New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-10-26
POLICEMAN ur1N
IN CLUBBING CASE
Tribune Reporter Feiled
and Beaten by Officer
"in Bad HumOr."
HIS OFFENCE A PLEA
FOR INJURED MAN
Victim May Lose Sight of Eye
Prisoner Held in 81 ,0O0
for Trial for Assault.

for Trial for Assault.
Michael Moran, a policeman recently
transferred TO the I'd Precinct on pro-
baton, was arrested yesterday on n
warrant as he stood before Magistrate
Cobb in the Tombs court in answer TO
a charge Of assault upon Edward j.
Denice. Tribune reporter.
After Magistrate Cobb had read the
affidavits OF policemen and other wit
nesses, presented By James f. DeN-
hanty, Assistant District Attorney. and
Harold l.. Cross, counsel for The Trib-
une. he ordered Moran arrested at once.
A warrant was issued and served upon
him as he stood in court, and the magis-
trate held him in $1,000 bail.
At the eleventh hour Charles lie Bar
bier was called in as counsel for the
policeman, and through his partner, A.
Jocelyn II. Masrath, explained that bail
could not be obtained at once. so Mag
istrate Cobb paroled the policeman in
the custody of counsel until o'clock
a. m. to-day. Moran will have a hear
ing before Magistrate Cobb "a Wednes-
day at p m.
The great mass Of evidence brought
to the attention Of District Attorney
Perkins caused him to assign James f.
Delehanty, his chief assistant, to prose
cute the policeman.
The beating of Mr.. Denice occurred
at 4:05 o'clock a. m. on October 20 al
Park Row and North william Street
He had just left The Tribune office
and was on his way home when he saw
a man thrown out into the street from
a saloon known as Furthmann's. The
elected man had hardly gained his feet
when a bartender came out OF the place
and beat him.
Policeman Fells Denice.
The man, who by this time was in a
dazed condition, started 10 cross the
street when Patrolman Moran came IN
and beat the man with his nightstick.
The victim OF Moran's club collapsed
on the east sidewalk of the Municipal
Building.
Fearing that the man might be dy-
ing. Denice approached Moran and sug-
gested that the officer call for an am
bulance or get medical aid.
"Are you trying TO make a fool out
of me?" asked the patrolman. who
the hell are you, anyway"
Denice explained that he was a news
paper man, and was about to show his
credentials, when Moran stepped back
a foot or two, set himself, and struck
the reporter in the face.
Denice fell on the sidewalk. and
Moran stood over him. When the re-
porter recovered sufficiently to grope
for his hat that had been knocked from
his head, Moran reached down, grasped
Denice by the coat collar, drew his
stick and struck him over the temple,
telling him again.
81 guess you'll need an ambulance
now" Moran remarked, as he started
dragging Denice toward the station
house of the 9Th Precinct in Oak Street,
a few blocks away.
He was stopped by the approach OF
two policemen from an adjacent post
and by some friends of Denice, who
had been attracted by the crowd.
May Lose Eyesight.
When Denice was taken into the po-
lice station and Lieutenant John I.
Lake had heard the story of the as
sault he declined to hold the reporter
on the policeman's charge Of dlsorderly
conduct and sent at once for an am
bulance. DR.. Augenblick. of st. Greg
ory's Hospital, took three stitches in
the wound above Denice's left eye. lie
remarked that the reporter would prob
ably lose the sight of that eye.
A third examination of the eye made
Yesterday by n specialist tends TO con-
firm the prophecy made by the ambu-
lance surgeon, and the victim OF
Moran's nightstick is threatened with
conclusion of the brain due TO the
clubbing he received. Lieutenant Lake
expressed satisfaction that two other
policemen had come to Denice's aid as
he feared that moran might have done
more damage"
Denice was removed 10 his home at 5
o'clock, and for twenty-four hours
lapsed at intervals into unconscious
ress. Notwithstanding the seriousness
Of his condition. the refusal of Lieu
tenant Lake TO hold him under arrest
and the conviction of every one except
Moran that his assault was unprov )ked
and uncalled for, the policeman was
not suspended from service Within
twenty minutes after the assault the
Police Department knew OF it. but
Moran was kept in service and sent out
again on post. 1t was not until day
and a half after the Commissioners
Office had been notified Of Moran's act
that he wts suspended by Nh Cooley.
the First Deputy. Suspension coming on
Thursday at 7:l5 p. m. few minutes
after the city editor of The TRIBUNE
Lad called up headquarters to know
vhv Moran had rot been suspended
Lieutenant Lake said he was con-
WINGED that the assault upon Mr.. Denice
was uncalled for. and he told Moran III
the police station on Wednesday morn
ing that he could have arrested Denice
without striking or marking him.
Sergeant Patrick Curran, one Of Mo-
rams superior officers, who was in the
station house when the injured re-
porter was brought in. upbraided the
patrolman for his act.
"I'm sorry this happened" he said.
81 have known Denice for twenty years
He has always been a friend TO police
men"
Harry A. Jones. a brother policeman
said he asked Moran why he struck Mr..
Denice, and that Moran replied: Il