The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-08-25
Voice of the People
"Third Degree. Methods In virsinia.

To the Editor of The Times Dispatch:
Sir.-The Bcattie case shows that IT
is high time to put an end to the I'M
! lawful practices of detectives and po-
| licemen known as the third degree
| Christian civilization and centuries OF
judicial proceedings in Anglo Saxon
courts have shown that II is necessary
TO throw certain safeguards around
those accused of crime. our laws regard
guilty, and both the accused and wit
nesses are entitled to the protection
OF the court. Ii is the fashion to-
day for detectives and policemen TO
put man in what they call the
sweat box and give him the third
degree" They place him In solitary
confinement. starve him. and often
make the room so hot as to almost
suffocate him. then Willy him, brow
beat him, make false statements of
facts regarding the case, and insult
body being worn out and his Will
broken down they may entrap him in
some admissions. No thumb screw or
rack of the inouisition produced more
suffers, as with weakened body and
worn out mind, with no friendly face
TO look upon, he feels that he is alone,
deserted by the world. and delivered
over to his tormentors If the end JUS
tines the means, and this sort of thing
is desirable. let US repeal the laws
and constitutional rights that provide
for the liberty of the Citizen, the pre-
sumption of innocence and that a man
shall not be required to incriminote
himself. Mono of these rights. which
of suffering has. established. now
amounts to anything as far as dctec-
tives or policemen are concerned. To
quote recent number of your paper
for his daily talk" with the witness
he demands" OF the TALLER why II
friend OF the witness has been allowed
TO call, and in language more forcible
than eloquent" gives his order to the
1ailer There is absolutely no excuse
for such conduct, and II newspaper ac-
counts are to be believed, the detec-
tive himself ought 10 be indicted or
sont to Jail for contempt OF court for
his third degree" methods. The jailer
is the proper custodian of the prisoner
lie alone has been selected by tho
people as one to be trusted with such
duties, authorized by law and required
TO give bond for the faithful perform
ance OF his duties, and the law does
not contemplate turning over prisoners
to irresponsible parties. much less to
such an Irresponsible partisan as
detective, whose bread and butter de-
pend upon his browbeating the un-
Fortunate in his hands into some sort
Of confirmation of his preconceived
ideas.
Legal records show instances in
which detectives have been sent to
OF Justice: they also show. Instances
In which innocent people have been
convicted and made 10 suffer tho
penalties of guilt because OF the most
convincing evidence furnished by de-
t.ctiveS. The law itself has been
forced by some unfortunate eXpr-
rienccs to regard admissions and con
iessions secured by detectives and po-
llcemen with positive suspicion
1t is one OF the evils accompanying an
awful crime such as Beattie seems to
have committed that the public filled
with righteous indignation and n
proper desire to see the criminal
brought 10 Justice. condones such IL
legal practices on the part of police
and detectives. 1t is difficult under
such circumstances for the public mind
to comprehend the great truth that it
is better even for n criminal to escape
than for the safeguard of personal lib
erty and the rights guaranteed by
our Constitution TO he violated and
annulled. The former would be u sad
miscarriage of jusaice, the latter would
be pubic calamity. r. b. w.
f1ot- lE1Nf c,-Il