Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-04-09
ABSOLVES THE POLICEMAN
CORoNER'S VERDICT IN CASE OF
SAMUEL JUTE.
Colored Man Who Was Drowned
While Being Pursued by Officers
Tho Testimony.

| A coroner's jury this morning cleared OF
| 1cer Montgomery of the seventh police pre-
| cinct of all blame for the death Of Samuel
Jute, who jumped into the Chesapeake and
| Ohio canal, near 3Oth street northwest, and
was drowned. Saturday night, while the Of
| hcer was endeavoring to place him under
| arrest. The jury omitted to make any rec
concentrations regarding the need of a
fence along the canal where it runs through
| Georgetown, as it was thought possibly 1t
would.
The jury met this morning at 10 o'clock
and was taken over to Georgetown, and
after looking over the scene Of the drown
| ing returned to the morgue building on
Water street, where the hearing Of the tes-
| timony took place. Coroner hewitt pre-
| sided at the hearing, and Oficer z. A.
| Montgomery Of the seventh precinct was
| the first witness called.
Mr.. Montgomery stated that SATURDAY
| night last about II rs o'clock he and Sergt.
Bean and Officer Boston were at 35th and
! NJ streets. Witness saw number OF
| men acting in a disorderly manner, and,
them to make an arrest on the charge OF
| unlawful assembly. He had Sam Jute
under arrest, and as he reached to grasp
another man Jute broke loose and ran
down both street toward the canal.
At the canal the man turned north on
the towpath, and ran about fifty feet TO a
! point where there is lock about fifteen
feet wide. Here he stopped for second,
and, to the witness. appeared to make an
effort to jump across the lock, but missed
the other side and went into the water.
The officer told of the effort made to res
cue the man, and of the recovery OF the
body and Its removal to Georgetown ChA-
versty Hospital
Sergt. Bean, the next witness. corrob-
Grated the story of Officer Montgomery.
Capt. Snyder Testifies.
Capt Snyder of the seventh precinct, in
response to a query of the coroner regard
ing the condition of the canal at Goth street,
stated he thought the canal dangerous from
| Rock Creek to bridge I. Witness had heard
| of several drownings in the canal that
could have been prevented by a barrier OF
| some kind. He thought such device couid
| be used without seriously interfering with
| the work of the canal Capt Snyder cited
| two cases-those of small child and or a
| woman-who fell into the canal and were
! drowned, and it was his opinion that they
! would not have gotten into the water had
| there been a fence outside the toWpath.
Above the Aqueduct bridge there Is low
| fence or wall over which the towline
| works. In response to the question regard
| ing the number of houses along the canal,
| witness said that it was quite th,ckly set
| tied. In the opinion of the witness the
canal should be fenced in on the north side
| it's whole length.
Samuel Friedlander, the next witness.
| saw several men scufflng at the corner of
| Both and NJ streets, and saw the officers
| go after the men. He saw the men run as
| the officers approached them.
DR.. Glazebrook, the deputy coroner, stated
that the autopsy he made on the body of
Jute developed the fact that the man was
drowned. He found no odor Of liquor In
the stomach contents of the man.
1t took the jury, consisting OF Messrs.
George Freeman. ]. B. Nordinger, B. F.
Harper, j. NJ. Pridgeon, James T. Smith
and F. w. Bause. but few minutes to ar
rive at the verdict that we believe that
the death of Samuel Jute was due entirely
to accident and relieve Officer Montgomery
of all responsibility for his death.