The Washington times., 1918-05-26
CHARGE POLICE
WERE BRUTAL IN
ATTACK ON BOY

A Preston Garrison, IS years old,
OF Garrisonvllle, Staunton county,
Va. a nephew OF Mrs. ]. Lee webb,
OF 2S15 Eleventh street northwest,
Il in a serious condition today 1T
Emergency Hospital. suffering e0n-
cussion OF the brain received when
he resisted arrest by Policeman J. g
Matthews at Seventh street and
Pennsylvania avenue northwest
According to Policemen Matthews
and Waters, Garrison was riding on
the fender OF q westbound Pennsyi-
vania avenue car. and when told TO
get off by the motorman, H Kline
refused. stating he wanted to 60 up
to the top Of the monument and set
the world on fire. Matthews under
took to arrest Garrison, but he re-
sisted. The policeman struck him on
the head and then sent him to EmOr-
goney Hospital
Garrison became violent and vas ssnt
to the Washington Asylum Hospital for
observation-
Mrs. wsbA, believing her nephew was
the victim Of an unprovol7ed assault. an-
pealed to hajor A Barnes Hooe, OF the
Army Medical Corps, 12O Sixteenth
Etreet northwest Major Hooe had Gar
Eison rstmnod to Emergency Hospital
C@Dllant Filed.
HrA webb hled a complaint with
Major Pullman against Policeman Mat
thews. which II being investigated by In
spector Boyle. Major Pullman refused
to discuss the matter yesterday.
Policeman Matthews in giving his
version Of the AFFAIR says:
when my attention was called 70
the man sitting on the fender OF the
street car I asked him to get on
He refused to do so and made a series
OF wild and rambling statements
about going up to the Washington
monument and hanging the Kaiser
and slectrifying the world. thought
he was intoxicated and asked him to
come with me. He refused and be-
cam very violent, resisting with all
his might He struck me In the
breast. and as I attempted 10 lead
him away he again struck At me.
then used my baton on him and with
the aid Of Policeman Waters I called
the patrol wagon and took him to the
hospital"
Policeman Matthews states that he
was prepared to swear out q warrant
sault, but that when the boy was SAINT
to the Asylum Hospital he decided 70
let the matter drop.
Mrs. Webb is highly indignant over
the affair and insists that the attack
was entirely without warrant
Pastor Says Attack Brutal
The Rev. z. Holmes Lamar. pastor
Of McRendrsS Methodist Episcopal
Church, who witnessed the incident.
yesterday made the following state
ment:
The attack upon the young man
was one of the most brutal and IN
warranted have Sver seen was an
eyewitness to the entire afair. The
young man had apparently fllen on
the fender OF = PsnnGylVaRIa avenue
car and the policeman walked out
and grabbed him roughly and
dragged him to the sidewalk When
the boy regained his feet he dropped
some packages he was carrying. and
raised his hands above his head. The
policeman. evidently thinking the
boy was about to attack him, drew
his club and struck him on the side
Of the head, Telling him to the pave
ment At this point another police
man came along and jumped astride
the prpstrate body and started to
choke him while the first policeman
went to the patrol box and sent IN a
call.
"At this spoke to the policeman
and advised that the boy be sent to
the hospital instead OF the police sta
tion, as I saw that he was seriously
hurt, as he was bleeding freely. Per-
sonally / am satisfied that II the boy
acted queerly after reaching the hos
pital Il was due to the fact that his
reason was temporarily derAngsd
because OF the stunning blow delIV-
cred by the policeman with his club.
repeat that the attack was most
brutal and entirely unwarrsntsd."