The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-08-01
DEGRADATION OF
POLICE OFFICER
Dramatic Scene WhenPa.
trolman Walsh Is
Dismissed.
IS STRIPPED5OF
HIS ]5MBL EMS.
Man Had Fled in Face Of Dan
ger,After the Killing Of Wo-
t11arPolice Commis-
sioner Bingham
Is Greatly
Moved.

NEW YORK, July 31.--A remarkable
scene. closely paralleling that memo-
rable one In Paris when Captain Alfred
Dreyfus was publicly degraded before
the French army. was enacted in the
trial room at police headquarters to-
day. For the first time in moro than,
thirty years. patrolman had been
adjudged guiltyEof cowardice. He !, is
Stephen S. Walsh, who, according to-
the charge made against Il him. last
week fled from an armed man who had
Shot and killed woman. The keen
interest with Which the unusual case
was followed rose to "a point Of
dramatic intensity when Police Com y
missioner Bingham who had presided
personally at the trial, announced in
a. vol ce4 choked with emotion THAI the
charge against the unfortunate man
had been proved. u 5Ssisi
Then the commissioner turned ftotIn-s
spector Richard Walsh, in whose dis
%trict Stephen Walsh was aspatroiman, I.
but who is nosrelative OF the d smissed
man, and directed the inspectorsEtoS
strip Walsh OF his shield and uniform
buttons, SO that he might not even
leave the trial room with the emblems.
of his former position as a3pollcemau
IN good standing n3hiss person.
Stripped Of Official Insignia.
The crowd looked ons Il wonder and
excitement as the inspector advanced
TO perform his unpleasant task. The
dismissed man stood still and offered
no resistance as the shield was un-
pinned from his breast, but when
the Inspector started to detach the but :,
tons OF the, uniform. Stephen Walsh
stepped back and appealed to his at!
torneys against any further llumiliaL-
( lion being put upon him in the pres
enceso of his former co omrades. Commis- :
/ sioner Btng CHAM, 10 was laboring un-
I der great Ee xcitement t. then &interposcd
and directed the inspector to Conduct
his former subordinate to the steps OF
the police building and eject him.
Stephen Walsh offered no resistance
and went with the inspector to the
outer doorway, where he was formally
directed to leave the building.
Throughout the unusual proceeding
Stephen Walsh maintained his COM
posure.
AS Stephen Walsh was being es-
corted from the room Commissioner
Bingham. with a wave of his hand, tin-
tdicated that he desired the other men
. (
Bingham Clicked With Emotion.
Come u close In front all you men
In uniform" SAID Conlnli ssioner Bing-
ham In a voice ,.hoked With emotion,
while his eyes tbrimmed with tears
II have a word to say to you all, but
I can scarcely say it. My eyes have
burned with shame here. even to think
OF charge of cowardice being pre-
ferred against q man In this Depart
ment. t has been our pride to say,
whatever other faults there may have
been. that there was no cowardce In
this department..
gave the accused in this case
every chance to defend himself, but 1T
has been clearly proved that he failed
just at the moment when he should not
have failed. This thing must never
happen again while you and are to-
gether. You must forget this. but you
must remember the proud record OF
thirty years before, when not one man
In the many thousands failed to do his
duty in the face OF any dang
Stephen Walsh was one OF the two
men against whom a charge OF coward
ice was made last week, when Frank
Warner was permitted to escape after
killing Miss Esther Norling in Forty
second Street.. Before Warner was cap-
.tured he shot and mortally wounded
John c. Wilson and terrorized hum
dreds of persons. Patrolnan Roosa, the
officer whose name was coupled with
that of Walsh In the cowardice charge,
was eXonerated.