The Washington herald., 1922-06-04
STUDENT FREED;
1BLACKJACKINC
NOT JUSTIFIED
Judge Releases Moore
And Says There Was no
Reason for Arrest.
DOUBTS SPAULDING
Thinks Policeman Should Not
Have Issued Invitation
To Settle It."
DOUBTS SPAULDING

Holding Policeman E c. Spaul-
ding solely responsible for the
arrest and subsequent blackjacking
s Of Louis N. Moore. a Canadian stu
dent. last Sunday night. Judge Rob-
ert E Mattingly in Police Court
yesterday freed the youth Of
charges of misconduct, profanity
and assault brought against him
by police. Judge Mattingly char
acterized the beating up OF Moore
as "unjustinable and wholly with
out authority of law"
The trial had lasted two days. the
first day being given over to testi-
mony of witnesses brought in by
the police. Policemen Spaulding.
Bremmerman and two others
arrested Moore. Yesterday was
given over to the examination OF
witnesses brought in by Edwin c.
Dutton and Tracey Jeffords, attor-
neys for Moore
Casts slur on Bluecoat.
According to the testimony ad-
duced at the trial and the an
nounced decision of Judge Mat
tingly. the story follows:
Moore. with a young woman COM
panion. boarded a Georgia avenue
car at Ninth and F streets north
west last Sunday night at IL o'clock.
They were at the rear Of the car.
which was crowded, Policeman
spauldinE occupying one of the
seats In the rear. The young woman
was forced to stand for several
blocks. when someone offered her
a seat She accepted and sat down.
As she took her seat. Moore turned
to Spaulding and remarked:
IF you were a gentleman. you
would have offered the young lady
your seat"
Invited to .settle IT,
Soon Moore found a seat toward
the front of the car. Later Spaul-
ding passed forward through the
car to get of. Bremmerman and
two other policemen were riding
on the front platform. SpauldinE
touched Moore on the shoulder and
said:
Now. buddy. IL you want to settle
this thing, come on outside with
me-"
Moore rose from his seat and
started to leave the car with
Spaulding. when he turned back and
sat down. remembering that he was
escorting the young woman.
At THIS point Spaulding placed
Moore under arrest. and began TO
pull him from the car. Moore re-
sisted and the three policemen on
the front platform helped take him
from the car. On the way to the
police box Moore attempted to es-
cape.
FeIIed with blackjack.
Bremmerman. who said that Moore
struck him once. warned him to
make no further resistance. Moore
then attempted to hit Bremmerman.
who struck the student on the
head with a blackjack. Telling him.
Getting up a few minutes later.
Moore dashed away. running for
two blocks. when he was retaken
by SpauldinE He was taken to
Garfield Hospital. where twenty-six
stitches were required to sew up
his wounds
Spaulding claimed that as he was
leaving the car Moore grabbed him
by the shoulder and remarked that
IL II wasn't for Spaulding's uni
form he would beat him to a pulp.
Judge MattinEly inquired aloud as
he was reviewing the case. mo. II
did not. The probabilities are that
spaulding was offended by Moore's
accusation that he was not a gem
tleman. On his way out he Prob
ably said to Moore. II you want
to settle this thing come on out
side with me-
Judge Dismisses Case.
The first offense in the street
car, then" said Judge Mattingly.
occurred when Spaulding chal-
lenged Moore to go outside. There
was no reason for the arrest.
Therefore 1 dismiss the case"
Judge Mattingly said that he was
confning himself solely to what
happened inside the street car, and
ignoring what happened on the
street afterward.
'I hold whatever happened out
side the car to have been done un-
justifiedly. and without authority
Of the law" said the court.
Asked by Assistant U. s. Attor-
ney Ralph Owen II ne meant to
criticise the policemen involved in
the case, Judge Sfattingly said that
he did not.
Police Are Surprised.
Judge Mattingly's verdict appar-
entity came as a great surprise to
the police department. Police ON
cials believed that Spaulding and
the other officers were justified.
Inspectors Charles Evans and