South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-03-14
RIOTERS CLAIM
POLICE STARTED
CHURCH TROUBLE
Accused Take Witness Stand
and Deny Charges = Say
They Were Coming From the
Church as Officers Arrived.

After grinding away for three days
and a half at the testimony in the IS
riot cases being tried in police court
incident to the trouble at St Cast
mfrs Polish Catholic church Fob. 10.
the cases were continued Friday
night until next Monday morning at
10 o'clock.
only a few OF the 10 defendants
have put on their part OF the defense
and the cases promise TO extend into
the week. Each defendant is being
put on the stand after which wit
nesses are being pTt on to testify re
garding his actions at the church.
Denials Of the statements made by the
police in their testimony Tuesday,
Wednesday and Thursday were made
by the defendants. who allege that
Capt Guy Bunker struck Steve Hes,
60 years old, and that other police
officials struck others Of the defend
ants and damaged the property at the
church.
Several Of the defendants witnesses
alleged that they were attending the
regular services at the church when
some one on the outside spied the
DOliCe coming toward the building
and rang the bell. According TO the
testimony the congregation came out
of the church and were met on the
walk by the police who were trying
to install the priest in the parish
house
They alleged that the crowd gath
cred near the front of the parish
house and about the gate. 1t is al
legged that Hes. one of the defend
ants who is reported TO be i'll as a
result Of the trouble. was walking
from the service with his rosary in his
hand when the police captain struck
him with his billy.
1T was alleged by the police that the
man had a club in his hand and that
he struck the police. This was denied
by the defendants witnesses who al
legged that the man had nothing IN
his hands but the rosary. 1t was also
alleged that the police captain struck
and injured Mrs. Harriet Neidbalski.
According to the testimony the two
were carried home after the police
left.
Mrs. Martha Paege said she was at
the church and that all the sticks and
clubs she saw were in the hands OF
the police. She said the only shout
ing she heard was from the ponce
and that there were two guns fired she
believed by them. The entire blame
of the trouble was laid at the feet OF
the police by every witness. No evil
dence was entered that the people
made an effort to stop the installa-
ton Of the priest They denied that
they knew anything about plot TO
prevent his taking the pace.
Joseph Kayser and Leo Michor
both asserted on the witness stand
that the police beat up people in the
crowd and that the people made no
effort to fight back They did not
deny that the police were unable to
install the priest and that his automo-
bile was damaged. That there was
any cries of kill the coppers' was
emphatically denied by several wit
neSses.
1t was alleged by the state wit
nesses that one officer searched and
found a brick in the pocket of Michor
one of the defendants. This he de-
MED saying that the officer only found
"a pair of gloves. Two other wit
nesses were put on the stand who cor
roborated the testimony OF Michor.
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A6Ut