The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-12-27
POLICE STATION
BECOMES BABEL
RUSSIAN BROUGHT IN BADLY
BEATEN uP AND FRIEND
EXPLAINS.
IN FOREIGN TONGUE
OFFICER BRANTLEY SALLIEs
FORTH AND PERFORMS MOST
CREDITABLE PIECE OF
POLICE WORK.
IN FOREIGN TONGUE

About midnight last night the
First Police Station WAS the scene
Of one Of the most unusual demon
STATIONS that has been known in
Richmond In many years. Sergeant
Sowell, in charge OF the office, has
his hands fun for some time. and had
all that he could do restoring or
der. inasmuch as no one understood
what the other fellow was saying.
The beginning of the row was when
a Russian was brought in by DIR.
Watts, OF the ambulance, badly beat
en- about the head by unknown par
ties, As near as could be ascer
tanned the man had gone into some
home. the address being 1908 East
Main street. and had there been as
saulted, il was said. for housebreak
ing. or at least for entering the
wr7ng house.
DR.. Watts had to have his man
held down while a negro shaved his
pate for the operation that was nee
essary. Handouts were finally call
ed for in order to keep the man from
hurting himself during the operation.
This was the first part of the Incl
dent. and no one could tell the name
OF the man injured. though an ex-
citable Russian talked unknown Ian
guaKes to the police in an effort 10
explain the situation. Newspaper
men tried to show their acquaintance
with foreign tongues. only to be the
more baified.
Finally some one caught the word
IVAN and that WAS the nearest
that could be aScer;ained as to the
name OF the wounded men. who had
been SO badly beaten over the head.
Brantleys Great Work.
IL was here that Policeman w. s.
Brantley came into the case and made
a notch in his record that viii go
a long way towards making him
future plain clothes man,
Mr.. Brantley in some way get the
address OF Russian In the vicinity
of the First station. VIII ere a small
esta blishment for the sale of dry
goods is conducted on Seventeenth
street Here an old Russian gentle
man was asked II he knew anything
about the row. and If a man who
was described to him by a Russian
interpreter lived in his house. The
old man, whose name was also a
Russian mystery, could not explain
matters. but another Russian inform
ed Policeman Brantley that he saw
a man crawl through the iron graf
ing on the street and into the cellar
of the place.
Search Commences.
Policeman Rrantley INN ediateiy
com menced a search of the premises.
calling on a friendly bystander to
watch the street while he entered the
place. After a search which dis
closed nothing and which led through
dark stairways and mysterious halls.
the officer found a rear celler door
that had not been unlocked for some
time. They key was procured and
down ladder ten feet in length the
brave officer crawled. and in the
basement he found the alleged as
sailant crouched in a corner. behind
a pile of wood. That MIR. Brantiey
was not Knocked senseless was a
matter OF good fortune. He got his
prisoner and walked him TO the
station, a few blocks away. where
began again the pow~ow- which the
desk sergeant finally silenced by
stopping the tabber OF unknown ton
gues.
Who was arrested and who was
hurt will be explained to-day in
Police Court In the mea ntime
Ivan" has a badly bruised head.
while his friend who hid in the cell
Ter faces serious charge.