Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-08-16
POLICEMEN HAVE HEARING
Investigation of Circumstances At
tending H. P. Totten's Death.
EVIDENCE BEFORE TRIAL BOARD
Witnesses Describe Condition of Man
at the Time He Was Arrest
ed and Previously.

Ihdl alCONOllSIN Is Il ulStdSe anu oiouiu
be treated as such, and that doormen
should be appointed at the several police
stations to have supervision of prisoners
in the cells were important facts that
were developed today at the trial OF Pri-
Yates Hanley and Potter of the police
force. charged with neglect of duty in con-
nection with the death of III. p. Totten.
a contractor of Bluefield.- w. Va, VINO was
found dead In his cell at the sixth precinct
station house last Saturday. 1t was also
shown that the present force on duly at
each of the several station houses is liz
sufficient to carry out properly the pro-
visions of general orders No. 104 in relation
to officers visiting prisoners every half hour
while they are incarcerated.
A police trial board. comprising Mr.. F.. II.
Stephens, assistant corporation counsel for
the District: Inspector j. A. Swindells and
Capt. Daniel Sullivan. commanding the sec
ond police precinct. assembled at lO41
o'clock today at No. l police station, on
18th street. for the trial of Policemen
Thomas Hanley and j. F. Potter. Before
the accused. as follows:
II hereby charge Private Thomas Hanley
with gross neglect of duty" The specifica-
tions allege that said Thomas Hanley. a
private of class of the metropolitan police
force. on the 18th day Of August 1906, from
and after the hours of $40 o'clock am,
did fail and neglect to visit the cells in
the sixth police precinct station house at
least once every hour. as required by sec
ton 40 Of the manual governing the met
ropolitan police department of the District
of Columbia and general orders No. 1O4.
dated March 10. 1901. while H. p. Totten.
who was in a state of total collapse from
drunkenness. was confined therein"
The charges are signed by r. H. Board
man. acting major and superintendent of
police.
The same accusation was made against
Private Potter. who Is charged jointly with
Private Hanley.
The Testimony Heard.
The first witness was Policeman Arm
strong. who arrested H. P. Totten at the
northeast corner of Az street and Pennsyl-
vania avenue at $40 o'clock the morning of
August II. Armstrong testified that he
found Totten clinging to the wire netting
about a tree box, and with the assistance
of Policeman Garfield he laid the man upon
the sidewalk and sent to the station for
the patrol wagon The vehicle arrived
soon afterward in charge of Policeman
Hanley, with Patrick Fitzgerald as driver
Witness first saw Totten as he grabbed
the tree box in his effort to prevent himself
from falling to the side walk Totten start
ed to sink to his knees, he said. but caught
the tree box and held himself
Did you smell liquor on his breath?"
asked Attorney Stephens.
No sir" replied Policeman Armstrong.
Il did not smell his breath"
The officer said he asked Totten his name,
but received no reply. The man could not
walk to the patrol wagon when 1t arrived.
but caught hold of the guard rail as Arm
strong assisted him into the vehicle: The
policeman said Totten was a man of slen-
der build and weighed about 40 pounds.
Did Totten appear to be in condition
different from the ordinary cases OF
drunkenness" asked Attorney Stephens
No. sir. he was like many 1 have sent
in from the beat
The officer stated In this connection that
the beat Is known as The Washington
Bowery'' and drunken men are frequently
seen there. The witness said he had no
knowledge of medicines
Thought He Could Detect Difference.
He was asked II he could distinguish be-
tween a case Of drunkenness and one of
sickness. He said he thought he could in
ordinary cases.
Have you ever seen any others in that
condition. asked Capt swindells.
Yes, I have sent in lots in that condition
from down there replied the policeman.
Il have found many asleep and others that
could or would not talk"
In answer to another question by Capt.
Swindells the policeman said he did not
see anything about Totten to impress him
that 1t was other than common drunk"
Attorney Stephens asked If it were COM
mon or uncommon to pick up a drunken
man who could not or would not talk to
which the witness replied that 1t was not
common occurrence to do so.
Coroner a Witness.
The next witness was ]. Ramsey hewitt.
the District coroner, who said the death Of
Contractor Totten had been reported to
him by Policemen Potter and Hanley. He
first saw Totten at the moTgue the follow
ing day. after the autopsy had been per-
formed. and he then gave the necessary
certificate of death. This certificate gave
the cause of death as acute gastritis, alco-
holic. which is due to excessive indulgence
In alcohol gastritis being acute infiamma-
tion of the stomach.
In answer to a query. DR.. hewitt stated
the time elapsing before death from this
ailment depends largely upon the physical
condition of the man affected and his
previous indulgence in alcohol.
Some can stand a great deal of Alco-
hol," said the coroner: Others succumb
quickly. Death could occur in three hours,
dependent upon the condition of the per-
siole in extreme cases for a man to die in
a half hour from acute gastritis. but 1t
usually takes longer. There have been
cases of men who drank down a quart of
whisky and dying Immediately from gas
tritis, or heart failure"
Symptoms Described.
DIR. hewitt added that the symptoms of
alcoholic gastritis as they would appear
to a layman would be like those of an
intoxicated individual man in good
condition might be drunk and not nave
gastritis. There is no way a layman can
tell whether a man has acute gastritis or
not
Alcoholic gastritis has often been wrongly
diagnosed by physicians. Alcohol affects
both the organs Of locomotion and speech
therefore there is no reason why a layman
should suppose that man Is suffering from
anything but alcoholism when he cannot
walk or talk. A mans inability to walk OF
talk Is a common symptom of intoxication
or alcoholic poisoning.
DIR. hewitt said that for several years he
had lived near No. police station, and had
frequently visited the station. He believed
the policemen of No 9 have been careful In
their treatment OF prisoners. and that the
station house is well-regulated one He
had himself been a police surgeon for six
years and had attended cases at that M y.