The Nashville globe. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1906-193?, 1907-08-16
POLICEMEN
AND CIVILIANS
COWARDLY ASSAULT CITIZEN
Without Pretext Other than
MeanneSS.
LAST SATURDAY NIGHT TWO OF
NAsHVlLLE's ACCREDITED Po-
LICEMEN, WITH TWO OUTSIDE
PALS, ASSAULT A WELL-KNoWN
CITIZEN OUT ON THE SAD Err
RAND TO GET ASSISTANCE TO
HELP WITH HIS DEAD WIFE.

NJD ldSL OdLuTldN UlSuC JWO DOllC6-
men and two civilians committed one
of the most cowardly assaults ever
heard Of in the history of Nashville
Mr. Frank Mills who lives at 1906 Jeff
ferson street. was out at late hour
on a very sad mission Mr. Mills
wife died about midnight, and as there
were only few friends present, he
was compelled to go out for assist
ance There was no one he could
send, all of the friends present being
ladies. Mr. Mills had been to the
nlace and was returning home When
he was near the Jubilee Hall yard
gate on Jefferson street he saw four
men break across the street toward
him. He was already unnerved over
the great loss he had sustained, and
was in no mood to receive another
great shock. When he saw the men
rushing toward him he called to them
to stop. He least suspected that two
of them were officers, for they had
their coats off and were lounging
around on the curbstone. Their ap-
pearance led Mr. Mills to believe that
he was about to be attacked by a gang
Of cutthroats. He had nothing to pro-
tect himself with save a little old
broken knife that would be harmless
to three-year-old boy. On they came
rushing upon the man already
stricken, and now before he can ar
range to bury his dead wife he must
be possibly murdered himself, But
he kept cool. He called out to the in.
truders: "Who are your" and to his
great surprise the response was, 1--WE
are policemen" But they were not
all policemen. Two of the men were
not officers, for one Of the men with
the officers was only recently dis.
charged from the fire department for
insubordination. He was clearly rec.
OgniTed by Mr.. Mills; but despite this
fact he felt no further fear since po-
liCemen were there to protect him
He was mistaken, though, for the po
liceman, who had put on his coat and
was thereby an officer and guardian OF
the peace, was the first. to assault him
He did not wait to find out who it
was nor what his mission was, but
proceeded to administer a severe beat
ing, pummelling the helpless and
heartbroken man in the face with his
fist and would not desist when Patrol.
man McKinstry told him that he
knew Mr. Mills When the blood.
thirsty policeman had finally been per
suaded to listen to the statement OF
his victim he remarked, "Well don't
know whether you are telling the
truth or not" and McKinstry said to
him well, old man. you had better
get in"
Mr.. Mills was an object of pity
when seen by a Globe representative
The man was almost exhausted and
mortified beyond expression. He said
he had never been interfered with by
a policeman before in his life, and he
has lived in Nashville over twenty
years. He is a contracting painter
and previous to the death of his wife
had conducted a grocery on Jefferson
street next to his home. With tears
streaming down his bruised cheeks
he said: "And I cannot go out on the
streets to make preparation to bury
my dead wife without being assaulted
by an officer of the law"
Mr. Mills intends to report the case
to the civil service commission, ant
his friends have expressed a desire Il
rally to his aid