The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1909-11-04
DEFAMERS OF POL ICEMIAN
LOSE CASE in CITY COURT
One Witness Of Theirs De
clares White Was Sober
as a Judge.
FAIL TO lDEN TIFY
White as the Person Said to.
BE Drunk Does Hans
ford for the News.

A0lNA AOA hAAS AhNSVSe
In the presence OF large number
fof citizens Saturday night the News
saw Its alleged case against Police
man London White completely COLI
lapse and 1t was no wonder that sol
many expressed Indignation over the
treatment that that newspaper had
given the officer and other members
OF the police force. So filmsy was
the case against Officer White that
at the conclusion OF the inyestiga-
tion of the case before Mayor Moore
the editor Of the News could mott
have looked cheaper. Even 1t was
brought out by one OF the witnesses
produced by the News itself that Of
ficer White was as sober as a judge
the night he was accused of being
drunk. The exoneration was so COM
plete that the News has admitted it.
1t says Mr.. White was exonerated|
and next 1t undertakes to say 1t was
a whitewashing by the mayor. Then
in It's desperation to squirm ont OF
the trap 1t set for itself it under
takes to heap abuse upon the may
or.
The only bit of evidence that the
News could furnish was that by II. L.
Hansford, who through window
saw dimly man with uniform on.
HE would not say the man had al
helmet or mace or even brass hut
tons on his coat, and, although fac
ing him he did not know whether
the man had moustache. He de-
lclined to say It was Officer White,
and, when Officer White stood up be-
fore him in Mayors court, he could
mot identify him as the man. Hans
ford had stated that the man was
vomiting. but George Miller, colored,
another witness for the News swore
that he saw no signs of drunken
man there. All Miller did see, was
THE officer in the baggage room. He
thought he was asleep but later meet
ing him in the baggage room he
found him sober as a Judge as he
expressed it. This Is the degree Of
the alleged whitewashing done and
lit was by the News side of 1T.
Hansford also stated that one OF the
Smith brothers had on uniform.
Through young man named
White. who was with Charles Primer,
when the latter telephoned to the po-
4 lice station that night that police
man was drunk at the station and
through Ernest Minor, porter at the
Capitol hotel. where the telephonig
was done. the mystery of the tele-
phone calls was revealed. Primer
sought revenge for the raid on the
Cannon house. where Lillian Russell,
a female friend of his was caught
and compelled to stand trial as a
llewd character. st was brought on at
1.-THE investigation Saturday night that
Primer was very much under the i'm
fuence of intoxicants the night he
telephoned the police.
Numerous signed statements were
before Mayor Moore showing that
White could not have been drunk at
the time accused. Among these We're
statements by A. s. Gould and the
manager of the Glen Elk Drug Com
Ipany. Mr.. Gould stated that he talk
led to Mr.. White on North
Fourth street about the time
The is alleged to have been drunk and
he regarded him perfectly sober. The
manager OF the drug store
corroborated Mr.. Gould by
stating trait about the hour
White was said to be drunk he was
in the drug store ten or fifteen minu-
ties and perfectly sober.
). In all but one man was produced
Throughout the controversy, who
, saw any one drunk and that man
!, was Hansford. who refused to say Il
Z was White and could not identify
White as the man drunk. Numer-
GUS statements by credible men
have been produced showing that
White was not drunk. According to
l the News all these men lied and the
! mayor had no right to believe them.
but should have discharged White
from the police force, deprived him
of his position. thrown him out OF
:, work. merely because Hansford said
he saw a man DRINK in the baggage
Z room.
t But Mayor Moore gave the affair
I an impartial investigation and gov
!, erned himself according to the ev:-
y dence. He would not and could not
stultify himself or prostitute his high
. -