-08-06
PARNELL'S SIDE
OFFICER TELLS ABOUT HIS AR
REST OF c. DEVER ON FRI.
DAY NIGHT
Says That Dever Resisted Arrest
Threatened to Kill Him. and AS
saulted Him With a Knife.

c. Dever of Ladd's mill was clubbed
into submission while Officer Oscar
Parnell was attempting to arrest him
Friday night The charge preferred
agaist Dever was drunkenness. De-
yer was struck over the head and
i'll the face by Officer Parnell's club
and a cash on the top of his head re-
quired four stitches by DR.. B. A.
Hall. who dressed the injuries Of the
wounded man after the affray Mr.
Parnell says that Dever attempted to
the use of the officers club. Friends
put up SIS forfeit for Dever's ap-
pearance in police court and he was
released form the calabOose soon af-
ter his arrest. He was able to walk
to the police headquarters after the
clubbing administered to him. Criti-
cisms arising over the officers action
in clubbing the man led Graphic re-
porter to seek Officer Parnell for a
statement for publication in the
Graphic. He was seen at police head
quarters Saturday morning, and gave
out the following statement:
II found the man near the corner
of Third and Main. He had Just put
in an order at the little lunch stand
there for some tamales, It seems. and
the order had not been filled when I
arrived on the scene. Dever was in
toxicated. and was staggering about
the street in front of the lunch stand,
using profane language on the street.
Walking up to him. I said
Captain, we want you up at the
Office
"'What for?' he asked.
"'Usine profane language on the
street and being drunk, replied.
"He turned about. and put my
hands to his pockets to see if he had
any weapons. 7 found none.
ssWhen got TO Yauch's bakery with
him, he jumped aside quickly, and
facing me said: I'll cut your ---
-- heart ont before I'll go to any
police station with you I then saw
that he had a knife out open in his
hand and said
cold man, 7 dent want to hurt
Vol: pm that knife up
Gle replied, t. YOU,
YOU can't take me anywhere.' and
started toward mo with the knife out
open in his hand. He was three Or
four feet away from me whom he
started toward me. AS he approach
ed I struck him two or three light
licks in the face with my billet: but
that only seemed to anger him the
more. and doubling up, with his head
ducked in a cronchine attitude. he
started toward me again. saving;
- YOU, I'll kill yon. Then
il was that T gave him stiff blow on
the top Of the head, which was the
only blow that hurt him.
eat the time this was going on
there was no one within half block
of the spot where we were standing,
and as it was II o'clock at night it
would have been impossible for any
one that distance away to see accu-
rately all that occurred 7 noticed
Messrs Culley and Penny standing
about a block away from us at the
time, After I hit him on tcp of the
head. he dropped his knife and went
along to police station without any
further trouble. He was locked up
hut subsequently, released when
someone put up forfeit of s. for
him.
tUnder the same circumstances, I
would do the thing over AGAIN as 7
feel that I was perfectly justified in
striking him."
Devers' case came ND before Police
Judge TOney Saturday afternoon at I
clock. and a number Of witnesses
were introduced Officer Parnell was
the first one to testify, and swcre to
the facts already given in his inter
view with a reporter for the Graphic.
He stated. in brief. that Devers was
drink and using prOfane language on