The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-03-06
MALTREATED NEGRO
THIS IS ACCUSATION AGAINST CON-
 STABLE p. ". SMITH.
Guests of Hotel Where Barber Was Arrested Protest Against Beat ing Given Him, By an
 0mcer.

Twenty minutes after William Reed a negro barber, was arrested In the lobby of the Imperial Hotel yesterday afternoon about o'clock, three trav- aIinr saIesmen, guests of the hotel, went to the ofice of Justice J. B. Fur Ter. who issued the warrant for Reed. accusing him, of petit larceny ana comnIained that one of the arresting ofIcers, Constable E. W. Smith, had grossly mistrated his prisoner.
 Constable Smith strenuously denies that he inflicted more punishment on Reed than was due prisoner who re- sisted arrest. The travelling men de- cIared that Reed did not resist arrest.
 The party of travelling salesmen com, sisted of R. c. Terry of Louisville, Ky, D. Ross Smith of Memphis. Tenn. and W D. Sims of Montgomery They de- cIared that they were Southern men and that they were wholly disinterest- ed in the case except the interest they felt fin the cause of humanity and civ- ilization.
 Reed, who conducts the Imperial Ho- tel barber shop. was accused by the warrant sworn out by Nancy Ford, a negrsss, of stealing SIP from he. Jus tice Fuller gave the warrant to Con- stables W. B. Gilmer and E, W. Smith for execution. The officers went to the hotel and arrested the negro. Up to this point there Is no difference of statement. The travelling men declare that after the negro had been hand cuffed Constable Smith using heavy revolver struck the negro repeatedly over the head and face with great force because the negro asked him politely to allow him to get his coat and hat They do not accuse Constable Gilmer of maItreating the negro.
 Constable Smith admits that he struck k~1rf~ rNfQfnl ayers that the cuffs were on but one hand and that with his free hand the negro struck him. It was then, he says, that he struck the negro with his pistol and again on the sidewalk when the negro struggled to get away and said he would not go to court
 Justice Fuller told the three travel ing men that 1t was their privilege to swear out a warrant against Constable Smith, but they failed to do so. saying that they must leave the city today and could not be present at trial. The Justi,e aIs1 advised the negro that if he felt he had been mistreated he couid swear put a warrant for the of- dcer. B. Wolff. proprietor of the Im- perial Hotel. signed the negro's bond and he was released from custody. Reed said that he would swear out a warrant for Constable Smith later in the day but he failed to do so.
  10 The Advertiser city news room and complained of the treatment the negro had received, MT. Terry acting as spokesman.
 "I was reared in Virginia and sur rounded bv negroes" said Mir. Terry, ~sna I think I know how they ought to be treated The manner in which this man Smith beat that negro over the head with q loaded revolver while his prisoner was handcured was out rageous. inhuman. ,owardly and de- noralizing to civilization. We have no interest in the matter other than the interest one feels In humanity, but if if was possible for me to stay in Mont wounerv to do it would most certainly prosecute thts man who has shown his unfitness to be an officer of the law"
 Constable Smith made a general de- niai of the charge brought against him by the travelling men. He said that the negro was inso1ent and declaring that he did not owe the Fcrd woman any money said he would not go to the Justices court room. Thereupon Con stable CiImer caught the regro by the collar and CorstabIe smith. who was behind the negro. prshed him along. According to Constable Smith, Reed swung a backhanded blow at him. whereupon he struck him with his pis- toI. He said the negro resisted until he was struck a second blow on the sidewalk after which both of his hands were cuffed.
 Constable GiImer corroborated the statement of Constable Smith. and de- clared that his companion was clearly justified in striking the negro.
 Justice Fuller said he would be grat- fled to have an investigation made of the charges against Constable Smith.