Los Angeles herald., 1910-03-16
CHIEF GALLOWAY
REBUKES POLICE
FOR COWARDICE
PATROLMEN AND LIEUTENANT
REPRlMANDED
"AFRAID OF ARMED MAN." SAYS
HEAD OF DEPARTMENT
officer and His Subordinates Will
Be Given Lecture Because Of
Failure to Arrest Drink
Crazed Indian

Chief Galloway yesterday declare he
personally would reprimand Lieut..
Herman Kriege and the three patrol
men for failure to perform their duty
as police officers and arrest Charles
Edmo ndson, accused of abusing his
family while he was under the influ-
ence of liquor.
Chief Galloway, with considerable
heat, stated the officers failed to do
their duty. that their excuse of hav-
ing no warrant and fearing criticism
by their superfors was a mere fabri-
cation and that the real reason for
their not taking the man into custody
was because the latter was armed
with a revolver and showed every in
dication of using it If he was molested.
Captain Dixon said the men had
acted right in not arresting Edmond
son without a warrant. He declared
the men went to get the half-breed,
and when the latter closed the screen
door to the front entrance of his home
and defied the officers to take him he
had acted within his rights and the
policemen had no authority to enter
the place. Captain Dixon further
stated the three officers reported the
matter to Lieutenant Kriege and the
latter, after learning that Edmondson
defied arrest and that two small chill
dren in the house were afflicted with
the measles, decided that the officers
had best not run the risk of catching
the dread malady by entering the
place, and upheld them for not making
the arrest without a warrant.
When their actions were approved
of by Lieutenant Kriege the three men
left Edmondson victor in the matter
and returned to the police station and
felt quite satisfied that they had per-
hof Hgtfxr a nnlippmpn
Patrolman Windsor made out report
and submitted it to his superior officer
The police then allowed the affair to
drop and no further activity was
taken in the matter until 1t was
brought to the attention of Chief Cal
loway, who in turn ordered Lieutenant
Williams to detail men to take into
custody the defiant offender The
arrest was made without any trouble,
and Edmondson, in the custody of Ora
May, secretary to the chief, and De-
tective Bert Cowan, was locked up In
the city jail
Used Poor Judgment
"These men used very poor judg-
ment as nolice officers" said Chief
Galloway yesterday. THE woman
stated she would swear to complaint
against Edmondson. The officers
knew he had attacked her and
knocked her down with a vest, in the
pocket of which was a bag of silver
coins. They also knew this man had
chased his sister-in-law from the room.
They had no cause for worry regard
ing censure from their superior oftl-
GERS. 1t was a different case from that
of immoral women who are arrested
without warrants. In this case the
man defied the police department
was flourishing a revolver and prop
ably would have used it on some per-
son had he the opportunity. ANY per-
son with common sense would have
realized that it was a case of imme-
diate action and placed this man IN
iail where he could not do any harm.
Instead of that they allowed him TO
bluff them away and then hid behind
the excuse that they had no warrant
and were fearful of the consequences
of arresting him..
at have investigated this matter
personally and 1 disapprove of their
actions. l will have them in my OF
flee and they will be given a severe
reprimand. If such affairs are again
brought to my notice more severe pun
ishment will be meted to those falllng
to do their duty"
Captain Dixon did not care to dls-
cuss the matter other than say that
fine men acted right in not arresting
Edmondson. He stated the man mere
Iv was guilty of misdemeanor anu
thew had no right to enter his nome
and arrest him without warrant.