Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1907-08-01
ORDEAL
FORNEW YORK
POLICEMAN
PUBLICLY DEGRADED IN
PRESENCE OF COMRADES
Insignia of Authority Stripped
From Officer Convicted of
Cowardicei Allowed Armed
Murderer to Escape,

ITy Morning journal Special Leased Wire.l
New York, July 31.-A remarkable
scene, closely paralleling that MEM
orabe one in Paris when Captain AL
fred Dreyfus was publicly degraded
before the French army, was enacted
in the trial room at police headquar-
ters today. For the first time in more
than forty years a patrolman had
been adjudged guilty of cowardice. He
is stephen S. Walsh, who, according
to the charge made against him last
week, fled from an armed man who
had shot and killed a woman. The
keen interest with which the unusual
case was followed rose to a point CT
dramatic intensity when Police Com
missioner Bingham announced in a
voice choked with emotion that he
charge against the man had heen
proven. Then the commissioner
turned to Inspector Richard Walsh
and directed the inspector to strip
Walsh of his shield and uniform bur
tons, so that he might not even leave
the trial room with the emblem Of his
former position as a policeman in
good standing on his person. The
crowd looked on in excitement as the
Inspector advanced to perform his un-
pleasant task. The dismissed man
stood still and offered no resistance as
the shield was unpinned from his
breast, but when the inspector started
to detach the buttons Stephen Walsh
stepped back and appealed to his at
torney against any further humiliation
being put upon him i'm the presence
of his former comrades. Commission
er Bingham directed the inspector to
conduct his former subordinate to the
steps of the police building and eject
him stephen Walsh offered no re-
sistance and was conducted to the
outer doorway where he was formal
ly directed to leave the building.
AS stephen Walsh was being cs-
corted from the room Commissioner
Bingham indicated that he desired the
other men in uniform to remain.
Come np close in front. all you
men in uniform said the commits
sioner, while his eyes brimmed with
tears. i've word to say to you
all but | can scarcely say it, My
cheeks have burned with shame here
even to think of a charge of coward
ice being preferred against a man.;n
this department II had been. our
pride to say that whatever other
faults there may have been. there
was no towardice in this department.
gave the accused In this case every
chance to defend himself, but 1t has
been clearly proven that he failed just
at the moment when he should not
have failed. This thing must never
happen again. You must forget this,
but you must remember the proud
record of forty years before when not
one man in the many thousands failed
to do his duty in the face of danger"
Stephen Walsh was one of the two
men against whom a charge of cow
ardice was made last week when
Frank Warner was permitted to es-
cape after killing Esther Norling Pa
trolman Roosa. the officer whose
name was coupled with that of Walsh
in the cowardice charge, was exon
Grated after a full hearing before the
commissioner.
Warner, who was once a prosper
Gus halter, but had suffered business
reverses, went to a store where Miss
Norling, who had once been his
cashier. was employed, and shot her
TO death. When he dashed from the
store stephen Walsh and several pc
destrians pursued. Warner took ref
uge In a building and darted up the
stairs toward the roof. Walsh at the
time was only short distance behind
the fugitive. but II is charged that
when Warner turned and aimed the
revolver at him he turned and fled to
an office on the lower floor Of the
building. Roosa soon arrived on the
scene. but Warner escaped. Two
hours later he walked into John c.
Wilson's store and shot him in the
back. Wilson died several days later
in hospital. Warner was struck down
with a baling hook in the hands Of
a teamster and captured as he ran.
He Is now In hospital in a serious
condition from the wound inflicted by
his captOrs.