Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-05-08
DECLARE OFFICER
ABUSED PRISONER
WITNESSES SAY POLICEMAN
WAS DRUNK
Member of Crossing Squad Not in
Uniform lnflicts Cuts and
Bruises in Making
Arrest

Incensed by what they believed to be
brutality on the part of policeman
hooting and bowling and with cries of
Mob him; he is drunker than his
prisoner!" mob of 300 people sur
rounded Crossing Policeman h: L.
Gardner and Howard (Frenchy) War
rem, whom the officer had arrested at
Fourth and Main streets last night, ana
but for the timely arrival OF halI
dozen uniformed patrolmenl, ana an sne
nolice patrol wagon it is believed tnat
the crowd would have attacked ana
roughly handled the object of their
Warren. the prisoner. who is better
known as "Frenchy" and Is one or the
hangers-on at a saloon on Fourth near
Main street, with two compalons hau ud
gone to the Lawrence restaurant at ,,.. tsV
West Fourth street and raised dis-
turbance. They were ordered out py
the manager, and Warren VINO nao
been drinking, refused to go.
Manager Fitch called policeman TO
eject the offender, and officer Gardner,
who is stationed at the crossing at
Fourth street and Broadway and was
passing at the time, entered tne res
taurant and took the man out, ana
after talking to him a few minutes or
dered him to go home. Warren refused
to go and wanted to enter the Osgood
saloon. Officer Gardner took nolu OF
Warren and told him he would nave TO
go to jail
Say Officer Was Brutal
THE stories of witnesses vary as to
what happened afterwardi According
to Gardner, he used no more force lnah
was necessary to get Warren to the
patrol box on Fourth street, rev teee
east of Main street He stated tnaI
Warner. resisted and he was compelled
to drag him along part of the time TO
oct hin, to the box and that when he
let 60 of him to get out his keys TO
unlock the box and to signal for the
wagon Warren fell against the box ana
emf his head. In this statement Gard
ner is corroborated by several VIII
neSses.
Flatly contradicting the OFFICER ana
his witnesses and in explanation OF the
anger of the big crowd gathered at the
place. e. d. Irons, 525lA South Main
street; H. McGee, 308h South Spring
street. G. w. Witt, 412 South Broad
way. and others tell a story OF brutality
on the part of the officer
According to their story, Garoner
grabbed Warren while he was standing
in front of the Osgood saloon and
shook him a dozen times. and then,
grabbing him by the coat collar,
dragged him along the sidewalk to the
patrol box, at the same time using
vile language and cursing his prisoner.
At the box other witnesses state that
Gardner threw Warren heavily against
the iron post supporting the box and
then deliberately knocked him down,
after which he seized him by the
throat and hammered his head against
the curbing, Several bystanders inter
fered at this and made the officer de-
sist. other witnesses to the affair,
whose statements were furnished Gard
ner's superior officers, were w. r.
Mostey, 1271s East First street; Ed
ward Born, 1928 San Antonio street; r.
L. Hoist, Thirty-eighth street and Har-
ward boulevard, and Lee Osgood, 11S
West Fourth street.
officer Was Drinking
Within the few minutes after the
officer arrived at the box with his
prisoner the crowd had been aug
mented by fresh arrivals. and the story
of the rough handling Of the prisoner