Los Angeles herald., 1908-08-01
OFFICER BEATS
AGED VETERAN
OLD SOLDIER AT SAWTELLE
ASSAULTED
MEMBER OF POST POLICE FORCE
ATTACKS coMRADE
Severely Injured, Victim Is Thrown
Into Guard House, Where He Lay
All Night Without Med
caI Attention

Beaten almost into Inconsistencies
by Patrolman William A. Foy of the
Soldiers home at Sawtelle and then
thrown into the guard house for the
night without medical attention is the
treatment received by Jacob Milford,
81 years old, an inmate of the home, for
resisting arrest, according to the Of
ficers of the institution, but according
to the testimony of witnesses for re-
fusing to obey the officers command
to get off the porch and go to bed"
The veterans are supposed to be in
their quarters at p. M, but Milford
fingered Thursday night and was taxi
ing off his shoes on the porch when
OFFICER Foy of the soldiers police force
came by Members of Company K who
were in their hunks just inside heard
the officer order Milford to go in,
which he declined to do. Then, 1t is
said, Foy beat the old man, knocked
him down and continued striking him
while he lay on the floor. While he
held him down he blew his police whis-
tie and with the help of other officers
put tie now helpless man in a cart and
took him to the guard house.
Veterans In Angry Mood
Members of Company K said yester-
day that another act of brutality of the
same sort would be answered with a
hempen rope with a moose on the end
Milford was placed in the guard
house by Chief E. T. Root and kept
there until Friday morning, when it
was seen that the old man was in seri-
Gus condition. He was then placed on
a bed in the police station while o. C.
Of for.
Later he was removed to the hospital
and his wounds bandaged
The only punishment which Foy re-
ceived in the governors court yester-
day was relief from police duty He
will continue to receive the same
privileges as other inmates Of the Sol
diers' home, although this is not his
first offense. Several time in the past
Foy has treated those whom he saw
brutality, according to veterans at the
home. April q Foy and Mike Sweeny,
another guard, arrested Michael
Luscher for intoxication in the pres
ence of Governor Cochrane. AS q re-
suit of this arrest Luscher went to the
hospital for several months instead Of
the guard house. Sweeny was relieved
from duty for brutality displayed on
this occasion, but Foy was continued
on the force. Although Foy is mem
Der of Company K, the same to which
milford belongs. he is severely criti-
cised by his comrades for the harsh
ness he used in making arrests. 1t
was the general opinion that he was
let down very easily by being simply
deprived of his star.
Chief Censures Foy
Chief e. T. Root, who has charge of
the police squad, said: IT am sorry
did not send for the surgeon at once
when milford was brought in, but he
kept telling me he was all right, so let
it go until morning. Then I saw he
was badly battered up and 1 made a
bed for him and sent for the surgeon.
do not know whether Foy hit him
with a cane or his fists. Officers are
not allowed to carry weapons or clubs,
but Foy used to have a cane with him.
"You may set me down as not APP
proving of Foy's conduct for a
moment. in fact, it is against the rules.
When one of the men was beaten up
last April by Foy and Sweeny the
governor issued an order that no one
should be injured while making an
arrest and | passed that order on to
my men. 1 think Milford had been
drinking and he should have been in
his quarters at o'clock, but 1t is the
captains business to see that his men
are in at night and not the police de-
partment's."
When milford was seen at the hos
pital his head and left eye were
bandaged. Portions of his face that
were visible were badly bruised. His
right eye was black and his nose cut.
Although he is a man of large frame,
he appeared very weak and could
speak with difficulty.
"I had been to Sawtelle to see the
to.
back late. 1 sat down on the bench
and took my shoe off. preparatory to
going to bed, when Foy came along.
When he ordered me to go In I knew
it was not his business, for I was on
the porch of my own quarters, so
told him / would not Yes, / had a
couple of drinks, but did not resist
him. He kneeled on me and kept
striking me in the face while | called
for help. 1 fought through the war
with the Fourth infantry of Iowa, but
] am not as strong now as I was then.
But the doctor says 1 will be out in a
few days"
Says Attack Was Brutal
Captain Reynolds of Company K
was very angry at the treatment given
to the old man. as was also Sergeant
John Haverstick, who was one of the
witnesses at the trial of Foy. E. w.
Livermore, another witness, said when
he came out in answer to the cries of
milford that he found Foy kneeling on
the old mans chest and striking him
in the face. HE kept him down for
ten minutes" he said, but I could do
nothing,as the other officers came up
and dragged milford to a cart. 1t Is
not the first time this has happened
either. Foy was suspended under the
administration of Governor La
Grange"
Foy was arrested after the attack
and placed in the guard house. His
trial was short, and few of the wit
nesses present when he made the at
tack were called, say Mulford's COM
rades.