The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-04-24
BRUTALITY OF POLICE.
Reporter Comes to Their Defense and
= Explains Some Cases.

| / have no doubt that many readers will
be interested in the charge of brutality
against the police In the story entitled
1.-The Rat" published in the March
American magazine. says writer in that
magazine. 1t would be a good thing IL
newspaper men and police officers in
various parts of the country would con-
tribute observations on this most inn
portant subject.
Ten years ago I was a night police
reporter in Cleveland, Ohio. Every time
an arrest was made l was admitted to
the turkeys room, where the prisoner
was searched and where the facts about
his arrest were entered on the "blotter'
before Imprisonment for the night began.
On many of these occasions, especially
in the case of 'drunks' and disorderly
persons, I have seen prisoners receive
rough handling by the turnkey and tho
officers who brought the prisoner in.
Imagine man so intoxicated as not to
be able to stand up, and then imagine
him insulting a sober cop" who has had
to lug hin a few blocks, and you can
understand that very harsh treafI sent IL
likely to result. As a matter CT fact, !
have seen drunken man quitesn ,riously
shaken and cuffed by a couple or cops"
In the turkeys room. | have also seen
an ugly and resisting sober prisoner
slapped ana punched. The worst thing
ever saw was this: dead drunk was
hauled up TIC the station in the patrol
wagon one night, and pulled out of the
wagon feet first by two cops who al
lowed the poor fellows head to strike
each step OF the wagon as they re-
moved him
l must in fairness say that there seemed
TO lie no organized plan to handle pris-
oners cruelty. The cases were purely
incidental anG irregular. II a drunk an
noyee cop" or resisted, he was simply
''beaten up bit at the station house.
We should also remember two points.
TIE first is that policemen have consid.
erahlo well grounded fear of many Of
those with whom they have to deal.
recall one cop that had II scars on
his neck ana shoulders as the result Of
a night session with couple of bur
glars in ar alley. This cop was an
ever-rresept reminder to his fellow Off.
GERS CT the disastrous results that might
happen If the other man once got the
upper hand The point is that you in
your office ordinarily deal with people
who never think of shooting, carving,
punching you, while the cop frequently
deals with people who, in a pinch, may
try any one of these arguments. This
results in the cops forming rough
manners which he is unfair enough to
apply in cases where he ought to drop
them.
The other thing that | want to call 40.
tention to is this: The cop" doing night
duty often breads to be compelled to
make an unimportant arrest. since In
many CT the cities it involves his ap-
peararce against the prisoner in court
next day ard the consequent disturbances
Of his sleep On this account, a night
cop frequently has feelings OF utter
hate for the prisoner who has caused
him to lose several hours of sleep. This
is an important point. Something ought
to be done about 1t.
AS an Illustration of this point let me
describe one of the strangest sights I
ever witnessed. Returning to my room
ole morning at 4 O'clock | saw COP"
drag q G,rnken man across the street
and lay INN down on lawn--very gently.
] was ested and awaited further dc.
velopments. A little later another Cops
dragged the drunken man back and lail
him again on the first cops" side OF
the street. A brief investigation brought
out The TACT that each cop was trying
to plant The drunken man on the others
beat Ano simply to avoid arrestinR
him and the consequent necessity of get-
ting on of bed to appear against him.
IN various parts of the United States
today sleepy cops are lolling In court
rooms waiting to appear against last
nights prisoners. To organize this thinR
differe n;ly would seem to be a mans lob
waiting for some expert in administers
tiun.