Albuquerque evening citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1905-1907, 1905-08-03
CHIEF McMILLIN
MAKES STATEMENT
Denies Ugly Charges Holding
Police Responsible for
Zimmerman Suicide.
DID NOT OvERSTEP AUTHORITY

Chief of Police Thomas McMillin
denies the charges made today in the
Morning Journal, in which that paper
seeks to hold the members of the po-
lice department responsible for the
death of Georgia Zimmerman, the
young m who was found dead
Tuesday morning in her room in the
Garcia block.
Chief McMillin was interviewed by
a reporter for The Evening Citizen
today, and before making any state
ment, the officer said that he wanted
it distinctly understood that he was
placed in an embarrassing position re-
garding the matter, inasmuch as
the girl was dead and could not talk.
However. | believe that | owe 1t to
the public, to myself and to the mem
bers of the police force, to make a
statement. With this view in mind,
and with no desire on my part to cast
any undue reflection on the dead girl,
| will give the public some of the
facts, as follows:
The statement made that the girl
complained to certain parties that
she had been bounded persistently by
the police ever since she arrived in
the city, is not supported by facts.
know that no member of the police
department in any way molested the
Zimmerman gill, until after she had
been in the city five weeks, or there,
abouts.
AT that time it was reported to me
that the girl in question had visited
a house of prostitution OF several oc
c%asions, and the officers acted as haC
been their custom in such cases, and
In accordance with the city ordinance
covering such misdemeanors a;
street walking, frequenting houses o
pl ostitution, vagrancy, etc.
80 far as the alleged statement o
the girl, to the effect that while driv
ing through the streets in a cab OF
Sunday night with her cousin, G. Il
Hancock, that the cab was followed
by al officer, and when it stopped tn,
officer demanded that she pay a fine o
$40 on the charge of being a prosti
tute, and an additional S. costs for tn
trip after the money, is not true.
The correct sto,y OF the %occurrenc
is as follows: On Sunday night al
officer saw the girl leaving a hous
of prostitution. He acted as the oil
dinance provides in such a case, an,
approaching the hack. placed tn
woman under arrest. The SIS wa
not paid by the woman as a fine, bu
was put up by her companion, a
leging to be G.. Z. Hancock, as a bon
a bond for her appearance in polio
court on Monday morning. She fai
ed to appear, and in consequence, tn
bond was forfeited. Right here,
might be well for me to say that S
far as / know or any one else know.
, this man Hancock, alleged to hav
been her cousin, was not related {
y her at all. I
! 1T has been a notorious fact tha
/, the girl vas a street walker, and ha
made remarks to men on the stree
: that were entirely u~nbecoming a Lao
a and also uncalled for. The charg
made that the police are in the habI
q of visiting respectable roomin
houses in the city and making II
! quiries as to the character of certai
persons rooming therein, is absolutel
q false. Those places that the polio
visit are rooming houses that have 81
looms and wine rooms in connection
: and the police watch them for tn
= purpose of preventing minors an
young girls from f~requenting them.
1T is a well known fact that whe
the Zimmerman girl first reached tn
= city, she put up at n OF the leadin
4 hotels, but only remained there a da
or so, as her conduct was such this
: the proprietor found it necessary t
; ask her to leave, as he feared it woul
= injure the reputation of his hotel.
= IF the public will but look into tn
+ facts in the case and not jump at col
illusions, | believe they will find this
the attempt to create a sensation OF
I of the suicide of Miss Georgia Yin
norman is entirely unsupported b
! facts.
9 In conclusion, | wish to empha'
\ ically deny that the officer owe,
stepped his authority when he a
o rested the woman, and that the men
bers of the police force of this cit
> are using their authority to hold-u
and mulct suspected ome
. IF the city council wants to TAX
the matter up and investigate the a
fair, | am perfectly willing for ther
. to do so, as is every member of tn
city police. This is all / care to sa
IN tho Euhipct