The Ocala evening star., 1921-09-14
POLICEMAN BRONSON
TELLS HIS STORY


paper is open TO all, and since / have
rot had the time before, and really
haven't got it now. to tell my part ir
the trouble of last Friday, hope am
not too late with my little piece
suppose the trouble started with
ny arrest of William Bullock in the
Ocala House Office one night last
j week. The night clerk called me in,
told me Bullock was making too much
disturbance and to take him out /
tried TO take Bullock out without any
more noise, but he said he wouldn't
go. Then I drew my billy and told
him he had to CO. He made no more
trouble and gave me ten dollars cash
bond, after which he went away quiet
| ~ enough and | just about forgot it,
as such things happen often with any
policeman.
As | said, had about forgotten
| the circumstance, and when my wife
woke me up last Friday afternoon
and said some one was calling me
over the phone, and the man calling,
who / think was Paul Simmons, asked
me why / had treated William Bull
lock SO I had to think for a minute be-
fore | remembered what he was talk
irg about. told him to see the night
clerk at the Ocala House, but he in
sisted on an answer from me- | ask
ed him why, and he said Bill Bullock
was d good friend of his. Now,
Mr.. Editor, nobody except one of my
superior officers or Judge in court
has any right to ask me such a ques-
ton, so / hung up on him.
A few minutes later the phone
rang again. and when I answered the
man at the other end told me he was
Tucker. | asked him what he wanted,
and he asked the same question that
Simmons has asked. / also told him
to see the Ocala House night clerk
He said he didn't want to see the
clerk, that | was the man he had to
call to account. He asked me if |
struck Bill, and I said no. He wanted
to know when and where | would be
on duty. | told him o'clock on the
pablic square. He asked me where
lived said, "Mr. Tucker, you know
where / ive." He said he did not, SO
| told him. He then asked me, "How
about coming around there and seeing
you now?" said, "Well. come ahead"
You see, didn't know there was
more than two men, and / hardly
thought there would be serious trou-
bic. Tucker said they were coming
and hung up.
| had on my pants and shirt, which
| put on at the first phone call. My
pistol was in my right hip pocket, and
my billy in the Eeft. I had left them
in my pockets when / went to bed
that morning; if hadn't might have
been unarmed when the crowd jumped
me.
I put on my shoes, collar and tie,
and hardly had them on when | heard
men come in the yard and up the
steps. When | reached the door they
were on the porch, and Tucker said,
SO, you didn't think we'd come"
They came up the steps, Tucker and
Bullock together; Simmons behind
them. Tucker introduced himself; so
did I, and held out my hand. Tucker
took it; then asked them to be seat
ed. Tucker sat down in the porch
swing, Julian Bullock on the porch
rail and Simmons a little further off |
sat down in chair close to the hall
door
It seemed to me that both Tucker
and Simmons were mad; they looked
ike it, specially Tucker. Julian Bull |
lock looked all right, but then have
seen men look pleasant at their mad
dest, and smile just before they hit |
somebody. Bullock started TO smoke
and asked me to hold up my foot for |
him to strike a match on, which / did, |
guess if he had been alone, or the
others as good humored as he was,
there would have been no trouble, but |
] couldn't be certain of that
Tucker said, "Now, | want you to
go ahead and tell why you arrested |
Bill"
Julian Bullock said, ''Don't pay any
attention to him, Mr.. Bronson. We
only want to get. it straight"
Tucker also said. "We want to get |
this straight"
I asked Tucker if he was sober and |
knew what he was doing. He said he
was. I then said, "Just take my adj
vice and get out of my house"
He said, 'If | don't go, what viii
happen?"
| got up and as it was plain there
was going to be trouble dropped my
left hand on the handle of my billy. |